Acalyptris solaris Remeikis & Stonis, 2018

Stonis, Jonas R. & Remeikis, Andrius, 2018, Odd species of Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) from the American rainforest and southern Andes, Zootaxa 4392 (3), pp. 458-468 : 462-464

Acalyptris solaris Remeikis & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 18–30 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, VENEZUELA, Estado Amazonas (Territorio Federal de Amazonas), Cerro de la Neblina, Basecamp, Malaise trap in rainforest, elevation ca. 140 m, 0°50'N, 66°10'W, 10–20.ii.1985, P. J. & P. M. Spangler, R. A. Faitoute and W. E. Steiner, genitalia slide no. RA 659 ♂ ( USNM).

Diagnosis. The combination of a small white frontal tuft on silvery shiny head, silvery shiny forewing, large rounded pseuduncus and two distinctive carinae in the male genitalia distinguishes A. solaris sp. nov. from all currently known nepticulid species, including all Acalyptris (also see Remarks).

Male ( Figs 18–21 ). Forewing length 2.1 mm; wingspan 4.6 mm. Head: palpi silvery shiny; face large, smoothly scaled, silvery shiny; frontal tuft small, entirely white; collar comprised of piliform scales, grey-white; scape silvery shiny to grey silver (depending on an angle of view), distally and posteriorly grey; length of antenna and number of segments unknown (both antennae of the holotype specimen broken distally); flagellum dark grey to fuscous on upper side, pale grey on underside. Thorax, tegula and forewing dark silvery shiny with blue iridescence; forewing with subapical fascia comprised of fuscous scales; fringe dark grey, apically with some overlapping silvery shiny scales; underside of forewing fuscous, except two elongated basal spots which remain glossy cream. Hindwing with pale brown flagellum and fuscous bristles along costa, dark grey on upper side and underside, without spots or androconia; fringe dark grey. Legs pale brown on underside, darkened with fuscous scales on upper side; hindleg with five strong bristles and two sets of spurs. Abdomen fuscous on upper side, dark grey on underside; anal tufts very short, pale brown; genital plates grey.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 22–30 ). Capsule about 300 µm long, 150 µm wide. Pseuduncus widely rounded, with long chaetae ( Figs 22, 24 ). Uncus and gnathos overlapping ( Figs 22, 24 ), each with short caudal process ( Figs 25, 26 ). Valva ( Fig. 23 ) 135–140 µm long, basally 50–55 µm wide, without processes. Juxta inverted V-shaped ( Fig. 28 ). Vinculum with long lateral lobes ( Fig. 22 ). Lateral apodeme ( Fig. 28 ) distinctive. Phallus 300 µm long, 50–75 µm wide, with two distinctive ventral carinae ( Fig. 30 ); vesica with some small spine-like cornuti.

Bionomics. Host plant: Unknown. Adults fly in February.

Distribution. This species is known from the Cerro de la Neblina, Amazon Basin, on the Venezuela-Brazil border (at an elevation about 140 m).

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin solaris (solar) in reference to the widely rounded, setose pseuduncus in the male genitalia.

Remarks. This species is placed in Acalyptris Meyrick because the morphology of the male genitalia and the forewing venation match with the current Acalyptris concept. On the another hand, the shiny forewing and particularly the shiny head with a very short, Opostegidae-looking, frontal tuft make this species very unusual and odd.

Figures

FIGURES 18–21. Acalyptris solaris Remeikis &Stonis, sp. nov., holotype (USNM).18, 20, 21, male adult, general view; 19, same, dorsal view of head

FIGURES 22–30. Male genitalia of Acalyptris solaris Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., holotype, slide no. RA659 (USNM). 22, capsule; 23, valva; 24, pseuduncus;25, uncus; 26, gnathos; 27, phallus; 28, 29, juxta and vinculum; 30, carinae of phallus