A revision of the hitherto neglected genus Topiris Walker, 1863 (Lepidoptera, Xyloryctidae) with taxonomic notes on the genus Athrypsiastis Meyrick, 1910

The genus <i>Topiris</i> Walker, 1863 is revised. This genus, previously neglected or deemed unrecognisable, comprised only Walker's damaged and misrepaired type specimen of <i>Topiriscandidella</i> Walker, 1863. Evidence is provided that this specimen was collected by Alfred Russel Wallace in 1855-56 in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. The mitogenome of this specimen was assembled using low coverage whole genome sequencing (genome skimming). The COI-5P portion of this mitogenome (658 bp) differs by 1-3 bp from two haplotypes sequenced from early 1990's Brunei specimens. Another specimen recently discovered at NHMUK with an identical label to that of the type perfectly matches the Brunei specimens in its genitalia. Based on these four specimens, we present a fuller description of the morphology of <i>T.candidella</i>. <i>Topiris</i> includes the following additional species authored by Sterling and Lees: <i>Topirisalbidella</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>T.albogrisella</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>T.cinderella</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>T.digiticosta</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>T.lacteella</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>T.madonna</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>T.meyricki</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>T.ochrotincta</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>T.schneeweissella</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>T.sericella</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, and <i>T.thunbergella</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> The following new combinations are also established: <i>T.salva</i> (Meyrick, 1932), <b>comb. nov.</b> and <i>T.sampitella</i> (Lvovsky, 2014), <b>comb. nov.</b> The type of <i>Athrypsiastissalva</i> Meyrick is confirmed as lost and so a neotype and paraneotype of this species are designated. A published mitogenome of "<i>Linoclostisgonatias</i>" is shown to be correctly identified as <i>T.salva</i>, and references to <i>L.gonatias</i>, identified in some literature as a pest of Theaceae, are likely misidentified. The genus <i>Topiris</i> is divided into three groups, the <i>candidella</i> group, the <i>salva</i> group, and the <i>albidella</i> group, based on characters in the male genitalia. The <i>candidella</i> group and <i>albidella</i> group are supported sub-clades of <i>Topiris</i>. The phylogenetic placement of <i>Topiris</i> and <i>Athrypsiastis</i> within 'core' Xyloryctidae (as subtended by its type species, <i>X.luteotactella</i>) is confirmed by analysis of COI and seven nuclear genes, whereas the genera <i>Eumenodora</i> Meyrick, 1906 and <i>Izatha</i> Walker, 1864 do not fall within this clade. The morphology of <i>Athrypsiastisphaeoleuca</i> Meyrick, 1910 (the type species of <i>Athrypsiastis</i>; Xyloryctidae) is more fully described. The following new species authored by Sterling and Lees are described: <i>Athrypsiastischeesmanae</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>A.edelweissella</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, and <i>A.penumbrella</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> Two taxa are newly combined: <i>Athrypsiastishalmaherella</i> (Lvovsky, 2014), <b>comb. nov.</b> and <i>Paralectarosiflora</i> (Meyrick, 1930), <b>comb. nov.</b>