Paratischeria tubifex Diškus & Stonis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 91DCD98C-A844-431A-A844-D3849FF1DE9B

Figs 21–23, 107–123

Tischeria sp. 4 – Lewis et al. 2002: 872.

Diagnosis

External characters and characters of the female genitalia are of little or no use in the identification of this species. However, in the male genitalia, the very unusual, wide valva (Fig. 108), apically covered with modified, spine-like setae (Fig. 110), the unusually large tube-like socii (Figs 113–114), and the large, deeply divided uncus (Fig. 114) instantly distinguish Paratischeria tubifex sp. nov. from other Tischeriidae . The host plant, Lasianthaea fruticosa (Asteraceae), coicides with the host plant of another new species, Astrotischeria papilloma sp. nov., described above.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Latin ʻ tubus ʼ (ʻtubeʼ) and ʻ fex ʼ, i.e., from the Latin ʻ facere ʼ (ʻto makeʼ) in reference to the unusually large, tube-like socii in the male genitalia.

Type material

Holotype

BELIZE • ♂; Cayo District, Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Las Cuevas; 16°43′53″ N, 88°59′11″ W; alt. 550 m; 6Apr. 1998; O.T. Lewis leg.; mining larva on Lasianthaea fruticosa (L.) K.M.Becker ( Asteraceae); field card no. 3009-6/4; genitalia slide no. 010316168♂; NHMUK 010289272.

Paratypes

BELIZE • 6 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; same collection data as for holotype; 11 Feb.–24 Apr. 1998; O.T. Lewis leg.; field card nos 3013-6/4♂, 25.053-11/2♂, 3014-6/4♂, 3016-6/4♂, 17.073-4/3♂, 17.079-4/3♂, 3010-6/4♀, 3007-24/4♀, 3015-6/4♀; genitalia slide nos 010316169♂, 010316170♂, 010316171♂, 010316173♀; NHMUK 10289273, 10289274, 10289276 to 010289282 • 1 ♂; same locality as for holotype; 3–16 Apr. 1998; R. Puplesis and S.R. Hill leg.; at light; genitalia slide no. 010316172♂; NHMUK 010289275 .

Description

Male

EXTERNAL CHARACTERS (Figs 21, 23). Forewing length 2.4–2.7 mm; wingspan 5.4–5.8 mm (n = 8). Head: palpus, pecten and frons golden cream; frontal tuft and collar yellowish cream, comprised of slender lamellar scales; antenna length ½ of forewing; flagellum golden cream, with a few irregularly scattered brown scales on upper side. Thorax yellowish cream, glossy; tegula covered with yellowish cream and pale brown-grey scales. Forewing yellowish ochre with irregular makings of grey-brown scales; fringe yellowish cream; fringe line usually distinctive, formed by blackish brown scales; forewing underside densely covered with grey scales, without spots or androconia. Hindwing grey to yellowish grey on upper side and underside, without androconia, fringe pale grey to ochre-grey or ochre cream. Legs glossy, yellowish cream, densely covered with blackish brown scales on foreleg and midleg upper side. Abdomen glossy, with some purple iridescence; pale grey, silvery glossy on upper side, yellowish cream, annulated with pale grey-brown scales on underside; genital plates cream; anal tufts large, cream.

MALE GENITALIA (Figs 107–117). Capsule 450–610 µm long, 390–520 µm wide. Uncus large, deeply divided, with two lateral lobes (Figs 112, 114). Socii unusually large, tube-like (Figs 112–114). Valva (Fig. 108) about 445–530 µm long, basally very wide, with a tiny process (Figs 110, 112), apically with thickened setae (Figs 110–111); anellus membranous, indistinctive; transtilla and juxta absent. Ventral lobe of vinculum short, distally truncated or rounded (Figs 107, 112, 114). Phallus 2520 µm long, apically with three pointed lobes (Figs 115–117).

Female

EXTERNAL CHARACTERS (Fig. 22). Abdomen without anal tufts. Otherwise, similar to male.

FEMALE GENITALIA (Figs 118–123). Total length about 2140 µm. Ovipositor lobes large (Fig. 123), with modified setae (‘peg setae’); area between ovipositor lobes widely rounded, with tiny papillae and two very long setae. Second pair of lobes, lateral and anterior to ovipositor lobes, much smaller than ovipositor lobes, oval, bearing long slender setae, without stout ‘peg setae’. Anterior apophyses slightly longer than posterior apophyses (Fig. 118); prela comprised of three pairs of rod-like projections (Fig. 120). Proximal, slender part of corpus bursae with numerous spines (Figs 121–122), gradually expanding into slightly wider, distal part; pectination of latter indistinctive. Ductus spermathecae very slender, with about 6–8 large coils (Fig. 118).

Biology

Host plant: Lasianthaea fruticosa (L.) K.M.Becker ( Asteraceae). Larvae mine leaves in February–April. The leaf mine is a blotch (unstudied and undocumented). This species was listed as ‘ Tischeria sp. 4’ by Lewis et al. (2002). Of 29 mines reared successfully, none were parasitised.

Flight period

Based on a single specimen collected at light, adults fly in April; based on rearing data, adults occur in February–September.

Distribution

So far this species is known from a single locality in Belize, Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Las Cuevas, at an elevation of about 550 m.