Acalyptris basicornis Remeikis & Stonis

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Noreika, Remigijus & Schuster, Jack, 2013, Four new leaf-mining Acalyptris species from Guatemala and Belize, with new data on bionomics of Stigmella pruinosa (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae), Zootaxa 3737 (2), pp. 101-117 : 102

Acalyptris basicornis Remeikis & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–7 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, GUATEMALA, Petén Dept., El Remate, 14°59'N, 89°41'W, at light, at elevation 160 m, 16.ii.2012, LT-GT Scientific Expedition, genitalia slide no. RA478 (ZMUC).

Diagnosis. In male genitalia the new species is distinguished from all known Neotropical Acalyptris , except A. lascuavella Puplesis & Robinson , by valva with a short basal process. From A. lascuavella it differs in the presence of apical spine-like carinae on the aedeagus, and the rounded (not bilobed) pseuduncus.

Male ( Figs 3, 4 ). Forewing length 1.7 mm, wingspan 3.8 mm. Head: palpi greyish cream; frontal tuft dark yellow-orange; collar yellow-cream, prominent, comprises broadened piliform scales; eye-caps yellow-cream; antenna with ca. 28 segments, slightly shorter than half of forewing; flagellum fuscous to brown-grey on upper side, brown-cream on underside. Thorax, tegulae and forewings grey, speckled with fuscous scales (particularly densely at apical part of forewing). Postmedian fascia incomplete (not reaching tornus of forewing), distinctly oblique, cream. Apical grey-cream spot weakly developed, irregular; apical cilia cream, on tornus grey; underside of forewing fuscous-grey. Hindwings and its cilia grey. Legs pale grey, glossy, with grey-brown darkening on upper side.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 5–7 ). Capsule longer (210 m) than wide (150 µm). Vinculum with two triangular, distally rounded lateral (anterior) lobes. Uncus small caudal projection and sclerotized lateral lobes ( Fig. 5 ). Gnathos with pointed caudal process and angular central plate ( Fig. 5 ). Valva ( Figs 5, 7 ) 145 µm long, with straight blunt apical process, large basal inner process, and with short slender sublateral process; transverse bar of transtilla present (long and slender). Aedeagus ( Fig. 6 ) 180 µm long, 65 µm wide, with two large pointed apical carinae; vesica with a compact cluster of spine-like cornuti and some minute triangular cornuti.

Bionomics. A single adult attracted to light in February in the disturbed secondary lowland evergreen broadleaf tropical forest ( Fig. 2 ).

Distribution. Known from a single locality in NE Guatemala (Petén Region) ( Fig. 1 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin basis (a base) and cornis (a horn) in reference to the hornlike basal process of the valva.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Acalyptris basicornis Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. 1, currently known distribution; 2, habitat, disturbed secondary lowland evergreen broadleaf tropical forest; 3, 4, male adult, holotype. Scale 1 mm; 5, male genitalia, holotype, genitalia slide no. RA 478; 6, same, aedeagus; 7, same, valva. Scale bar 100 µm.