Astrotischeria mystica Diškus & Stonis, 2021

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Fernández-Alonso, José L., Baryshnikova, Svetlana V. & Solis, M. Alma, 2021, Documenting trumpet leaf-miner moths (Tischeriidae): new Neotropical Coptotriche and Astrotischeria species, with notes on Sapindaceae as a host-plant family, Zootaxa 5047 (3), pp. 300-320 : 305-307

Astrotischeria mystica Diškus & Stonis , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0F29E8C8-94B3-4B06-8C9E-30FF3FA36AB3

( Figs. 1–6 , 19–22 , 30–34 , 49, 50 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Peru, Urubamba Province , near Machu Picchu, 13°9’48”S, 72°32’12”W, elevation ca. 2180 m, from feeding larvae 19.x.2008, ex pupa xi.2008, field card no. 4944, leg. A. Diškus, genitalia slide no. AD1050 ( ZIN) . Paratypes 4 ♂, 2 ♀, same label data as holotype, genitalia slide nos. AD1048 ♂, AD1049 ♀, AD1051 ♀ ( ZIN) ; 1 ♂, same label data, genitalia slide no. AD1047 ♂ (from adult in pupal exuvia) ( NRC) .

Diagnosis. Only the male genitalia provide reliable diagnostics: the combination of a unique-shaped uncus (see Figs. 30, 32 ), and abruptly bent dorsal lobe of the valva ( Fig. 30 ) with distal spine-like process ( Fig. 34 ) distinguishes A. mystica sp. nov. from all other Astrotischeria species.

Male ( Figs. 19–21 ). Forewing length 4.1–4.5 mm; wingspan 9.0– 9.8 mm (n = 5).

Head. Frons, palpi, and pectens pale ochre yellow to bright ochre, occasionally ochreous cream; frontal tuft and collar comprised of brownish grey, pale-tipped lamellar scales; antenna slightly longer than one half the length of forewing; flagellum dark brown, annulated with ochre cream; sensilla relatively short, very fine, inconspicuous.

Thorax. Tegula and thorax densely covered with grey-brown, ochre-tipped scales or entirely dark grey-brown. Forewing densely speckled with grey-brown and dark grey-brown scales and small, irregular spots of bright yellowish ochre scales; fringe dark grey, apically brown-ochre; fringe line absent or incomplete, comprised of dark brown or black-brown scales; forewing underside dark grey-brown, without spots or androconia. Hindwing dark brown to grey-brown on upper side and underside, without androconia; fringe brown to grey. Legs grey-brown to dark grey-brown.

Abdomen. Brownish grey on upper side and underside, ochre glossy distally on underside; anal tufts dorsal, long, dark grey; genital plates brownish grey. Genitalia ( Figs. 30–34 ) with capsule 420–455 µm long (or 585 µm long if measured from valval tips to vinculum), 260 µm wide. Uncus ( Figs. 30, 32 ) comprised of two sets of short but wide lobes. Valva ( Figs. 30, 31 ) about 420 µm long (excluding the basal process); dorsal lobe wide and with spine-like processes distally (see Fig. 34 ). Anellus only slightly thickened, mostly membranous, inconspicuous. Vinculum rounded ( Figs. 30, 31 ). Phallus 360 µm long, deeply bifurcated, symmetrical, with a large spine on each apical lobe ( Figs. 30, 33 ).

Female ( Fig. 22 ). Forewing length 4.5 mm; wingspan 9.9 mm (n = 2).

Head. Similar to male. Antenna bright yellow-ochre in basal 1/5.

Thorax. Forewing grey-brown with two very large and two-four small, bright ochre-yellow spots; fringe widely yellow-ochre apically, grey-brown on tornus. Legs metallic glossy, brownish grey to dark brown with some yellowish ochre scales.

Abdomen. Genitalia ( Figs. 49, 50 ) about 2210 µm long. Ovipositor lobes small, rounded, clothed with short, modified setae (‘peg setae’); area between ovipositor lobes relatively wide, with tiny papillae and some short setae. Second pair of lobes, lateral and anterior to the ovipositor lobes, twice smaller than ovipositor lobes, but bearing very long lamellar but slender setae. Anterior and posterior apophyses almost equal in length; prela comprised of three pairs of unique projections ( Fig. 49 ). Corpus bursae very long and slender, without pectinations or signum. Accessory sac small, rounded. Ductus spermathecae very slender, with about 4 large coils and indistinctive, platelike vesicle.

Bionomics. Host plant is Verbesina L., possibly V. plowmanii Sagást. (Asteraceae) ( Figs. 1–3 ). Larvae mine leaves and produce blotch-like leaf mines ( Figs. 4–6 ). Pupation in a circular nidus inside the leaf mine ( Fig. 5 ). Adults occur in November. Otherwise, the biology is unknown.

Distribution. The species is known from the single locality in Urubamba Province (near Machu Picchu), Peru, at an elevation of about 2180 m.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Ancient Greek mysticus (mysterious), for the unusual dorsal lobe of the valva in the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Bionomics of Astrotischeria mystica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 1–3, host plant Verbesina L. (possibly V. plowmanii Sagást.) (Asteraceae), Urubamba Province, Peru, 2180 m; 4–6, leaf mines

FIGURES 19–24. Adults of new Astrotischeria species. 19–22, Astrotischeria mystica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.; 23, 24, Astrotischeria yungasi Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. (ZIN)

FIGURES 30–34. Male genitalia of Astrotischeria mystica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 30, capsule with phallus inside, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD1050; 31, lateral view of valva and vinculum, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD1047; 32, uncus, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD1047; 33, phallus, paratype, genitalia slide AD1047; 34, spine-like processes on dorsal lobes of valvae, holotype, genitalia slide no. 1050 (ZIN)

FIGURES 47–52. Female genitalia of new Astrotischeria species. 47, 48, A. yungasi Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., paratype, genitalia slide no. AD1068; 49, 50, A. mystica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., paratype, genitalia slide no. AD1051; 51, 52, A. parapallens Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., paratype, genitalia slide no. AD1042 (ZIN)