Stigmella clinopodiella Diškus & Stonis, 2016

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Gerulaitis, Virginijus & Karsholt, Ole, 2016, Leaf-mining Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) from record high altitudes: documenting an entire new fauna in the Andean páramo and puna, Zootaxa 4181 (1), pp. 1-94 : 79

Stigmella clinopodiella Diškus & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 20 , 25–27 , 31 , 230–244 )

Type material. Holotype: Ƌ, BOLIVIA, Copacabana (southern shore of Lake Titicaca), 16°09'42"S, 69°05'20"W, elevation 3930 m, mining larvae on Clinopodium axillare (Rusby) Harley , 28.iv.2014, field card no. 5172, A. Diškus, genitalia slide no. AD646Ƌ ( ZMUC) . Paratypes: 1 Ƌ, 3 ♀ [from mature pupa], same label data as holotype, genitalia slide nos AD644Ƌ, AD651♀, AD652♀, AD653♀ (ZMUC).

Diagnosis. The combination of a distally truncated uncus, closely juxtaposed processes of gnathos, and specific set of numerous large horn-like cornuti distinguishes S. clinopodiella sp. nov. from all other Stigmella species. The host-plant Clinopodium axillare (Lamiaceae) also makes this species highly distinctive.

Male (described from mature pupa). Forewing length about 2.2 mm; wingspan 5.0 mm. Head: palpi brownish cream; frontal tuft beige to beige-orange; collar and scape brownish cream; antenna slightly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum with about 27 segments, dark grey. Thorax and tegula fuscous grey. Forewing densely speckled with dark grey to fuscous scales, with grey cream postmedian fascia; apical area of forewing fuscous; fringe grey to dark grey. Legs brownish cream, darkened with grey on upper side. Abdomen dark grey to fuscous on upper side.

Female. Similar to male.

Male genitalia ( Figs 230–233 ). Capsule longer (235 µm) than wide (160 µm). Uncus without lobes, distally truncated. Gnathos with two closely juxtaposed caudal processes, large central plate and large lateral lobes. Valva 150 µm long, 60–65 µm wide, with one very large apical process; transtilla with angular corners, without sublateral processes. Juxta triangular, pointed caudally. Vinculum with short ventral plate and triangular lateral lobes. Phallus ( Figs 232, 233 ) 155–165 µm long, 80–90 µm wide; vesica with many large cornuti.

Female genitalia ( Figs 234–237 ). Total length about 585–615 µm. Anterior and posterior apophyses almost equal in length. Vestibulum without sclerites. Corpus bursae with narrow, heavily folded distal part and 265–270 µm wide, 230–240 µm long basal part with indistinctive pectinations; signa absent. Accessory sac large; ductus spermathecae with small curved sclerite. Abdominal tip widely rounded or truncated.

Bionomics. ( Figs 238–244 ). Larva mines in leaves of Clinopodium axillare (Rusby) Harley ( Lamiaceae : Mentheae ) ( Fig. 238 ). Larva pale yellow with indistinctive intestine and dark brown head; mines in April. Leafmine is a very long gallery, strongly widening in distal part of the gallery (therefore resembling a blotch) ( Figs 239–244 ). Black-brown to black frass gathered into a line with very wide unfilled margins in the distal part but filling the whole width of the gallery in the narrow part. Larval exit slit on upper side of the leaf. Cocoon beige to dark beige; length 2.6–2.8 mm, maximum width 1.1–1.5 mm.

Distribution ( Figs 20 , 25–28 ). This species occurs in the Altiplano of the Bolivian Andes ( Bolivia: southern shore of Lake Titicaca) at altitudes about 3930 m.

Etymology. The species is named after the host-plant genus Clinopodium L. ( Lamiaceae ).

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 21. Distribution of high altitude Stigmella in the Altiplano (Peru and Bolivia). 20, distribution map; 21, the Altiplano in Bolivia (by A. Diškus).

FIGURES 22 – 26. The Altiplano, Bolivia; 22 – 24, habitats; 25, 26, habitats of Stigmella ageratinae sp. nov., S. clinopodiella sp. nov., and S. calceolarifoliae sp. nov., southern shore of Lake Titicaca, Copacabana, 16 ° 09 ' 42 " S, 69 ° 05 ' 19 " W, elevation 3930 m.

FIGURE 27. Distribution map of the high-Andean Nepticulidae with height records.

FIGURES 30 – 31. Morphology of genitalia of high-Andean Stigmella, Nepticulidae. 30, male genitalia of S. altimontana sp. n.; 31, female genitalia of S. clinopodiella sp. n.

FIGURES 230 – 233. Male genitalia of Stigmella clinopodiella Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 230, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD 646, capsule with phallus removed; 231, same, focused from ventral to more dorsal view; 232, 233, same, phallus (ZMUC).

FIGURES 234 – 237. Female genitalia of Stigmella clinopodiella Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 234, general view, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD 653; 231, same, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD 651; 236, same, accessory sac and ductus spermathecae with curved sclerite; 237, apophyses, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD 652 (ZMUC).

FIGURES 238 – 244. Bionomics of Stigmella clinopodiella Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 238, host-plant Clinopodium axillare (Rusby) Harley (Lamiaceae: Mentheae); 239 – 244, leaf-mines.

FIGURE 28. Details of adult morphology of high-Andean Stigmella, Nepticulidae.