Palaeomystella rosaemariae Moreira & Becker

Luz, Fernando A., Goncalves, Gislene L., Moreira, Gilson R. P. & Becker, Vitor O., 2014, Three new cecidogenous species of Palaeomystella Fletcher (Lepidoptera, Momphidae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest, ZooKeys 433, pp. 97-127 : 105-109

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Momphidae

Palaeomystella rosaemariae Moreira & Becker sp. n. Figs 1 C–D, 5-7, 11 D–F, 12 D–F

Diagnosis.

Closest to Palaeomystella tavaresi , sharing with this species a valve with a pronounced palmate costa and bladelike signa. These characters distinguish them from all other species of Palaeomystella except Palaeomystella oligophaga . This, however, has the forewings with R4-R5 fused and the hindwing with M1 and M2 stalked from the remnant chorda of the cell ( Becker and Adamski 2008). Palaeomystella rosaemariae differs from Palaeomystella tavaresi by having: 1) adults, body covered with pale-brown scales interspersed with pale-brown scales tipped with dark brown; 2) males with latero-anterior margin of eighth sternite deeply concave; upper distal section of valva narrower; juxta as long as wide, slightly concave anteriorly; 3) females with signa with inward projection long, thin and curved; 4) pupa with cremaster tubular, dorsally directed, bearing latero-apically a pair of anteriorly curved spines; 5) galls globose, with external surface covered with short spine-like projections, induced on terminal buds of Tibouchina asperior .

Description.

Adult (Figs 1 C–D). Sexes similar, forewing length 4.81 to 5.59 mm (n = 5). Head (Fig. 1D): Frons pale brown; vertex and labial palpus and antenna with pale-brown scales tipped with dark brown; labial palpus with basal segments angled laterally, terminal segment slightly angled upward; proboscis yellowish brown. Thorax: Tegula and mesonotum with pale-brown scales tipped with dark brown, posterior scales having more pale brown; fore and midlegs dark brown; hindlegs pale brown, tibia and tarsus with intermixed dark-brown scales. Forewing (Figs 1C, 5A): lanceolate, with 13 veins; L/W index ~ 4.5; dorsally covered by pale-brown scales intermixed with scattered, pale-brown scales tipped with dark brown, and with longitudinally aligned groups of brown scales; a narrow, ill-defined, dark-brown streak bisecting the wing longitudinally from base to tornus; 3 raised scale tufts located posterior to cubitus, including 1 wider tuft in anal area, 1 in line with midcell, and 1 near tornal area; fringes pale brown, interspersed with a few pale-brown scales tipped with dark brown; tornal area with two bands of pale-brown scales tipped with blackish brown; ventrally, mostly uniformly covered with dark-brown scales; retinaculum subcostal; discal cell closed, ~ 2/3 length of forewing; ending near 1/5 of wing margin; Sc ending ca. middle of anterior margin; R 5-branched; R1 ending near 1/3 of wing margin; R4 and R5 stalked ca. 1/4 distance from the cell apex; M 3-branched; CuA 2-branched; CuP weak proximally and not stalked, with 1A+2A that is well developed, extending more than half length of posterior margin. Hindwing (Fig. 5A) strongly lanceolate, with 9 veins; L/W index ~ 6.4, ~ 0.8 forewing in length; scales pale brown on both sides; fringes pale brown; frenulum with a single acanthus in male, and with two acanthi in female, proximal acanthus anteriorly divergent, and distal acanthus parallel to wing anterior margin; Sc+R1 ending at ca. 1/2 anterior margin; Rs ending at ca. 1/5 anterior margin; M 3-branched; CuA 2-branched, with CuA1 stalked to M3; CuP weakly sclerotized, ending at 1/3 posterior margin; 1A+2A well developed, ending near basis of posterior margin. Abdomen (not illustrated): pale-brown scales intermixed with gray scales, with transverse irregular rows of spiniform setae on terga 2-7 in both sexes; eighth sternum (Fig. 5C) anteriorly expanded medially into a slender, sharply pointed lobe, associated with a subtrapezoidal sternite.

Male genitalia (Figs 5B, D–F, H). Uncus narrow, separated from tegumen by a narrow membranous area, laterally setose (Fig. 5F); tegumen narrow, widened dorsally; vinculum widened ventrally; transtilla a short, flat fig; aedeagus tubiform, short (twice as long as wide), curved ventrally, slightly wider basally (Figs 5 E–F); vesica bearing several stout cornuti; juxta (Fig. 5D) attached to distal portion of aedeagus (Fig. 5E), wider than long, with slightly concave anterior margin and pointed distally; valva (Figs 5B, F, H) covered with several long setae, divided near 1/3 from base, with flat, broad sacculus tapering distad, and long, spatulate costa, rounded distally and gradually constricted toward base.

Female genitalia (Figs 5G, I–J). Papillae anales connected dorsally, setose (Figs 5 I–J); anterior apophyses slightly shorter than posterior apophyses; sterigma divided into a bandlike tergum and a distally bilobed sternum, shallowly emarginate medially; ostium bursae large, wider than long; ductus bursae membranous, longer than corpus bursae; ductus seminalis inserted medially; corpus bursae an elongate sac, bearing two narrow and curved, bladelike signa that are connected to transversely elongate, rounded figs located on the wall (Figs 5G, J).

Type material.

Holotype ♂: Brazil: Private farm belonging to Antonio Malta, Coxilha das Lombas, 30°02'13"S, 50°36'30"W, 17 m, Santo Antônio da Patrulha, RS, Brazil. Dry preserved pinned adults, reared from galls induced on Tibouchina asperior (Cham.) Cogn. ( Melastomataceae ), LMCI 211, 12.III.2013, by G.R.P. Moreira, F.A. Luz and S. Bordignon, (LMCI 211-12), donated to DZUP (29.412). Paratypes: same data, 1♂, 1♀ (LMCI 211-14 and 06) with genitalia in glycerin (GRPM 50-43 and 44), donated to DZUP (29.413 and 29.414, respectively).

Other specimens examined.

Dry preserved pinned adults, with the same collection data, deposited in LMCI under the following accession numbers: 2♂ (LMCI 211-07 and 10); 1♀ (LMCI 211-11). Slide preparations, mounted in Canada balsam: genitalia, 2♂ (GRPM 50-38 and 39), 1♀ (GRPM 50-40); wings, 1♂ (GRPM 50-36), 1♀ (GRPM 50-37); larvae, 2 last instars (GRPM 50-41 and 42). Immature stages, fixed in Kahle-Dietrich’s fluid and preserved in 70% EtOH: 6 last-instar larvae (LCMI 211-17 to 22); 3 pupae (LMCI 211-5, 9 and 26); 6 mature, intact galls (LMCI 211-25). In tissue collection, 6 larvae (LMCI 211-8), fixed and preserved in 100% ethanol, at -20°C.

Immature stages.

Last-instar larva (Figs 6 A–D), 4.94 to 9.88 mm long (n = 5). Cecidogenous, endophyllous except prior to pupation, semiprognathous and tissue-feeder. Body subcylindrical, creamy white, changing to red when mature prior to exit the gall; with setae well developed. Head (Figs 6A, C–D): pale brown, interspersed with two pairs of darker mid-dorsal areas; smooth, with shallow ridges; labrum shallowly notched; frons higher than wide, extending ca. 3/4 epicranial notch; six stemmata arranged in C-shaped configuration. Chaetotaxy (Fig. 6A): A-group trisetose; L-group unisetose; P group bisetose; MD trisetose; C group bisetose; F group unisetose; AF group bisetose; S group trisetose; SS group trisetose. A1, A3, P1 and S2 about equal in length, longest setae on head; C1, C2, F1, A2, AF2, L1 intermediate in length; AF1 absent; MD1-3 very reduced and aligned with each other. Antenna two-segmented. Mandibles broad with four teeth, and one seta on the outer surface; labium broad, with two-segmented palpus, the distal segment minute; spinneret parallel-sided; maxilla prominent. Thorax and Abdomen (Figs 6 B–D): Prothoracic shield and anal fig slightly marked by irregularly shaped, small light-brown blots. Thoracic legs also scarcely pigmented. Prolegs on A3-A6 and A10 of equal size; crochets in a semicircle, uniserial and uniordinal. Thorax chaetotaxy: T1 with D group bisetose, both located on dorsal shield, D1 shorter than D2; XD group bisetose, similar in length and both on the dorsal shield; SD bisetose, laterally on the dorsal shield; L group bisetose, L1 longer than L2; SV group bisetose, posteroventral to L2, SV1 slightly longer than SV2; V group unisetose. T2 and T3 with D and SD groups bisetose, median-transversely aligned; D2 and SD1 similar in length, and longer than D1 and SD2 respectively; L trisetose, L3 posteriorly, similar in length to L1; SV unisetose; V unisetose. Abdomen chaetotaxy: D group bisetose; A1-9 with D2 slightly longer than D1, and A10 with D1 longer than D2; SD group bisetose, A1-7 with SD1 slightly longer than SD2 and A10 with SD2 longer than SD1, SD2 absent in A9; A1-8 with L group trisetose, L1 longer than L2, L1 and L2 absent in A9; A1-8 with SV group trisetose, SV3 absent in A7-9; V group unisetose.

Pupa (Figs 7 A–C, 11 D–F), 5.59 to 6.76 mm long (n = 3), elongate in dorsal and ventral views, slightly wider in thoracic region. Integument light amber-colored, mostly smooth, with a few scattered microsetae dorsally. Frontoclypeal suture not evident. Labrum U-shaped. Labial palpi long; antennae arched anteriorly and separate, approximate and parallel posteriorly to distal margins of maxillae, reaching apical mar gin of forewings; maxillae extending distally between sclerites of midlegs; femora of midleg not fused distally; femora of foreleg extending beyond widest part of labial palpi. Cremaster (Figs 11 D–F) long, tubular, dorsally directed, bearing latero-apically a pair of distally conspicuous, anteriorly curved spines.

Distribution.

Palaeomystella rosaemariae is known only from the type locality, the fragments of lowland Dense Umbrophilous Atlantic Forest of Coxilha das Lombas, Santo Antônio da Patrulha, RS, Brazil.

Host plant.

Tibouchina asperior (Cham.) Cogn. ( Melastomataceae ), a shrub (0.5 to 1.0 m), in humid grassland areas, endemic to Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul ( Souza 1986, Guimarães 2014). At Coxilha das Lombas, where the southernmost portions of lowland Dense Umbrophilous Atlantic Forest occurs, these shrubs are common along the borders of forest fragments located in poorly drained, swampy areas, associated with the formation of lagoons and also influenced by sand dunes.

Life history

(Figs 12 D–F). Galls induced by Palaeomystella rosaemariae are located at distal axillary buds of the host. At the type locality, they occur in low numbers per plant. Galls are prosoplasmatic histioid ( Küster, in Meyer 1987); small, delicate, globoid (5.2 to 7.28 mm long; n = 7), green to reddish, covered with several short spine-like projections (Fig. 12D). Unilocular, unilarval, pupates away from the gall. Little is known about the life history of this species. In laboratory, mature last instar larva invariably made a lateral orifice by chewing the gall wall (Fig. 12E) and moved directly to the bottom of the plastic pot. There, they promptly began to construct a cocoon by tying together small pieces of dried leaves with silk, where the pupation occurred (Fig. 12F). The adult emerged through a slit made at the terminal end of the cocoon. Specimens that pupated in the laboratory during the summer emerged as adults in the following autumn (May).

Etymology.

Named in honor of Prof. Dr. Rosy Mary dos Santos Isaias, an anatomist of the Departamento de Botânica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, for her great contributions to the development of cecidology in the Neotropics.