Tischeria kumatai Sato, Kobayashi & Hirowatari

Kobayashi, Shigeki, Sato, Hiroaki, Hirano, Nagao, Yamada, Kazutaka & Hirowatari, Toshiya, 2016, A review of the Japanese species of the family Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera), ZooKeys 601, pp. 127-151 : 133

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Tischeriidae

Tischeria kumatai Sato, Kobayashi & Hirowatari sp. n. Figs 2 F–G, 4

Tischeria sp.: Sato 2011: 559

Material examined.

6 (3♂ 3♀)

Type material.

Holotype ♂, JAPAN: Hokkaido: Teine, 14.v.1959, host Tilia japonica , T. Kumata leg. (genitalia slide no. OPU-SK486). Paratypes Host. Tilia japonica : 1♂ 1♀, same locality and data of holotype, SK485; 1♀, Mt. Maruyama, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 2.v.2007em., H. Sato leg., 7.ix.2006(larva); 1♀, Oshirakawa, Azumi, Nagano Pref., 31.v.1992em., N. Hirano leg., 7.ix.1991, SK567. Host Tilia sp.: 1♂, Mt. Maruyama, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 24.iii.2007em., H. Sato leg., 7.ix.2006(larva).

Diagnosis.

The color of the scaling of this new species has little or no diagnostic value. However, the female genitalia exhibit good diagnostic characters, especially the thickened plate-like vestibulum (antrum) (Fig. 4I). Among Tischeria species having a similarly unusual antrum (e.g. Tischeria ptarmica Meyrick (see van Nieukerken 2010) and Tischeria zestica Meyrick (see Puplesis and Diškus 2003), the new species is most similar to Tischeria unca Diškus & Stonis from the Russian Far East (feeding on Quercus ), but is recognizable by the slender posterior plate of the antrum and the lack of spines in the corpus bursae in the female genitalia, and the long spiral shaped juxta (Fig. 4 E–F) and the valva with a very slender basal half (Fig. 4A) in the male genitalia. The South African species, Tischeria antilope Puplesis, Diškus & Mey (female unknown) also has a similarly shaped juxta and valva, but differs from the new species by the narrow ventral plate of the vinculum, the longer valva and the lack of a pair of short lateral processes on the juxta ( Puplesis and Diškus 2003, figs 586, 589). A Far Eastern Russian species, Tischeria puplesisi Kozlov (female unknown), differs from the new species by the broader valva and short, stout juxta ( Kozlov 1986, fig. 2).

Adult (Fig. 2 F–G). Wing expanse 7.3 mm; forewing length 3.5 mm in holotype, 7.4 and 8.4 mm (3.3 and 3.9 mm) in paratypes. Head: palpi cream white; face smooth, cream white; vertex tuft white mixed with slender pale ocherous lamellar scales; antenna slightly longer than or equal to half of forewing, basally pale ocherous, apically ocherous to brown. Thorax pale ocherous. Forewing pale ocherous with scattered brown scales on the costal half towards the apical area. Cilia and hindwing blackish gray. Legs white to pale ocherous. Abdomen: brown; anal tuft grayish ocherous.

Male genitalia (Fig. 4 A–G) (1 preparation examined). Uncus with very slender lateral lobes (Fig. 4C). Socii membranous. Tegumen narrow, marginally reinforced with a pair of slightly inwardly curved arms (Fig. 4B). Valva long, basally very slender, apically rounded, distally covered with fine setae and with a long slender dorsal process (Fig. 4A). Ventral plate of vinculum long and narrow, rounded anteriorly. Juxta very long, comprising two pairs of spiral curved processes (Fig. 4 D–F); one pair connecting to the middle of the phallus, equal to the length of valva, apically forming a spiral shape (Fig. 4 E–F); the other pair more slender, half the length of the valva, basally slightly curved laterally (Fig. 4D). Phallus slender, distinctly broadened at basal end, forming a pale slender membranous structure from the middle to apex.

Female genitalia (Fig. 4 H–I) (2 preparations examined). Antrum (Fig. 4I) strongly sclerotized, plate-like, slightly broadened medially, with a pair of pale spatulate plates at 1/3 of antrum and a pair of very slender long processes. Ductus spermathecae membranous and slender, with 3-4 coils. Corpus bursae small and smooth (Fig. 4H).

Distribution.

Japan: Hokkaido, Honshu (Nagano Prefecture).

Host plants.

Tilia japonica (Miq.) Simonk. ( Malvaceae ).

Etymology.

The specific epithet, kumatai , is dedicated to Dr Tosio Kumata, who is one of the great Lepidoptera taxonomists and collected the holotype and some of the paratypes.

Biology.

The larvae form dark gray blotch mines on the leaf edge which are very similar to the folded mines of Coptotriche minuta on Carpinus japonica . Tischeria kumatai is common in Nagano Prefecture.