Reclassification of the Sack-bearer Moths (Lepidoptera, Mimallonoidea, Mimallonidae)

A backbone molecular phylogeny of Mimallonidae, based on 47 species and 515 loci, was recently published. That study resolved some of the major relationships in the family, but taxon sampling was limited and a classification of the family was not formally presented for all species. Here morphological phylogenetic analyses in parsimony and maximum likelihood (ML) frameworks were conducted that included 192 species and 55 morphological characters. A phylogenetic analysis was also conducted on the morphological dataset with a topological constraint based on the 515 locus tree from the previous study. Results show that nearly all species can be confidently placed in a genus using morphological phylogenetics. The presence of a frenulum, a character that was historically used to distinguish major groups of Mimallonidae, varies within and among genera. Based on our phylogenetic results, the classification of Mimallonidae is revised, which now includes 291 species in 41 genera. Descriptions of three new genera are included: Fatellalla gen. n., Citralla gen. n., and Lepismalla gen. n. The following taxonomic changes were made in the present article: 43 new/revived combinations (in Aceclostria Vuillot, Arcinnus Herbin, Bedosia Schaus, Bedosiallo St Laurent & Kawahara, Cicinnus Blanchard, Citralla, Druentica Strand, Fatellalla, Lacosoma Grote, Lepismalla, Mimallo Hübner, Procinnus Herbin, Psychocampa Grote, Roelmana Schaus, and Thaelia Herbin), two new species-level synonyms (melini Bryk is synonymized with viemanda Schaus, jaruga Jones is synonymized with hamata Walker), one revived synonymy (roscida Dognin is resynonymized with externa Moore), seven new statuses (in Druentica, Macessoga Schaus, and Trogoptera Herrich-Schäffer), six revived statuses (in Aceclostria, Cicinnus, Druentica, Psychocampa, and Zaphanta Dyar), and one new designation of nomen nudum. In order to alleviate nomenclatural problems, twelve lectotypes are designated (for Tolypida amaryllis (Schaus), Trogoptera althora Schaus, Adalgisa croesa Schaus, Alheita pulloides (Dognin), Lacosoma briasiaSchaus, Lacosoma diederica Schaus, Lacosoma raydela Schaus, Psychocampa lacuna (Schaus), Cicinnus corallina Dognin, Cicinnus latris Schaus, Cicinnus solvens Schaus, Cicinnus tuisana Schaus) as well as a neotype for Mimallo despecta Walker (= Cicinnus despecta). This paper also provides apomorphies for each genus and a morphological key to genera. Annotations are given to aid researchers in understanding all changes made herein, and images of male and female and their genitalia are present for nearly all type species.