Coptotriche minuta Diškus & Stonis, 2014

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Rocienė, Agnė, Sruoga, Virginijus & Davis, Donald R., 2014, New and little known Coptotriche and Tischeria species (Lepidoptera: Tischeriidae) from Primorskiy Kray, Russian Far East, Zootaxa 3884 (2), pp. 141-155 : 143-144

Coptotriche minuta Diškus & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 5–10 , 44, 46, 47 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, RUSSIAN FAR EAST, Primorskiy Kray (=Primorskiy Territory), 20 km E Ussuriysk, Gornotayezhnoe, Biological Station, 43º41'38"N, 132º09'07"E, elevation 170 m, 31.vii.2011, leg. V. Sruoga, genitalia slide no. AD588 ( ZIN). Paratypes: 1♂, same locality, 28.vii.2011, leg. V. Sruoga ( ZIN); 2♂, same locality, 27.vii.–01.viii.2011, leg. A. Rocienė, genitalia slide no. AD576 ( ZIN).

Diagnosis. Coptotriche minuta sp. nov. is one of the smallest Tischeriidae , and among the smallest representatives of the family known from Russian Far East. Although the colour of the scaling is very similar to that of many other Coptotriche , the new species differs from other members of the genus (including the few, most similar Neotropical species) in the combination of the small transtilla with minute sublateral processes, the narrow apical part of phallus (covered with weakly chitinized lateral spines), and the nearly triangular, ventral plate of the vinculum.

Male ( Figs 5, 6 ). Forewing length: 2.8–3.3 mm. Wingspan: 6.1–7.1 mm. Head: palpi and face greyish cream; frontal tuft and collar comprised of slender lamellar scales; frontal tuft grey to dark grey, collar glossy grey (metallic grey), sometimes with slight purplish iridescence; antenna slightly shorter or equal to half of forewing, with long piliform sensillae, glossy grey to pale brown or brown on upper side and underside, sometimes with slight purplish iridescence. Thorax and tegulae pale grey, with metalic gloss. Forewing pale ochre except narrow costal margin and apical 1/3 which is densely covered with greyish brown scales; a few of the greyish brown scales along the costal margin and all greyish brown scales on apical part are distinctly pale-tipped. Underside of forewing uniformly greyish brown to greyish brown. Cilia greyish cream to grey. Hindwing narrow, gradually broadening towards base, greyish to pale brown, without androconia; its cilia greyish cream to brownish. Legs ochreous cream or brownish cream, with greyish brown to fuscous darkening on upper side (particularly intensive on forelegs, but little on hindlegs). Abdomen brown to grey on upper side and underside; anal tufts very short, greyish ochre or brownish cream.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 7–10 ). Capsule 370 µm. Uncus with large (80 µm) triangular lateral lobes ( Figs. 7, 10 ). Socii membranous. Tegumen broad and long. Valva 225 µm, broad, with prominent inner lobe in apical third ( Fig. 10 ). Transtilla present; transverse bar very narrow and short (86 µm); sublateral processes minute ( Figs 7, 10 ). Anellus membranous, indistinct. Vinculum with triangular ventral plate, which is pointed ( Fig. 10 ) or rounded anteriorly ( Fig. 7 ). Phallus tulip-shaped, very slender with strongly broadened apical part (from 45 to 70 µm in the broadest part); total length of phallus about 425 µm (slender part 255–260 µm long, broad apical part 165–170 µm long); broader part with narrow cluster of small, weakly chitinized spines on both sides ( Figs 8, 9 ).

Bionomics. Adults fly in August. Otherwise unknown.

Distribution. This species was collected in a deciduous, predominantly broadleaf forest ( Figs 46, 47 ) of the southern Primorye (Primorskiy Kray, Russian Far East) at altitude 170 m ( Fig. 44 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin minuta (small, little) in reference to the small size of the adults and the particularly small transtilla with very short sublateral processes in the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 10. Coptotriche minuta Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 5, male adult, holotype, dorsal view; 6, same, lateral view. Scale bar 1 mm; 7, male genitalia, holotype, capsule, genitalia slide no. AD 588 (ZIN); 8, same, phallus; 9, same, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD 576 (ZIN); 10, capsule, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD 576 (ZIN). Scale bar 100 µm.

FIGURES 44 – 47. Maps and habitat. 44, map of the region (courtesy of T. Patterson, USA), showing the collecting locality (red dot) in Primorskiy Kray (= Primorskiy Territory) in August 2011 (see Methods and material); 45, currently known distribution of Tischeria sichotensis Ermolaev (red dots); 46, 47, habitat of Coptotriche minuta Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., Tischeria unca Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., T. decidua siorkionla Kozlov and T. sichotensis Ermolaev—dense deciduous, predominantly broadleaf forest near Gornotayezhnoe Biological Station, 20 km E Ussuriysk, Primorskiy Kray (Primorskiy Territory, Russian Far East).