Stigmella

Stonis, Jonas R. & Remeikis, Andrius, 2016, Southern Andean Stigmella sinuosa complex (Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae): unraveling problematic taxonomy with a pictorial key of adults?, Zootaxa 4136 (2), pp. 309-322 : 316-317

Documentation of Stigmella species 642

( Figs 19–22 )

Material examined. 1 Ƌ, ARGENTINA, Neuquen, San Martin de los Andes, elevation ca. 640 m, 17.x.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA642 ( ZMUC).

Diagnosis. From the most resembling S. sinuosa and particularly S. mevia it differs in the combination of characters illustrated in fig. 22.

Male ( Fig. 19 ). Forewing length 3.2 mm; wingspan 7.1 mm. Head: palpi brownish cream; frontal tuft unknown, rubbed, only few pale brown piliform scales left; collar brown; scape brownish cream speckled with pale brown lamellar scales; antenna distinctly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum with 43 segments, greybrown on upper side and underside. Thorax, tegula and forewing densely speckled with grey-brown to dark greybrown scales with weak purple iridescence. Forewing with some silvery shiny (at certain angle also with little golden gloss) scales apically; fringe grey-brown, distally pale grey-brown; underside of forewing grey-brown, without spots. Hindwing and its cilia grey-brown with some purple iridescence on upper side and underside; without androconia. Legs ochre-brown, with some grey-brown scales on upper side. Abdomen fuscous on upper side and underside; anal tufts short, brownish grey; genital plates brown.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 20–22 ). Capsule longer (330 mm) than wide (200 mm). Phallus ( Fig. 21 ) 260 mm long, 116 mm wide; vesica with 7 horn-like cornuti ( Figs 21 , 22 ).

Bionomics. Host-plant: unknown. Adults fly in October.

Distribution. Known from the western (mountainous) Argentina at elavation about 640 m.

Figures

FIGURE 22. Comparison of Stigmella species 642 with S. sinuosa sp. nov. and S. mevia sp. nov.

FIGURES 19 – 21. Stigmella species 642. 19, male adult; 20, male genitalia, capsule with phallus removed, genitalia slide no. RA 642; 21, phallus, genitalia slide no. RA 642 (ZMUC).