# A New Genus, Luciargentis gen. nov. Revealed by Morphological and Phylogenetic Evidence in the Family Lecithoceridae from Tibet, China

## TL;DR

A new genus of moths, Luciargentis, is discovered in Tibet, China, using both physical traits and genetic data to better understand their evolutionary relationships.

## Contribution

The discovery of a new genus, Luciargentis, based on morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidence in the Lecithoceridae family.

## Key findings

- Luciargentis obesa forms a strongly supported monophyletic group with Crocanthes prasinopis.
- Luciargentis is placed within the subfamily Crocanthinae and is sister to Torodorinae.
- Morphological and molecular data support the new genus and its evolutionary placement.

## Abstract

The family Lecithoceridae is one of the most species-rich groups within Gelechioidea (Lepidoptera), yet it remains relatively underexplored. Currently, it comprises more than 1430 species across four subfamilies. Taxonomic studies of this family primarily relied on morphological data, with molecular data being limited, which hindered the development of its taxonomy. In this study, we try to establish a new genus based on the specimens from Tibet, China and examine its placement within the subfamily Crocanthinae, integrating both morphological and molecular evidence. Furthermore, the new genus provides additional insights that contribute to the ongoing discussion regarding the relationship between the subfamilies Torodorinae and Crocanthinae.

In this study, we describe a new genus, Luciargentis Yu and Wang, gen. nov. based on the new species, Luciargentis obesa Yu and Wang, sp. nov. Additionally, the genus is placed within the subfamily Crocanthinae, satisfying the criteria of Crocanthinae. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the family Lecithoceridae using a concatenated dataset that includes one mitochondrial marker (COI) and six nuclear markers (EF-1α, GAPDH, RpS5, CAD, wingless, and MDH), incorporating 17 exemplars from NCBI and 7 newly sequenced exemplars from this study. The yield tree topologies showed that Luciargentis obesa forms a strongly supported monophyletic group with Crocanthes prasinopis, a species of Crocanthinae. Moreover, Luciargentis + Crocanthes were found to be sister groups to Torodorinae. Images of the adults, wing venation, and genitalia of the new species are provided.