Life history and systematics of Albusambia elaphoglossumae (Lepidoptera: Crambidae): a new genus and species of musotimine with leaf-mining biology from Costa Rica.

Albusambia elaphoglossumae Solis & Davis, a new genus and species, is described. It was discovered mining the fronds of the fern Elaphoglossum conspersum in Costa Rica (San José and Cartago Provinces, at elevations of 2300-3100 m). The type series was obtained by rearing of the immature stages in laboratory. The adult is defined by unique genital characters, and the pupa with a medial depression on the vertex and with two anterolateral horn-like structures on the prothorax. The larva is a gregarious leaf miner with its body flattened dorsoventrally and head prognathous; morphological adaptations to its leaf-mining habit are new to the Musotiminae. Fern-feeding musotimines are important to the discovery of new biological control agents for invasive ferns.