Stigmella magnispinella

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 : 47

The Stigmella magnispinella group (designated in Stonis et al. 2016f) (species 36, 37)

Diagnostics ( Fig. 37 ): externally, the species are characterized by a rather dark frontal tuft varying from ferruginous brown to dark brown (not orange as in the most of other Stigmella species); collar often darkened, varying from whitish grey to brown (rarely cream); forewing with a golden gloss and with a slender or ill-defined, silvery shiny postmedian fascia (absent in S. magnispinella Remeikis & Stonis ); some silvery shiny or cream scales form apical fascia or apical spot. In male genitalia, phallus with a specific set comprised of one large, faceted, hornlike cornutus and a group of small spine-like and (or) plate-like cornuti; uncus deeply divided into two lateral lobes; valva with two apical processes (reduced in S. varispinella Diškus & Stonis ) and a specific basal connection (except S. patagonica Remeikis & Stonis ); transtilla with large sublateral processes (except S. patagonica ); phallus usually truncated and weakly sclerotized basally. Currently the complex comprises five species: all occurring in the Andes (one in Ecuador, two in Peru, and two in Argentina). Trophic relationships: specimens of S. patagonica has been collected around Discaria serratifolia , Rhamnaceae , while two other species were recorded as a leaf-miners of Asteraceae .

Figures

FIGURE 37. Diagnostics of the central Andean Stigmella.