Stigmella aromatica Diškus & Stonis, 2021

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Fernández-Alonso, José L., Remeikis, Andrius & Solis, M. Alma, 2021, New leaf-miningNepticulidae (Lepidoptera): potential pests of aromatic Lamiaceae plants from equatorial Andes, Zootaxa 4926 (3), pp. 363-383 : 366-376

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4926.3.3
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:372AB4A4-C184-4223-8525-62532B712FF7
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4545979
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/42F003AD-AAE4-4A52-AD3B-E2DE745B8E19
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:42F003AD-AAE4-4A52-AD3B-E2DE745B8E19
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Stigmella aromatica Diškus & Stonis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Stigmella aromatica Diškus & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 9–11 View FIGURES 7–11 , 22–24, 28–30 View FIGURES 22–31 , 41–47 View FIGURES 41–47 , 65, 66 View FIGURES 63–67 , 68 View FIGURES 68–70 ) lsid:zoobank.org:act: 42F003AD-AAE4-4A52-AD3B-E2DE745B8E19

Type material. Holotype: ♁, ECUADOR: SW of Quito, western slopes of the equatorial Andes, Via Aloag to Sto. Domingo, 0°26’46”S, 78°37’39”W, elevation ca. 3100 m, mining larva on Minthostachys mollis (Benth.) Griseb. (Lamiaceae) , 24.ii.2000, ex pupa iii.2000, leg. R. Puplesis, genitalia slide no. AD1022 ( USNM). Paratypes: 9 ♁, 6 ♀, same label data as holotype, genitalia slides nos AD815♁, AD819♁ (from adult in pupal skin, pinned adult unavailable), AD1021♁, AD1032♁, AD1027 ♀, AD1031 ♀ ( USNM).

Diagnosis. The new species belongs to the Stigmella singularia species group, designated and characterized by Stonis et al. (2017a). Externally, males of S. aromatica sp. nov. differ from the most similar S. mentholica sp. nov. in the wide, median fascia of the forewing and distinctive apical fascia. In the male genitalia, S. aromatica differs from all other known Neotropical Stigmella , including species of the S. singularia group, by the combination of an uncus with two unique caudal lobes ( Fig. 41 View FIGURES 41–47 ), a large gnathos with two very close-set caudal processes ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 41–47 ), a bifid juxta ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 41–47 ), and a set of large, spine like cornuti ( Figs 45–47 View FIGURES 41–47 ). The host plant, Minthostachys mollis , also make this species distinctive among other Stigmella species, except for S. mentholica and S. odora sp. nov. However, S. aromatica differs from both species in the morphology of the leaf mine: the leaf mine of S. aromatica is a long, slender, sinuous gallery almost entirely filled with frass ( Fig. 10 View FIGURES 7–11 ), while the leaf mine of S. mentholica is a relatively short and wide gallery ( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1–6 ), and the leaf mine of S. odora is combined of a very slender gallery and irregular blotch ( Fig. 6 View FIGURES 1–6 ).

Male ( Figs 22–24, 30 View FIGURES 22–31 ). Forewing length 2.0– 2.5 mm; wingspan 4.5–5.6 mm (n = 5). Head: palpi golden cream; frontal tuft large, dark orange; scape golden cream; collar golden cream but at certain angle may look metallic grey; antenna about 2/3 of the length of forewing; flagellum with 33–37 segments, brown-grey, golden glossy. Thorax and tegula concolorous with the forewing base. Forewing pale golden brown, strongly shining, with some purple iridescence along costa; postmedian fascia wide, comprised of silvery or golden shiny scales; apex of forewing brown with strong purple iridescence, and with a distinctive apical fascia of silvery or golden shiny scales (occasionally apical fascia is indistinctive, see Figs 28, 29 View FIGURES 22–31 ); fringe grey, glossy, distally whitish; underside of forewing dark greybrown, without spots or androconia, except for a slender, scaleless spot at base. Hindwing grey to dark grey, without androconia; fringe grey. Legs glossy cream to grey; on upper side, covered with dark grey-brown scales. Abdomen blackish grey with purple iridescence on upper side, brown-grey on underside; genital segments pale brown; anal tufts short but distinctive, grey.

Female. Smaller than male; forewing length 2.1–2.3 mm; wingspan 4.7–5.2 mm (n = 5). Antenna shorter than in male, only slightly longer than half the length of forewing. Abdomen grey-brown on upper side and underside; genital segments pale brown; anal tufts short but distinctive, blackish grey to grey; ovipositor pointed. Otherwise as in male.

Male genitalia ( Figs 41–47 View FIGURES 41–47 ). Capsule longer (290–300 μm) than wide (175–210 μm). Vinculum with short, pointed lateral lobes. Uncus with unique caudal lobes ( Fig. 41 View FIGURES 41–47 ). Gnathos large, with two very close-set caudal processes ( Fig. 43 View FIGURES 41–47 ). Valva ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 41–47 ) 200 μm long, with pointed, partially divided apical process ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 41–47 ); transtilla without sublateral processes ( Fig. 42 View FIGURES 41–47 ). Juxta triangular, distally split ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 41–47 ). Phallus ( Figs 45–47 View FIGURES 41–47 ) 210–330 μm long, 90–115 μm wide; vesica with about numerous large spine-like cornuti and a lateral set of small cornuti ( Fig. 45 View FIGURES 41–47 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs 65, 66 View FIGURES 63–67 ). Total length 995–1000 μm. Anterior apophyses gradually narrowing and bent distally; posterior apophyses slender, approximately as long as anterior ones ( Fig. 66 View FIGURES 63–67 ). Vestibulum without sclerites. Corpus bursae with a strongly folded distal part and round or oval-shaped basal part with many distinctive pectinations. Accessory sac small; ductus spermathecae without coils, but with a small, tube-like vesicle.

Bionomics ( Figs 7–11 View FIGURES 7–11 ). Host plant is Minthostachys mollis (Kunth) Griseb. , Lamiaceae : Mentheae ( Figs 7, 8 View FIGURES 7–11 ). Larva yellow with indistinctive, yellowish brown intestine and pale brown head; feeds in February and probably in late January (note that in late February most of the leaf mines are already vacant). Prefer to occur in shady places. Leaf mine ( Figs 9–11 View FIGURES 7–11 ) is a long, slender, sinuous gallery almost entirely filled with black frass ( Fig. 10 View FIGURES 7–11 ); in old, vacant leaf mines, frass may turn brown or black ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 7–11 ). Cocoon brown. Adults probably fly in March (indoors, emerged in March).

Distribution ( Fig. 68 View FIGURES 68–70 ). This species is known from a single locality in Ecuador, on the western slopes of the equatorial Andes, at elevation of ca. 3100 m, but the host plant has a much wider distribution in the northern and central Andes (see Discussion).

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin aromaticus (aromatic), due to the minty aroma of essential oil of the host plant, Minthostachys mollis , and its leaf mines.