Stigmella paracosma Remeikis & Stonis

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Karsholt, Ole & Torres, Nixon Cumbicus, 2017, Illustrated review of the leaf-mining Nepticulidae of the central Andes (Peru and Bolivia), Zootaxa 4257 (1), pp. 1-70 : 12-15

3. Stigmella paracosma Remeikis & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 2 , 9 , 33 , 37–39 , 103 )

Stigmella epicosma (Meyrick) ; in Puplesis & Robinson 2000: figs. 102, 103 (misidentification; see Remarks under S. epicosma ).

Type material. Holotype: ♂, PERU, Dept. Arequipa, 8 km E Arequipa, Rio Andamayo Valley , elevation ca. 2920 m, 16°24'42"S, 71d325'19"W, 7.iv.1987, O. Karsholt, genitalia slide no. Diškus 187♂ ( ZMUC) . Paratypes: 6 ♂, 2 ♀, same label data as holotype, genitalia slide no. Diškus186♀ (ZMUC) (see Remarks under S. epicosma ).

Diagnosis. Belongs to the Stigmella schoorli group. The combination of a silvery shiny basal fascia of forewing, massive lobe-like processes of transtilla, and rather similarly developed horn-like cornuti (rate: 1:1.4; the longer cornutus 1.6 times exceeds the width of phallus) distinguishes S. paracosma sp. nov. from the most resembling members of the group ( S. epicosma and S. alticosma ). From similar S. schoorli and S. hamata , S. paracosma sp. nov. may be easily distinguished by the shiny median fascia of forewing and rounded inner lobe of valva.

Male ( Fig. 33 ). Forewing length about 2.0 mm; wingspan about 4.5 mm. Head: palpi greyish cream to cream; frontal tuft orange-yellow; collar and scape golden cream; antenna approximately as half the length of forewing; flagellum with 30–32 segments, brownish grey on upper side, cream grey on underside. Thorax and tegula dark brown with some golden gloss. Forewing dark brown with golden gloss and little purple iridescence, with three silvery (at certain angle—with some yellow gloss) shining fasciae; basal fascia narrow; fringe pale brown to pale grey; underside of forewing grey-brown, without spots. Hindwing and its fringe grey-brown to pale grey on upper side and underside, without spots or androconia. Legs glossy grey, darkened with dark grey on upper side. Abdomen grey-brown on upper side, cream on underside; tufts short, brownish cream; genital plates cream.

Female ( Fig. 33 ). Flagellum with about 26 segments. Basal fascia of forewing wide and weel-defined (more distinctive). Otherwise similar to male.

Male genitalia ( Figs 38, 39 ). Capsule longer (270–275 µm) than wide (195 µm). Uncus with two deeply divided and separated lobes, each with two papillae. Gnathos with two caudal processes and slender central plate. Valva 170 µm long, 75–80 µm wide, with one apical processes and bulged inner lobe; transtilla ( Fig. 38 ) with very large lobe-like sublateral processes. Juxta membranous, indistinctive. Vinculum with short triangular lateral lobes and rather short ventral plate. Phallus ( Figs 38, 39 ) 185 µm long, 85–102 µm wide; vesica with two horn-like cornuti: one very large and second a little shorter (ratio: 1:1.4).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 103 ). Total length 665 µm. Anterior and posterior apophyses almost equal in length. Vestibulum narrow, without sclerites. Corpus bursae with rather long, folded distal part and slightly longer, 300 µm long, 160 µm wide, basal part, without, at least distinctive, comb-like pectinations; signa absent. Accessory sac large; ductus spermathecae with 0.5–1 convolution. Abdominal apex little narrowed, almost truncated.

Bionomics Adults fly in April. Otherwise biology unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 9 ). This species occurs in the Peruvian Andes ( Peru: Arequipa Departamento) at altitudes about 2920 m.

Etymology. The species is named after other, closely similar species— Stigmella epicosma (Meyrick) but with a different Ancient Greek prefix para (near, abnormal, resembling) in reference to the similarity of S. paracosma sp. nov. to S. epicosma .

* —photographs of adult were recently provided by Chris Snyers (see van Nieukerken et al. 2016b).

Figures

FIGURE 33. Adults of the central Andean Nepticulidae.

FIGURE 37. Diagnostics of the central Andean Stigmella.

FIGURES 38 – 42. Male genitalia of new Stigmella species. 38, 39, S. paracosma Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. Diškus 187 (ZMUC); 40, S. sparsella Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. Diškus 197 (ZMUC), capsule with phallus removed; 41, same, phallus; 42, same, uncus and gnathos.

FIGURES 1 – 8. Distribution of the central Andean Nepticulidae. 1, high-Andean species recorded at altitudes above 3700 m (after Stonis et al. 2016 d); 2, species recorded at altitudes below 3700 m; 3 – 8, some collecting areas in the Peruvian Andes.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Distribution of the central Andean Nepticulidae. 9, species recorded at altitudes below 3700 m; 10, 11, some collecting areas in Peru. * — Stigmella epicosma Meyrick is also known from Arica Province, northern Chile (Vargas 2011); ** – S. inca sp. nov. is also discovered in southern Ecuador.

FIGURES 100 – 103. Female genitalia of new Stigmella species. 100, S. expressa Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., genitalia slide no. RA 546; 101, same, genitalia slide no. RA 547; 102, S. misera Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., paratype, genitalia slide no. AD 678; 103, S. paracosma Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., paratype, genitalia slide no. Diškus 186 (ZMUC).