The brown copper moth, Tridentaforma browncopper: DNA barcoding reveals a second species in the family Tridentaformidae (Lepidoptera, Adeloidea)

By

Monckton, Spencer K
Levesque-Beaudin, Valerie
Thompson, Ken A.
Barnes, Aidan
French, Kami
Hampton, Hunter
Hebert, Paul D N

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-10-24

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1257

Pages

25--38

Subjects

Biotic survey , micromoths , mining industry , Nlaka’pamux traditional territory , Thompson Plateau

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1257.158827

 

Abstract

<br> A biodiversity monitoring program in south-central British Columbia, Canada, at sites on traditional nłeʔképmx territory near the Highland Valley Copper mine, collected many specimens of an unknown moth. DNA barcode analysis revealed its affinity but deep divergence (14.3%) from<br> Tridentaforma fuscoleuca<br> (Braun, 1923), the only species in the family Tridentaformidae. The new species was assigned to the BIN (Barcode Index Number) BOLD:AFK8960. Morphological study confirmed its placement in this family but revealed marked genitalic differences from<br> T. fuscoleuca<br> . Given its genetic and morphological divergence, we describe<br> Tridentaforma browncopper<br> Monckton &amp; Levesque-Beaudin,<br> sp. nov.<br> The scientific name is a translation of the name, skʷúnkʷl̓itkax̣n̓I, chosen by nłeʔképmx Elders and Knowledge Keepers, which means “brown copper moth”. Its discovery and naming reflect an effective collaboration among biodiversity scientists, industry representatives, and Indigenous communities. It also demonstrates how DNA barcoding can facilitate species descriptions without requiring taxonomists with specialist expertise in the group under investigation.<br>