Andescecidium parrai Moreira & Vargas

Silva, Gabriela T., Moreira, Gilson R. P., argas, Hector A., Gislene L. Goncalves,, Mainardi, Marina D., las, German San & Davis, Donald, 2018, Overlooked gall-inducing moths revisited, with the description of Andescecidiumparrai gen. et sp. n. and Olierasaizi sp. n. from Chile (Lepidoptera, Cecidosidae), ZooKeys 795, pp. 127-157 : 127

Andescecidium parrai Moreira & Vargas sp. n. Figs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; Parra 1998

Diagnosis.

As discussed for the monotypic genus.

Description of adults.

As discussed for the monotypic genus.

Type material.

Chile: Holotype ♂, Cuesta Barriga roadside, Padre Hurtado, Metropolitan Region, emerged June 2013, ex gall on Schinus polygamus collected 22.V. 2013, HA Vargas & GRP Moreira leg. (MNNC). Paratype: 1♀, same data as holotype (MNNC).

Non-type material.

Immatures used for morphological description, fixed in Kahle-Dietrich’s fluid, preserved in 70% EtOH: 33°31'24"S, 70°54'35"W, Cuesta Barriga roadside, Padre Hurtado, Metropolitan Region, HA Vargas & GRP Moreira leg., 13 larvae (22.V.2013, LMCI 218-3, 8, 9, 10, 12; 25.XI.2013, LMCI 231-5, 6), 5 pupae (22.V.2013, LMCI 218-3, 5, 11, 14), 3 galls (22.V.2013, LMCI 218-5, 11, 13); 3°3'42"S, 71°0'35"W, roadside on Cuesta La Dormida, border Til-Til/Valparaiso, HA Vargas & GRP Moreira leg., 4 larvae (28.XI.2013, LMCI 233-6), 5 galls (22.V.2013, LMCI 216- 1 to 5, 11); 33°00'31"S, 70°53'52"W, 712m, roadside near Til-Til, Rungue, Metropolitan Region, HA Vargas & GRP Moreira leg., 6 larvae (26.XI.2013, LMCI 232-6, 7), 4 galls (26.XI.2013, LMCI 232-8), G San Blas leg., 12.X.2011, 3 larvae (donated to LMCI 163-14), 46 larvae (IADIZA), 5 galls (IADIZA), 7 pupae (extracted from dried galls on 3.V.2012, IADIZA), G San Blas leg., 15.III.2013, 3 dried pupae; 35°36'00"S, 71°07'17.02"W, 426m, Ruta J-65, 25km from Curicó, Maule Region, G San Blas leg., 12.X.2011, 16 larvae; 36°39'30"S, 72°16'41"W, 43m, roadside in Cruce Nebuco, Bio-Bio Region, HA Vargas, LE Parra & GRP Moreira leg., 2 galls (30.V.2013, LMCI 223-1); 35°31'53"S, 71°18'4"W and 35°31'29"S, 71°18'33"W, P. Sta. Edilia, San Clemente, Maule Region, LE Parra & GT Silva leg., 25.XI.2016, 2 larvae donated to LMCI (330-1, 2).

Additional larvae.

Same data as above, fixed and preserved in 100% EtOH at -20 °C for DNA extraction: n = 2, LMCI 231-5; n = 6, LMCI 233-5, 6.

Additional adult material.

Genitalia preparation on slide of male by LE Parra, UCCC, Parque Nacional La Campana, Sector Ocoa, Hijuelas, Valparaíso Region, L. Sáiz leg., March-April 1993, with label " Cecidoses argentinana ( Brèthes), Det. LE Parra"; added label " Andescecidium parrai Moreira & Vargas, Det. GRP Moreira; 9.V.2018", 1♂ (LMCI 218-03-04) and 1♀ (LMCI 218-03-03), cleared in KOH 10%, preserved in 70% EtOH, same data as the holotype.

Etymology.

Named in honor of Prof. Dr. Luis E. Parra, from the Universidad of Concepción, who for the first time characterized such a gall-inducing moth, for his great contribution to the development of Lepidopterology in Chile.

Description of immature stages.

Last instar larva (Figs 4, 5). Body length = 8.10 ± 0.66 mm; head capsule width = 1.40 ± 0.04 mm (n = 4). Head (Figs 4B, C; 5A, B) yellowish with anterior margin light brown; lateral margins convex; frontoclypeus slightly bulged, subtriangular, with well-marked pigmented adfrontal sutures; ecdysial lines unpigmented. Two pairs of laterally located, well-developed stemmata (Figure 5C). Antennae (Figure 5D) 2-segmented; basal segment with one stout and one ~4 × longer, filiform sensillum; distal segment with one stout sensillum on apex, flanked by two small filiform sensilla. Labrum slightly bilobed, with five pairs of small setae. Mandible well developed, with four cusps along distal margin ( Parra 1998: fig. 4C), bearing one basal seta on external surface. Maxilla with palpus and galea reduced (Figure 5F). Spinneret conical-tubular (Figure 5E; Parra 1998: fig 4D); labial palpus one-segmented with well-developed apical seta. Chaetotaxy consisting of 15 pairs of setae: F group unisetose; C group unisetose; A group trisetose; AF group unisetose; P group trisetose, reduced in length; S group trisetose, middle one long; SS group trisetose, posterior one long.

Thorax (T) and abdomen (A) subcylindrical, creamy-white and covered with microtrichia (Figure 5I); thoracic setae small (Figure 5G), similar in size to abdominal ones. Prothoracic shield light yellow, weakly defined; thoracic legs and abdominal prolegs absent; abdominal calli (Figure 5J) on segments A1-A7 located on posterior margin of terga. Last abdominal segment (Figure 5K, L) composed of three lobes, one dorsal, and two ventral, smaller. Spiracles (Figure 5H, I) laterally on T1, A1-A8, circular and without elevated peritreme. Chaetotaxy: T1 with twelve pairs of setae; D group bisetose, SD bisetose, outside prothoracic shield, L group trisetose, anterior to spiracle, SV group trisetose, MV unisetose, V unisetose. T2-3 with nine pairs of setae; D group bisetose, SD bisetose, L group bisetose, SV group bisetose, V unisetose. AB1-8 with seven pairs of setae; D group bisetose, L group tetrasetose, posterior to spiracles, V group unisetose. AB9 with four pairs of setae; D group unisetose, L group bisetose, SV group unisetose. A10 with five pairs of setae; SD group bisetose; SV trisetose.

Pupa (Figs 6, 7). Length = 12.3 + 0.4 mm; n = 3. Yellowish brown, with head, thorax, wings, and abdominal spines becoming dark brown near adult emergence. Head with frontal process (= gall-cutter) formed by three processes (Figure 7 A–C); one large, subtriangular, located centrally at the anterior, which is flanked by the other two, shorter, located posteriorly at the base. Antennae narrow, long, slightly surpassing the end of abdomen; prothorax is a narrow transverse band between head and mesothorax; hindwings concealed by forewings, extending to sternum A8; pro-, meso- and metathoracic legs extending up to A6, A7 and A8, respectively. Frons with two pairs of setae laterally. Terga T2 and T3 with two pairs of setae, one dorsal and one latero-dorsal. Abdominal segments with spiracular region covered with microtrichia; A2-9 with a transverse band of conspicuous spines (Figure 7E, F), near anterior margin of terga; tergum A9 with one pair of spines (Figure 7I) on posterior margin. Abdominal setae (Figs 6A, 7G) arranged in three rows (dorsal, supra and subspiracular); one dorsal pair on segments A1-8; one supra-spiracular pair on segments A2-8; four to six subspiracular pairs on segments A2-9; four pairs dorsally on A10; spiracles (Figure 7H) with slightly elevated peritreme, laterally on A2-8.

Life history.

The large, short pedunculated galls of A. parrai develop externally from the beginning, on stem buds of S. polygamus terminal and sub-terminal branches (Figure 8B, C). A few galls of different sizes may be found on the same branch. They are elliptical and usually reddish when young, becoming to spherical and green when mature. The larval chamber is almost cylindrical in shape (maximum width and length varying from 9-10 and from 10-14 mm, respectively; n = 10), and transverse to the stem axis. Their external wall becomes dark brown and almost cylindrical during late development. At least some are apparently deciduous, falling to the ground. This morphotype has a rough external wall (Figure 8D), and was found among the litter under the S. polygamus plants, where they are easily confused with fecal pellets of the European rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus L.: Leporidae ), that is abundant in the region. Like C. pampeanus galls, those of A. parrai also lack an operculum. Using the frontal process and abdominal spines present on the pupae to make pressure, together with body contortions, are likely the means the pupa uses to open an orifice on the distal, weaker wall (Figure 8E), in which it pushes itself partially out of the gall.

Little is known about biology of A. parrai galls. Our field observations suggest that the species is univoltine, galls starting to develop during late spring and summer, when most leaf buds are found on S. polygamus plants ( Sáiz and Núñez 1997). Deciduous galls were field-collected from the ground near the end of May, from which a few adults used here for description successfully emerged in the laboratory after ca. 25 days.