Astrotischeria selvica Diškus, Carvalho-Filho & Stonis, 2018

Jonas R. Stonis, Arūnas Diškus, Fernando Carvalho Filho & Owen T. Lewis, 2018, American Asteraceae-feeding Astrotischeria species with a highly modified, three-lobed valva in the male genitalia (Lepidoptera, Tischeriidae), Zootaxa 4469 (1), pp. 1-69 : 36-37

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4469.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:42680994-585D-4230-B574-8DB398341B23
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5949587
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1ACB7714-141E-4DCA-9828-0250B6CFB023
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:1ACB7714-141E-4DCA-9828-0250B6CFB023
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Astrotischeria selvica Diškus, Carvalho-Filho & Stonis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Astrotischeria selvica Diškus, Carvalho-Filho & Stonis View in CoL , sp. nov.

( Figs. 8 View FIGURES 7–10 , 93–126 View FIGURES 93–98 View FIGURES 99–104 View FIGURES 105–111 View FIGURES 112–114 View FIGURES 115–118 View FIGURES 119–126 , 230 View FIGURES 230–232 , 233 View FIGURE 233 , 236–238 View FIGURES 234–238 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, BELIZE: Cayo District, Chiquibul Forest Reserve , Las Cuevas , 16°43'58"S, 88°59'06"W, elevation 580 m, mining larva on Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski ( Asteraceae ), 4.xi.1997, O. T. Lewis, genitalia slide no. AD 920♂ (BMNH). GoogleMaps Paratypes (9 ♂, 12 ♀): 2 ♂, 7 ♀, same label data as holotype, 1.x.– 4.xi.1997 and 10.vi.–3.vii.1998, O. T. Lewis, genitalia slide nos AD0298♂, AD919 ♂, AD921♀ (BMNH); 3 ♂, 3 ♀, BRAZIL: State of Pará, Belém, MPEG campus, 1°27'09"S, 48°28'37"W, elevation ca. 330 m, mining larvae on Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn. ( Asteraceae ), F. Carvalho Filho, genitalia slide nos AD928♂, AD924♀; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, same locality, mining larva on Tilesia baccata (L.) Pruski ( Asteraceae ), 20.vii.2017, F. Carvalho Filho, genitalia slide nos AD926♂, AD941♂ (ZMUC); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, GUATEMALA: Petén region, Tikal National Park, 17°13'28"N, 89°37'10"W, elevation 290 m, 6.ii.2012, field card no. 5073, A. Diškus, genitalia slide nos AD765♂, AD917♀ (ZMUC); 1 ♂, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS: St. Thomas, ex pupa 2.iv.1894, Güdman 7178, Lord Walsingham Collection, genitalia slide no. 28950 (BMNH).

Diagnosis. From the most similar species, A. maya , it differs by the horn-like, apically pointed dorsal lobe of valva and the distinctly wide gap between median lobes of uncus. The fact that it feeds on Synedrella , Sphagneticola , and Tilesia also makes this species rather distinctive.

Male ( Figs. 96, 97 View FIGURES 93–98 ). Forewing length: 2.6–3.0 mm; wingspan: 5.6–6.5 mm. Head: face and palpi ochre cream; frontal tuft yellow cream to ochre cream; pecten very prominent, ochre cream with a few pale brown scales; antenna with about 32–35 segments, distinctly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum pale yellow to pale grey anteriorly, dark grey distally; sensillae very long and fine. Thorax, tegula and forewing vary in coloration, usually yellowish ochre, irregularly speckled with pale brown and blackish brown scales, sometimes with little purple iridescence; fringe ochre-grey on costal margin, pale grey to grey on tornus, yellow-ochre on termen; fringeline sometimes distinct, formed by blackish brown scales; forewing underside dark brown, without spots or androconia. Hindwing pale grey to brownish grey on both upper and underside, without androconia; fringe brownish grey. Legs ochre cream to pale yellow-ochre, speckled with dark brown scales on upper side. Abdomen grey-black to brown on upper side and laterally (but ochre cream in the specimen from U.S. Virgin Islands), ochre cream to brown on underside; tufts indistinct, ochre cream.

Female ( Figs. 93–95, 98 View FIGURES 93–98 ). Similar to male.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 8 View FIGURES 7–10 , 99–111 View FIGURES 99–104 View FIGURES 105–111 ). Capsule 510–520 µm long, about 250 µm wide. Uncus consisting of two long, slender, lateral lobes, and two very short, rounded, median lobes ( Figs. 105, 106 View FIGURES 105–111 ). Valva divided ( Figs. 8 View FIGURES 7–10 , 110 View FIGURES 105–111 ): ventral lobe slightly curved, about 330–360 µm long and rather wide ( Figs. 99, 100 View FIGURES 99–104 ); dorsal lobes consisting of two elements: an inwardly strongly curved, distally pointed horn-like process ( Figs. 99 View FIGURES 99–104 , 110 View FIGURES 105–111 ) and wide, distally almost rounded lobe; transtilla absent; basal process of valva long ( Figs. 99 View FIGURES 99–104 , 110 View FIGURES 105–111 ). Anellus rather long, with 5 setae, thickened laterally ( Fig. 107 View FIGURES 105–111 ). Phallus 490–560 µm long, distally bifurcated and without numerous slender spines ( Figs. 101 View FIGURES 99–104 , 111 View FIGURES 105–111 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs. 112–118 View FIGURES 112–114 View FIGURES 115–118 ). Total length about 1240 mm. Ovipositor lobes small; the area between ovipositor lobes triangularly shaped or trapezioid ( Fig. 117 View FIGURES 115–118 ), with tiny papillae and some setae. Second pair of lobes, lateral and anterior to the ovipositor lobes, significantly smaller, bearing very long, slender setae. Anterior and posterior apophyses very long and stout ( Figs. 116, 118 View FIGURES 115–118 ); anterior apophyses connected with a heavily chitinized transverse bar ( Figs. 112 View FIGURES 112–114 , 115 View FIGURES 115–118 ); prela with three pairs of processes; one pair of processes articulating with anterior apophyses and connected with each other by a heavily chitinized transverse bar ( Figs. 117, 118 View FIGURES 115–118 ). Vestibulum without antrum, however vestibulum may look thickened laterally because the prela ( Fig. 115 View FIGURES 115–118 ). Ductus bursae widened posteriorly, with very indistinct pectinations. Corpus bursae small, elongated ( Fig. 112 View FIGURES 112–114 ), without spines or signum. Ductus spermathaecae with many large and very large coils ( Figs. 113, 114 View FIGURES 112–114 ); utriculus absent or broken ( Fig. 112 View FIGURES 112–114 ).

Bionomics ( Figs. 119–126 View FIGURES 119–126 ). Host plants: Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn. ( Figs. 119, 120 View FIGURES 119–126 ) and Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski; in Brazil also Tilesia baccata (L.) Pruski ( Asteraceae ) along with the main host plant Synedrella nodiflora . Mining larvae have been recorded from February, June–July, and October–November. Blotch mine ( Figs. 121–126 View FIGURES 119–126 ) either without frass or with little brown-black loose frass. Silk-lined nidus ( Fig. 124 View FIGURES 119–126 ) distinct. Larva pale green, with dark green intestine and brown head ( Figs. 123, 126 View FIGURES 119–126 ). Pupation inside of the leaf mine, in a silk-lined nidus, without cocoon; pupa pale brown ( Fig. 125 View FIGURES 119–126 ). Adults known from February and April.

Distribution ( Fig. 233 View FIGURE 233 ). Widely distributed in the Neotropics; known from Belize ( Figs. 237, 238 View FIGURES 234–238 ), Guatemala ( Fig. 236 View FIGURES 234–238 ), U.S. Virgin Islands, and equatorial Brazil (State of Pará, Belém) at the elevation of about 50– 600 m.

Etymology. The species name is derived from latinized Spanish selva (forest) in reference to the occurrence of the species in the moist tropical forest of Belize (Chiquibul Forest Reserve) and Guatemala (Tikal National Park).

Remarks. Scaling of the type specimens from Brazil is severely rubbed. Forewing yellowish ochre distally, with a rather distinct fringe-line of brown-black scales.