Stigmella odora 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 : 378

Stigmella odora Diškus & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 4–6 , 48–53 , 68 )

lsid:zoobank.org:act: 5BEE514E-FA26-4B23-A414-BC1F8FDB12F

Type material. Holotype: ♁, ECUADOR: SE of Ambato, Baños de Agua Santa, on the slopes of the Tungurahua volcano, 1°24ꞌ13ꞌꞌS, 78°25ꞌ43ꞌꞌW, elevation ca. 2080 m, mining larva on Minthostachys mollis (Benth.) Griseb. (Lamiaceae) , 10.ii.2000, leg. R. Puplesis, genitalia slide no. AD821♁(pinned adult is lost) ( USNM). Paratypes: 2♁, same label data as holotype, genitalia slides nos AD685♁ (pinned adult is lost), AD806♁ (from adult in pupal skin, pinned adult unavailable) ( USNM).

Diagnosis. The new species belongs to the Stigmella singularia species group, designated and characterized by Stonis et al. (2017a). In the male genitalia, S. odora sp. nov. differs from the similar S. mentholica sp. nov. and S. aromatica sp. nov. by the unique uncus (see Fig. 48 ), very slender plate of the gnathos, presence of numerous small cornuti ( Fig. 50 ), and the wide inner lobe and large apical process of the valva ( Figs 51, 52 ). The host plant, Minthostachys mollis , makes this species distinctive among Stigmella species, except for S. mentholica and S. aromatica . However, S. odora differs from both species in the morphology of the leaf mine: the leaf mine of S. odora is a combination of a very slender gallery and an irregular blotch ( Fig. 6 ), while the leaf mine of S. aromatica is a slender gallery almost entirely filled with frass ( Fig. 10 ), and the leaf mine of S. mentholica is a relatively short and wide gallery ( Fig. 3 ).

Male. External characters are unknown (see Remarks).

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 48–53 ). Capsule longer (260–280 μm) than wide (175–180 μm). Vinculum with short or moderately long, triangular lateral lobes. Uncus gradually narrowing towards apex, with characteristic caudal lobes ( Fig. 48 ). Median plant of gnathos very slender, with two slender caudal processes ( Fig. 48 ). Valva ( Figs 51, 52 ) 170–190 μm long, with a large apical process and wide inner lobe ( Fig. 52 ); transtilla with short sublateral processes ( Fig. 49 ). Juxta membranous, indistinctive. Phallus ( Figs 50, 53 ) 275–280 μm long, 80–100 μm wide; vesica with a set of numerous large spine-like cornuti and many small, triangular cornuti ( Fig. 53 ).

Bionomics ( Figs 1, 2, 4–6 ). Host plant is Minthostachys mollis (Benth.) Griseb. , Lamiaceae : Mentheae ( Figs 1, 2 ). Larva pale, grey yellowish green with indistinctive, ochre-brown intestine and dark brown head; feeds in February. Leaf mine ( Figs 4–6 ) is combined of a long, very slender gallery and a large, irregular blotch; the slender gallery is heavily contorted in the initial part and entirely or almost entirely filled with black-brown frass ( Fig. 6 ); the blotch-like part of the leaf mine is with medially scattered black-brown frass ( Figs 4, 5 ). Adults fly in February and March.

Distribution ( Fig. 68 ). This species is known from a single locality in equatorial Andes, on the slopes of the Tungurahua volcano ( Ecuador: Baños) at the elevation of ca. 2100 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 odorus (odorous, scented), in reference to the mintyscented host plant and leaf mines of Stigmella odora .

Remarks. The new species is described based on the genitalia of three male specimens and the leaf mines only. The pinned adult of the holotype was lost, and the two paratypes are from adults in pupal skins, and therefore pinned specimens are unavailable. Although external characters of the species remain unknown, the new species possesses unique male genitalia and a particularly unique morphology of the leaf mine. We describe this species for the record and hope that the adults will be discovered in the future.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Bionomics of new Stigmella species feeding on Lamiaceae plants. 1, 2, Minthostachys mollis (Benth.) Griseb var. mollis, a host plant; 3, leaf mine of S. mentholica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. on Minthostachys mollis, Ecuador, SW of Quito, Via Aloag to Sto. Domingo, ca. 3100 m; 4–6, leaf mines of S. odora Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. on M. mollis, Ecuador, Baños, slopes of Tungurahua, ca.1860 m

FIGURES 48–53. Male genitalia of Stigmella odora Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 48, slide AD685, paratype, capsule with phallus removed; 49, same, focused on gnathos and transtilla; 50, same, phallus; 51, same, capsule, focused on valvae and vinculum; 52, slide AD821, holotype, capsule with phallus removed; 53, same, phallus (USNM)

FIGURES 68–70. Predicted host-specific Stigmella distribution from host plant distribution. 68; approximate distribution of Minthostachys mollis (Benth.) Griseb., including var. mollis, and varieties hybrida Schmidt-Leb. in Colombia and Venezuela, and mandoniana (Briq.) Schmidt-Leb. in Perú and Bolivia, based on a review by Schmidt-Lebuhn (2008) and data from the herbarium of MA from Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela; 69, approximate distribution of Clinopodium tomentosum (Kunth) Govaerts, based on the collection by Epling & Játiva (1964), Harley (1999), and data from the herbariums of MA and MO (Fernández-Alonso & Morales 2013); 70, approximate distribution of Clinopodium axillare (Rusby) Harley, including subspecies C. axillare subsp. axillare and C. axillare subsp. uniflorum (Rusby ex Briq.) J.R.I. Wood, based on Epling & Játiva (1964), Wood (2011), Harley et al. (2014), and data from the herbariums of MA and MO.

FIGURES 7–11. Bionomics of Stigmella aromatica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 7, 8, host plant Minthostachys mollis (Benth.) Griseb var. mollis, Lamiaceae; 9–11, leaf mines, Ecuador, SW of Quito, Via Aloag to Sto. Domingo, ca. 3100 m