Stigmella maloidica Puplesis, 1991

Stonis, Jonas R., Remeikis, Andrius, Diškus, Arūnas & Navickaitė, Asta, 2020, Documenting new and little known leaf-mining Nepticulidae from middle and southwestern areas of the Asian continent, Zootaxa 4881 (3), pp. 401-452 : 406

Stigmella maloidica Puplesis, 1991

( Figs 87–93 )

Stigmella maloidica Puplesis, in Puplesis & Arutyunova 1991: 573 .

Stigmella maloidica Puplesis, in Puplesis 1994: 60–61 .

Material examined. 11 ♂ ♀ (holotype and paratypes): Tajikistan, 30 km N of Dushanbe, Varzob Canyon , Kondara, 1200 m, mining larvae on Malus and Cotoneaster , 5.vii.1986, 6–9.xi.1989, R . Puplesis, genitalia slide nos AD 525 ♂ (holotype), AN 336♂, AN 337♂, AN 338♂, AN 339♂ ( ZIN, also see Remarks ) ; 4 ♂, same locality, at light, 4– 8.vii.1991, V . Sruoga ( ZIN) ; 1 ♂, same locality, at light, 2.viii.1990, R . Puplesis ( ZIN) ; 1 ♂, same locality, at light, 22.vi.1990, R . Puplesis & Diškus ( ZIN) ; 2 ♂ (paratypes) 45 km N of Dushanbe, Chodzha Obi Garm , 7.xi.1989, R . Puplesis ( ZIN) ; 1 ♂, 60 km N of Dushanbe, Ziddi , 2000 m, at light, 7.viii.1990, R . Puplesis ( ZIN) .

Diagnosis. Stigmella maloidica belongs to the S. lapponica group. Externally and in the male genitalia, this species is the most similar and obviously related to S. ziziphifolia sp. nov. (described below). However, S. maloidica differs from S. ziziphifolia in the short lateral lobes of the vinculum ( Figs 87, 89 ), split caudal process of the gnathos ( Figs 91, 92 ), and absence of large, spine-like cornuti in the male genitalia ( Fig. 93 ). This species also differs from S. ziziphifolia and all other species of the group in its biology. Larvae of S. maloidica feed on Cotoneaster Medik. and Malus Mill. (Rosaceae) ( S. ziziphifolia feeds on Ziziphus Mill. , Rhamnaceae ), produce gradually widening, usually contorted leaf mines with an interrupted frass line ( S. ziziphifolia produces slender leaf mines with an uninterrupted frass line). Additionally, S. maloidica occurs in temperate, semi-arid temperate areas in Central Asia, and S. ziziphifolia occurs in the subtropical, humid habitats of the Himalaya.

Description. Forewing length 2.3–2.6 mm; wingspan 5.1–5.7 mm. Described in Puplesis & Arutyunova, 1991: 573 (in Russian) and redescribed in Puplesis 1994: 60–61 (in English).

Bionomics. Host plants are Cotoneaster hissaricus Pojark. , C. insignis Pojark. , Malus domestica Borkh. , and M. sieversii (Ledeb.) M. Roem. (Rosaceae) . Larvae mine leaves from July to November. Leaf mine is a long, con-torted or sinuous, gradually widening gallery with an interrupted central line of black frass (illustrated by Puplesis 1994: fig. 782). Cocoon yellowish orange to pale brown. Adults fly in late June–July and possibly over a much longer period.

Distribution. Known from Varzob Canyon in the Hissor Range, Tajikistan, at the elevation of 1200–2000 m ( Fig. 1 : Hr).

Remarks. We provide the first photographic documentation of the male genitalia of the species ( Figs 87–93 ). The holotype and 12 paratypes, earlier deposited at LEU (=VPU) will be transferred to ZIN (see Material & Meth-ods).

Figures

FIGURES 87–93. Male genitalia of Stigmella maloidica Puplesis. 87, 88, capsule with phallus removed, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD525; 89, capsule with phallus inside, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD339; 90, phallus, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD525; 91, gnathos, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD525; 92, same, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD336; 93, cornuti, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD525 (ZIN)

FIGURES 1–6. A geographical map (courtesy of T. Patterson, USA) and new host plants of Nepticulidae. 1, localities in this study; 2, 3, Ototropis elegans (DC.) H. Ohashi & K. Ohashi, Fabaceae, a host plant of Stigmella longa sp. nov.; 4, Viburnum cotinifolium D. Don., Adoxaceae, a host plant of Acalyptris nasutus sp. nov; 5, Ototropis sp., Fabaceae, a host plant of Stigmella pyramidata sp. nov.; 6, Spiraea canescens D. Don., Rosaceae, a host plant of Ectoedemia orbiculata sp. nov.