Astrotischeria dondavisi Stonis & Diškus, 2019

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Katinas, Liliana, Torres, Nixon Cumbicus, Schuster, Jack & Puplesyte-Chambers, Julia, 2019, Diagnostics of new species of Neotropical Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera), with the first record of Coptotriche Walshingham from South America, Zootaxa 4691 (1), pp. 1-32 : 8-9

Astrotischeria dondavisi Stonis & Diškus , sp. nov.

( Figs 19–21 , 25–37 , 63–70 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, PERÚ: Junín Region, La Merced, 11 ° 04ꞌ02.7ꞌꞌS, 75 ° 20ꞌ34.2ꞌꞌW, Fundo San José , 840– 900 m, at light, 14–20.iv.2018, leg. J. R. Stonis and J. Puplesyte-Chambers, genitalia slide no. AD995 ( ZMUC) . Paratypes (10 ♂): 2 ♂, same label as holotype ( ZMUC) ; 4 ♂, 11 ° 04ꞌ02.7ꞌꞌS, 75 ° 20ꞌ37.7ꞌꞌW, Fundo San José , 840– 900 m, at light, 8–17.v.2018, leg. J. R. Stonis & S. Hill ( USNM) ; 4 ♂, same label as the previous, genitalia slide nos. AD994 [slide only: pinned moth used for molecular studies, not preserved], AD996 ( ZMUC) .

Diagnosis. The new species belongs to the Astrotischeria trilobata group, recently revised by Stonis et al. (2018). Externally, the yellow-ochre longitudinal stripes on the forewing ( Fig. 30 ) and large anal tufts on the abdomen ( Fig. 36 ) make this species very distinctive. However, only male genitalia provide reliable diagnostics: the combination of a distinctly bilobed uncus ( Fig. 67 ), very large dorsal processes of the valva, and an apically asymmetrical phallus ( Fig. 66 ) distinguishes A. dondavisi from all known Astrotischeria species.

Description. Male ( Figs 25–37 ). Forewing length 3.3–4.0 mm; wingspan 7.3–8.7 mm (n = 9).

Head. Face triangular, smooth-scaled, golden cream to yellow-ochre, with some grey-brown scales; labial palpus golden cream, with some grey-brown scales; frontal tuft and collar yellow cream, with some grey-brown scales; antenna slightly longer than one-half length of forewing; flagellum glossy, grey-brown to yellowish grey, basally yellow-ochre with some grey-brown scales.

Thorax. Thorax, tegula, and forewing speckled with brown and black-tipped scales; sometimes black-tipped scales are not numerous; forewing usually with distinctive longitudinal, yellowish ochre stripes ( Fig. 30 ); fringe grey; forewing underside grey-brown, without spots or androconia. Hindwing and its fringe very glossy, grey on upper side and underside, without androconia. Legs yellowish cream, densely covered with dark grey-brown scales on upper side.

Abdomen. Glossy, black to dark grey-brown with little or no purple iridescence on upper side, grey-brown on underside; anal tufts ( Figs 32–36 ) large, six in total: two dorsal, two ventral and two inner ( Figs 35, 36 ). Genitalia ( Figs 63–70 ) with capsule 570–635 µm long, 330–350 µm broad. Uncus ( Fig. 67 ) comprised of two wide dorsal lobes and two slender ventral lobes. Valva divided ( Figs 63, 64, 67 ): ventral lobe (main body) straight and slender, about 380–405 µm long (excluding the basal process); dorsal lobe curved and pointed distally; transtilla absent; basal process of valva long ( Figs 64, 67 ). Anellus slightly thickened, mostly membranous, with 3–4 setae laterally ( Fig. 70 ). Phallus about 750 µm long, distally deeply bifurcated, asymmetrical ( Figs 65, 66 ), without spines.

Female. Unknown.

Bionomics. The host plant is unknown. Adults occur in April and May, and are attracted to light.

Distribution. The species is known from the single locality, La Merced, Junín Region, central Peru, at an elevation of about 900 m, from the “selva alta” ( Figs 19–21 ).

Etymology. The species is named after Dr. Donald R. Davis ( U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.), an inspiring colleague, and one of the greatest insect taxonomists worldwide whose research focuses on the systematics and phylogeny of the basal families of Lepidoptera , including the superfamilies Nepticuloidea, Tischerioidea, Tineoidea, and Gracillarioidea, as well as the biology of leaf-mining and cave-dwelling moths. The first three authors of this paper are deeply indebted to Don for his generous support and various collaborations during the course of our studies on Neotropical Nepticulidae , Opostegidae , and Tischeriidae .

Figures

FIGURES 19–24. Type locality and adults of new species. 19, type locality of Coptotriche carmencita Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov., Astrotischeria dondavisi Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov., and A. sanjosei Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov., Peruvian selva alta in La Merced, Junín Region, central Peru, with an approximate view to Fundo San José ecological park at the top right corner; 20, 21, selva alta, Ecological Park Fundo San José; 22, female, holotype of Coptotriche parvisaccula Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.; 23, 24, male, holotype of C. carmencita Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov.

FIGURES 25–37. Male adults of Astrotischeria dondavisi Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov. 25–28, details of head, paratype; 29, general view with abdomen removed, holotype; 30, paratype, dorsal view; 31, same, ventral view; 32–36, abdomen with anal tufts, paratypes; 37, general view with the wings closed, paratype.

FIGURES 63–70. Male genitalia of Astrotischeria dondavisi Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov. 63, 64, general view of capsule with phallus, holotype, genitalia slide no.AD995; 65, phallus, paratype, genitalia slide no.AD996; 66, same, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD994; 67, lateral view of capsule with phallus removed, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD994; 68–70, details of capsule, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD995.