Paratischeria robinsoni Diškus & Stonis, 2020

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius & Lewis, Owen T., 2020, Exceptional diversity of Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) from a single tropical forest site in Belize, Central America, European Journal of Taxonomy 723, pp. 33-76 : 55-59

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5852/ejt.2020.723.1143
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A10E8F27-8E1F-42F8-B2A3-C441B237C859
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4332304
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/655A3435-7DF0-408C-B0F0-A7A86C381B93
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:655A3435-7DF0-408C-B0F0-A7A86C381B93
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Paratischeria robinsoni Diškus & Stonis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Paratischeria robinsoni Diškus & Stonis View in CoL sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:655A3435-7DF0-408C-B0F0-A7A86C381B93

Figs 18–20 View Figs 6–20 , 90–106 View Figs 90–93 View Figs 94–100 View Figs 101–106

Tischeria View in CoL sp. 5 – Lewis et al. 2002: 872.

Diagnosis

External characters are not sufficient for the identification of this species. In the male genitalia, the unique four-lobed uncus ( Fig. 97 View Figs 94–100 ) and the presence of pectens on the valva ( Fig. 96 View Figs 94–100 ) distinguish Paratischeria robinsoni sp. nov. from other congeneric species. In the female genitalia, the combination of a specific shape of prela ( Fig. 101 View Figs 101–106 ), large ovipositor lobes, densely covered with peg setae ( Fig. 103 View Figs 101–106 ), and a dentate thickening on the tergum ( Figs 104–105 View Figs 101–106 ) is hypothesized to be unique to this species. The Asteraceae host plant, Otopappus verbesinoides Benth. , make this species unique in the Neotropical fauna.

Etymology

This species is named after the late Dr Gaden Sutherland Robinson (1949–2009), former curator and leading research scientist at the Natural History Museum, London, our former colleague and friend, and one of the greatest professionals on systematics and biodiversity. The first author is indebted to Gaden S. Robinson for his principal role in facilitating R. Puplesis’ fieldwork at Las Cuevas (1998).

Type material

Holotype

BELIZE • ♂; Cayo District, Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Las Cuevas ; 16°43′53″ N, 88°59′11″ W; alt. 550 m; 4 Jul. 1998; O.T. Lewis leg.; mining larva on Otopappus verbesinoides Benth. (Asteraceae); field card no. 30.035-4/7; genitalia slide no. 010316187♂; NHMUK 010289262 About NHMUK .

GoogleMaps

Paratypes

BELIZE • 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; 5 Nov. 1997 and 11 Feb.–14 Jul. 1998; field card nos 23.048-14/7♂, 3.032-14/6♂, 25.054-7/3♂, 1540-5/11♀, 25.058-11/2♀, 25.057-11/2♀, 30.036-4/7♀, 25.056-11/2♀, 1541-5/11♀; genitalia slide nos 010316188♂, 010316190♂, 010316191♂, 010316189♀, 010316192♀; NHMUK 010289263 About NHMUK to 010289271 About NHMUK GoogleMaps .

Description

Male

EXTERNAL CHARACTERS ( Fig. 18 View Figs 6–20 ). Forewing length 2.6–3.0 mm; wingspan 5.5–6.3 mm (n = 4). Head: palpus, pecten and frons ochre cream; frontal tuft and collar comprised of ochre cream and some browngrey slender lamellar scales; antenna exceeding ½ of forewing; flagellum yellowish ochre, irregularly annulated with grey-black scales. Thorax yellowish ochre with some grey-brown scales; tegula covered either with grey-brown or mixture of yellow-ochre and grey-brown scales. Forewing yellow-ochre with irregular markings of brown-black scales; fringe yellowish brown, apically yellow-ochre; fringe line absent or indistinctive; forewing underside grey-brown, without spots or androconia. Hindwing greybrown on upper side and underside, without androconia, fringe pale grey-brown. Legs: foreleg and midleg dark grey-brown; hindleg ochre-cream with grey and brown scales and some purple iridescence. Abdomen grey-brown with some purple iridescence on upper side, brownish or yellow-ochre with some grey-brown scales on underside; genital plates pale grey to greyish cream; anal tufts grey.

MALE GENITALIA ( Figs 90–100 View Figs 90–93 View Figs 94–100 ). Capsule 980–990 µm long, 435–490 µm wide. Uncus with four long, slender lobes: two dorsal and two ventral ( Figs 90–91, 93 View Figs 90–93 , 97–100 View Figs 94–100 ). Valva about 695 µm long, apically with thickened, tooth-like pectens ( Fig. 96 View Figs 94–100 ); anellus membranous ( Figs 93 View Figs 90–93 , 95 View Figs 94–100 ); transtilla and juxta absent. Ventral lobe of vinculum large, distally truncated or rounded ( Figs 92–93 View Figs 90–93 ). Phallus 540–640 µm long, apically divided, with lateral lobes ( Fig. 94 View Figs 94–100 ).

Female

EXTERNAL CHARACTERS ( Figs 19–20 View Figs 6–20 ). Forewing length 3.0– 3.9 mm; wingspan 6.5–8.1 mm (n = 6). Abdomen without anal tufts. Otherwise, similar to male.

FEMALE GENITALIA ( Figs 101–106 View Figs 101–106 ). Total length about 2990 µm. Ovipositor lobes very large ( Fig. 103 View Figs 101–106 ), densely covered with modified setae (‘peg setae’); area between ovipositor lobes widely rounded, with tiny papillae and two very long setae. Second pair of lobes, lateral and anterior to ovipositor lobes, much smaller than ovipositor lobes, elongated and bearing long slender setae, without stout ‘peg setae’. Posterior and anterior apophyses almost equal in length ( Fig. 101 View Figs 101–106 ); prela comprised of three pairs of rodlike projections ( Fig. 101 View Figs 101–106 ). Proximally, corpus bursae very slender, with numerous fine spines, distally oval-shaped, without pectinations. Ductus spermathecae very slender, with 5–6 large coils ( Fig. 102 View Figs 101–106 ). Abdominal wall with slender, dentate thickenings on tergum ( Figs 104–106 View Figs 101–106 ).

Biology

Host plant: Otopappus verbesinoides Benth. (Asteraceae) . Larvae mine leaves in February–March and June–November. The leaf mine is a transparent, window-like blotch. This species was listed as ‘ Tischeria sp. 5’ by Lewis et al. (2002). Of 40 mines reared successfully, 9 (22.5%) produced parasitoids.

Flight period

Based on rearing data, adults are likely to occur throughout much of the year.

Distribution

So far this species is known from a single locality in Belize, Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Las Cuevas, at an elevation of about 550 m.