Simplimorpha (Myrtinepticula) kailai Stonis, 2018

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius & Solis, M. Alma, 2018, A Gondwanan concept of Simplimorpha Scoble (sensu lato): a step toward clarity in the generic diagnostics of global Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 4521 (2), pp. 151-182 : 170-173

Simplimorpha (Myrtinepticula) kailai Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov.

( Figs. 36, 70 , 118–125 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, PERU, Junín Region, 1 km E of Satipo, Satipo Hill , 11°15ꞌ 30ꞌ ꞌ S, 74°37ꞌ 56ꞌ ꞌ W, elevation about 750 m, at light, 20.xi.2017, J. R. Stonis, genitalia slide no. AD935 ( ZMUC).

Diagnosis. S. (M.) kailai sp. nov. is distinctive, extremely small and easily recognizable species. The combination of a dark forewing with one silvery white fascia, basally rounded valva, short vinculum with large triangular lateral lobes, and a slender phallus possessing no cornuti in the male genitalia distinguishes S. (M.) kailai sp. nov. from all Nepticulidae including the congeneric species.

Male ( Fig. 70 ). Forewing length about 1.3 mm; wingspan about 3.0 mm. Head: palpi cream; face brownish cream, smooth-scaled, glossy; frontal tuft cream; scape large, glossy cream; antenna half the length of forewing; flagellum with about 17 segments, cream on underside, annulated with dark brown scales on upper side, except for cream base. Thorax and tegula blackish brown. Forewing coarsely speckled with blackish brown scales, with silvery white fascia, and purple iridescence: weak on basal half before fascia, strong on apical part, beyond fascia (therefore the apical area of forewing appears darker); fringe grey, distally cream; underside of forewing dark greybrown, without spots. Hindwing grey to dark grey (depending from angle of view) on upper side and underside, without spots; fringe dark grey. Legs brownish cream with some grey to blackish brown scales on forelegs upper side. Abdomen fuscous on upper side, with numerous cream scales on underside; genital plates large, brownish cream; anal tufts indistinct, brownish cream.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 6, 118–124 ). Capsule 190–195 µm long, 140–150 µm broad. Tegumen with many setae distally ( Figs. 6, 119 , 123 ). Uncus absent. Gnathos almost completely reduced, with a slender, rod-like rudiment left ( Figs. 119 , 123 ). Valva 110 µm long, with a slender, curved apical part, and 50 µm long, rounded and elaborated (see Figs. 118 , 122 ) basal part; transtilla with very thin and weakly chitinized, almost membranous transverse bar and tiny, triangularly-shaped sublateral processes ( Figs. 119 , 123 ). Juxta membranous. Ventral plate of vinculum very short, with very large, triangular lateral lobes. Phallus ( Figs. 120, 121 , 124 ) 220 µm long, 25–35 µm broad (15 µm at base); vesica without cornuti.

Bionomics. Adults fly in November. Otherwise biology unknown.

Distribution. This species occurs in Peru, in the tropical premontane forest of the southwestern Amazon Basin at an elevation of about 750 m ( Fig. 125 ).

Etymology. This peculiar new species is named in honor of Dr. Lauri Kaila, a Senior Curator at the Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki ( Finland), mostly working on Gelechioidea, and probably the greatest expert on the wing venation of microlepidoptera.

Figures

FIGURES 65–74. Adults of new Simplimorpha (Myrtinepticula) species. 65, S. cercaria Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., male paratype; 66, same, other male paratype; 67, same, abdomen; 68, S. nielseni Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., male paratype, abdomen; 69, same, male holotype; 70, S. kailai Stonis sp. nov, male holotype; 71–74, S. sapphirella Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., female holotype (ZMUC)

FIGURES 118–121. Male genitalia of Simplimorpha (Myrtinepticula) kailai Stonis, sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide AD935 (ZMUC). 118, capsule with phallus removed, ventral view; 119, same, dorsal view; 120, 121, phallus

FIGURES 122–125. Simplimorpha (Myrtinepticula) kailai Stonis, sp. nov. 122, male genitalia, slide AD935, ventral view of capsule; 123, same, dorsal view of capsule; 124, same, phallus; 125, habitat, disturbed tropical premontane forest (south western Amazonian selva), elevation ca. 700 m, Peru, Junín Region, Satipo.