Stigmella lamiacifoliae Remeikis & Stonis, 2017

Stonis, Jonas R., Remeikis, Andrius, Diškus, Arūnas, Forero, Dimitri & Torres, Nixon Cumbicus, 2017, A report on Lamiaceae-feeding Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) from South America, Zootaxa 4338 (1) : -

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4338.1.6
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C5DBF69A-EB43-4730-8176-2B5A232A1AC2
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6025498
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B35EADC7-B54E-463B-B9D7-223170DC9AF1
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:B35EADC7-B54E-463B-B9D7-223170DC9AF1
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Stigmella lamiacifoliae Remeikis & Stonis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Stigmella lamiacifoliae Remeikis & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–17 View FIGURES 1 – 8 View FIGURES 9 – 12 View FIGURES 13 – 22 , 23–39 View FIGURES 23 – 28 View FIGURES 29 – 35 View FIGURES 36 – 39 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, COLOMBIA, Cundinamarca Department, San Antonio del Tequendama Municipality, Parque Natural Chicaque, 4°36'21"N, 74°18'24"W, elevation 2550 m, 18.ii.2013, mining larvae on Salvia palifolia Kunth, A. Remeikis & J. R. Stonis , genitalia slide no. RA 602♂ ( ZMUC). Paratypes: 5 ♂, 5 ♀, same label data, genitalia slide nos RA 600♂, RA 601♀, RA 662♀, RA 665♀ (LEU, with further re-deposition at MPUJ _ ENT); 7 ♂, 3 ♀, same label data, genitalia slide no. RA 652♀ ( ZMUC).

Diagnosis. In the male genitalia, the new species differs from all other known Neotropical Stigmella in the combination of a distinctive apical cluster of spine-like cornuti ( Fig. 26 View FIGURES 23 – 28 ), four-lobed uncus, and valva possessing two slender apical processes. The host plant Salvia palifolia and the unicolorous scaling of the head ( Fig. 16 View FIGURES 13 – 22 ) also make this species distinctive.

Male ( Figs 15–17 View FIGURES 13 – 22 ). Forewing length 2.8–3.0 mm; wingspan 6.1–6.5 mm. Head: palpi cream, distally and laterally usually fuscous; frontal tuft, collar and scape unicolorous, ochre cream to yellowish cream; antenna distinctly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum with 37–38 segments, grey to brown on upper side and underside except brownish cream basal part on underside. Thorax and tegula dark grey-brown. Forewing coarsely speckled with dark grey-brown scales with purple iridescence and usually with three glossy cream spots: two postmedian (costal and tornal) and one apical; occassionally, tornal or (and) apical spot absent, or costal and tornal spots merged into a distincly postmedian fascia; fringe grey to pale grey; underside of forewing dark grey-brown, without spots or androconia. Hindwing pale grey on upper side, grey-brown on underside, without androconia; fringe pale grey to grey. Legs brownish cream, laterally dark grey to fuscous. Abdomen grey-brown on upper side, yellowish brown, glossy on underside; anal tufts grey, very short, indistinctive; genital plates brownish cream.

Female. Usually smaller than male; forewing length 2.2–2.5 mm; wingspan 5.1–5.5 mm. Frontal tuft occasionally with some brown piliform scales. Flagellum with about 30 segments. Costal and tornal spots of forewing usually merged into a postmedian fascia. Otherwise as in male.

Male genitalia ( Figs 23–35 View FIGURES 23 – 28 View FIGURES 29 – 35 ). Capsule slightly longer (280–285 µm) than wide (215–220 µm). Vinculum with short triangular lateral lobes. Uncus thickened laterally, with four small, thickened, angular lobes caudally ( Figs 23, 24 View FIGURES 23 – 28 , 30 View FIGURES 29 – 35 ). Gnathos with two slender caudal processes and slender plate ( Figs 23 View FIGURES 23 – 28 , 30 View FIGURES 29 – 35 ). Valva ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 23 – 28 ) 190–200 µm long, 75–80 µm wide, with two slender apical processes; transtilla without sublateral processes ( Figs 24 View FIGURES 23 – 28 , 31 View FIGURES 29 – 35 ). Juxta membranous, triangular ( Figs 23 View FIGURES 23 – 28 , 30 View FIGURES 29 – 35 ). Phallus ( Figs 25–28 View FIGURES 23 – 28 , 30 View FIGURES 29 – 35 ) 235–245 µm long, 90–95 µm wide; vesica with about 7–8 large spine-like cornuti ( Figs 26–28 View FIGURES 23 – 28 , 34, 35 View FIGURES 29 – 35 ) and apical cluster of about 13–15 slender cornuti ( Figs 25– 28 View FIGURES 23 – 28 , 32, 33 View FIGURES 29 – 35 ); additionally, some very small and weakly thickened cornuti may be developed near to cathrema ( Fig. 25 View FIGURES 23 – 28 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs 36–39 View FIGURES 36 – 39 ). Total length 620–710 µm. Anterior apophyses (30–45 µm long) slender distally; posterior apophyses much longer, 150–205 µm long ( Figs 36, 38 View FIGURES 36 – 39 ). Vestibulum without sclerites. Corpus bursae with weakly folded distal part and oval shaped basal part with comb-like pectinations. Accessory sac large; ductus spermathecae with 1.5 coils.

Bionomics ( Figs 2–12 View FIGURES 1 – 8 View FIGURES 9 – 12 ). Host plant: Salvia palifolia Kunth , Lamiaceae ( Figs 2, 5, 6 View FIGURES 1 – 8 ). Larva pale green with brown-green intestine and brown head; feeds in February and probably in late January (note that in late February the most of leaf mines are empty). Leaf mine ( Figs 7–12 View FIGURES 1 – 8 View FIGURES 9 – 12 ) is a very long, sinuous or contorted gallery; at the beginning, it is almost filled with dark green frass, further on, with a rather slender central line of black (occasionally blackish green) frass. Cocoon ( Figs 13, 14 View FIGURES 13 – 22 ) dark beige to blackish brown, 2.5–2.9 mm long, 1.5–1.9 mm wide. Adults probably fly in March (indoors, emerged in March).

Distribution ( Fig. 1 View FIGURES 1 – 8 ). This species occurs in the northern Andes ( Colombia: Cundinamarca Department, SW of Bogotá) in the cloud forest habitat at altitude about 2550 m ( Figs 2–4 View FIGURES 1 – 8 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from name of the host-plant family Lamiaceae and Latin folium (a leaf) in reference to the trophic specialization of the new species to mine in leaves of Salvia , Lamiaceae .