Phyllocnistis furcata Vargas & Cerdena, 2020
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.996.53958 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:F1EA1AA7-2A01-4DBF-A03B-49A1131704D4 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F54378EF-7ADF-425D-9FDD-B8F2223D1381 |
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taxon LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:act:F54378EF-7ADF-425D-9FDD-B8F2223D1381 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Phyllocnistis furcata Vargas & Cerdena |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Phyllocnistis furcata Vargas & Cerdena sp. nov. Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 5 View Figure 5 , 6 View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7
Type locality.
Peru, Arequipa, Characato [16°27'S, 71°28'W], 2400 m.
Specimens examined.
Holotype: Peru • ♂; Arequipa, Characato; 16°27'S, 71°28'W; 2400 m a.s.l.; VIII-IX.2018; J. Cerdeña, H. Vargas & J. Farfan leg.; reared from pupae collected on Baccharis alnifolia ( Asteraceae ); MUSM. Paratypes: same data as for holotype • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; MUSM; • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; MUSA_ENT 015142, 015143; • 2 ♂, 2 ♀; LMCI.
Other material.
Adults, pinned and dried, 5 ♂, 8 ♀, same data as for holotype, MUSA_ENT 015144, 015145, 015146, 015147, 015148, 015149, 015150, 015151, 015152, 015153, 015154, 015155, 015156. Genitalia preparations (MUSA_Gent_015142, 015143, 015146, 015147, 015148), mounted on slides, with the same collection data. Immature stages (11 sap-feeding larvae, 06 spinning larvae, 20 pupae) preserved in 70% ethanol, with the same collection data, but with dates VIII-IX.2018, IV.2019 or XI.2019, MUSA.
Diagnosis.
Adults of P. furcata can be distinguished from all other known species of Neotropical Phyllocnistis in the forewing pattern by a combination of the following characters: ground color silver, four distinct transverse fasciae; transverse fasciae 1 reduced to the costal margin and mesally fused to longitudinal fascia, both not connected to transverse fascia 2; transverse fascia 3 almost reaching the middle portion of the wing. In the male abdomen, by the presence of two pairs of coremata on abdominal segment VIII, one pair consisting of wide rounded flat scales, a character not found in other Neotropical Phyllocnistis . In the female genitalia, by presenting a remarkable forked-shaped signum with four elongated spines on the distal margin. This species is similar to P. wygodzinskyi Hering, 1958 and P. sexangula Meyrick, 1915, in having similar patterns of fasciae. However, P. wygodzinskyi has a large black blotch at the inner border of the longitudinal fascia, and P. sexangula presents a small blotch close to the inner border of the longitudinal fascia, while P. furcata has no additional mark on the forewing.
Adult.
(Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 ). Description. Male: Forewing length 3.10-3.33 mm (N = 5). Head: Vestiture silvery pale brown, completely covered with smooth, broad, scales slightly overlapping anterior margin of eyes (Fig. 1B View Figure 1 ). Antennae light brown dorsally becoming dark towards apex and silvery white ventrally, approximately equal to length of forewing (Fig. 1A, F View Figure 1 ). Labial palpus slender, ~ 0.4 mm in length, covered with light grey scales (Fig. 1F View Figure 1 ). Proboscis without scales, slightly longer than labial palpus (Fig. 1F View Figure 1 ). Thorax: Forewing ground color silvery white; with light orange longitudinal (lf) and transverse (tf) fasciae (Fig. 1A, E View Figure 1 ); if bordered by dark brown scales, extending 2/3 length of wing from base of costa, and connected with tf1 apically; tf1 not reach the inner margin, restricted between the costal margin and lf; tf2 separate from tf1, lightly convex, crossing the wing entirely; tf3 separate from tf2, but not reach the inner margin; tf4 separate from tf3, crossing the wing entirely. Apex of forewing with a well-marked black spot. Costal strigulae, light orange, emerge from the base of transverse fasciae. Apical strigulae, dark brown, emerge from black spot. Inner marginal fringe varies from orange to dark brown. Hindwings light pale brown gray, with long light brown fringes. Legs light gray except dark brown over dorsal surface of femur, tibia, and tarsus of foreleg. Abdomen length ~2.0 mm, dark grey covered with silvery pale brown scales, two pairs of coremata present laterally on segment VIII (Fig. 2A View Figure 2 ), one pair consisting of a set of flat and long scales and the other pair consisting of wide rounded flat scales (Fig. 2D View Figure 2 ). Whether the wide rounded flat scales function as coremata by themselves or appendages of the long ones remains unknown.
Male genitalia: Uncus absent. Tegumen membranous, approximately equal to length of the valva, with spines arranged laterally from the base to the medial region. Saccus V-shaped, well developed, ~0.8 × the size of valva. Valvae digitiform and slightly convergent from the base to the apex, apex with small spine, setae randomly arranged along the valva getting shorter in the distal part (Fig. 2C View Figure 2 ). Phallus slender and with a slightly convex apex, weakly sclerotized, wrinkled cylinder, lightly longer than valva; cornuti absent (Fig. 2B View Figure 2 ).
Female: Forewing length 3.30-3.41 mm (N = 5). Color and pattern very similar to that of male, but head vestiture with light silvery scales (Fig. 1D View Figure 1 ). Hindwings light silvery gray with long silvery fringes and abdomen color light brown covered with silvery scales (Fig. 1C View Figure 1 ). VII abdominal sternum trapezoid, anterior margin thickened.
Female genitalia: Papillae anales slightly sclerotized, covered with hair-like setae. Posterior apophyses ~2.4 × length of anterior apophyses (Fig. 2F View Figure 2 ). Ostium bursae posterior to sternum 7. Ductus bursae completely membranous, slender, elongate, over 6.0 × length of posterior apophyses (Fig. 2E View Figure 2 ). Corpus bursae slightly elongated, ~0.3 × length of ductus bursae, mainly membranous with three signa; a prominent fork-shaped signum on basis, resembling a garden fork, that occupies ~0.5 × length of corpus bursae with four elongated spines distally projected, and two small signa irregular in shape with minute dark spots on distal portion and also scattered sclerotized pellets on the bursa wall (Fig. 2G View Figure 2 ). Ductus seminalis membranous, narrow, inserted in base of corpus bursae.
Immature stages.
The number of larval instars was not determined, with three sap-feeding instars suspected and one spinning instar.
Egg.
(Fig. 7C View Figure 7 ). Flat, slightly ellipsoid; ~0.4 × 0.25 mm; chorion translucent; aeropyles, micropyles, and external ornamentation not observed.
Sap-feeding larva.
(Figs 3A View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , 7E View Figure 7 ). Body flattened dorsoventrally, yellowish translucent (Fig. 7E View Figure 7 ). Length of largest larva examined ~ 4.5 mm. Head brown, prognathous, setae absent (Fig. 4A-C View Figure 4 ). Two pairs of small stemmata located in the lateral region (Fig. 4F View Figure 4 ). Antenna 3-segmented, with four sensilla, two stout ones located on the second segment and two on the distal segment, one spiniform and other stout (Fig. 4F View Figure 4 ). Labrum slightly bilobed with small epipharyngeal spines, which are of greater size in the lateral region (Fig. 4D View Figure 4 ). Labium slightly bilobed with small spines near distal margin (Fig. 4E View Figure 4 ). Spinneret present, in the form of a transverse slit. Maxillary and labial palpi absent. Legs and prolegs absent (Fig. 3A View Figure 3 ). Thorax with prothoracic light-brown dorsal shield in the form of a trapezoid (Figs 3A View Figure 3 , 4G View Figure 4 ). Thoracic and abdominal segments without setae. Circular spiracle laterally on segments T1 and A1-A8 (Fig. 4H View Figure 4 ). Caudal abdominal segment slightly bilobed distally (Fig. 4I View Figure 4 ).
Spinning larva.
(Figs 3B View Figure 3 , 5 View Figure 5 , 7F View Figure 7 ). Body yellowish, cylindrical, wider along the thorax and first abdominal segments, narrowing towards the posterior region, covered with microtrichia (Figs 3B View Figure 3 , 7F View Figure 7 ). Approx. 5.00 mm maximum length. Head capsule weakly sclerotized, with anteriorly pronounced trophic lobe (Figs 3B View Figure 3 , 5A-C View Figure 5 ). Stemmata absent. Antenna short, three-segmented, with five sensilla (Fig. 5F View Figure 5 ). Clypeal region with three pairs of setae (Fig. 5D View Figure 5 ). Maxillary palpi, represented by a pair of short sensilla. Spinneret short (Fig. 5E View Figure 5 ). Thorax with slightly pronounced prothoracic dorsal shield (Fig. 3B View Figure 3 ). Legs and prolegs absent. A single ambulatory callus ventrally on center of meso- and metathorax (Figs 3B View Figure 3 , 5G View Figure 5 ). One pair of smaller ambulatory calli ventrally on A3-A7 (Figs 3B View Figure 3 , 5I, J View Figure 5 ). One pair of lateral campaniform sensilla on A2-A9 (Fig. 5K View Figure 5 ). Caudal abdominal segment slightly bilobed distally (Fig. 5L View Figure 5 ).
Pupa.
(Figs 3C View Figure 3 , 6 View Figure 6 , 7I View Figure 7 ). 1 Coloration changing from light yellowish during early stage of pupation to yellowish brown later in development (Fig. 7I View Figure 7 ). Approx. 5.00 mm maximum length. Cocoon-cutter triangular, concave dorsally (Fig. 6A-C View Figure 6 ) with serrated lateral edges (Fig. 6D View Figure 6 ). Frons with two pairs of large frontal setae close labrum (Fig. 6E View Figure 6 ). Labrum ellipsoidal (Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ). Antenna long and straight, extending to abdominal segment A7; forewing extending to A6 (Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ); prothoracic, mesothoracic and metathoracic legs reaching segments A3, A5 and A8, respectively (Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ). A pair of long setae, latero-dorsally on meso-, metathorax and A2 (Figs 3C View Figure 3 , 6F View Figure 6 ). Lateral setae on abdominal segments A3-A7 (Fig. 3C View Figure 3 ); those of meso-, metathorax, A2-5 with dentate apex (Fig. 6I View Figure 6 ), those of A6-7 with clavate apex (Fig. 6H View Figure 6 ). A8 segment with a pair of acute setae latero-dorsally directed posteriorly (Fig. 6K View Figure 6 ). One pair of conspicuous spiracles up to A2-A7 (Fig. 6J View Figure 6 ). Dorsum of A1-A7 with a pair of curved, large spines, projecting laterally, from A2 to A7 with a variable sized patch of smaller spines projecting posteriorly between them (Fig. 6G View Figure 6 ). One pair of small lateral spines on the pleural region from A1 to A7 (Fig. 6H View Figure 6 ). Pleural region of body and last four abdominal segments covered by microtrichia (Fig. 6K, L View Figure 6 ). A pair of slightly divergent acute processes from caudal apex on last abdominal segment (Fig. 6K, L View Figure 6 ).
Etymology.
The species name furcata , from the Latin adjective furcatus, furca meaning fork, alludes to the large and prominent form of the signum present in the female genitalia, resembling a garden fork.
Host plant.
(Fig. 7B View Figure 7 ). Baccharis alnifolia Meyen & Walp. ( Asteraceae ) is the only host plant known for the immature stages of P. furcata . This species is distributed from Peru to northern Chile, with an altitudinal range between 2400-3800 m ( Beltran et al. 2006; Rodriguez et al. 2018). In Peru, B. alnifolia inhabits the western slopes of the Andes, distributed from the departments of La Libertad to Tacna ( Beltran et al. 2006). It is commonly known as “chilca”, a shrub that reaches a height of 1.5 to 3 meters, and grows predominately on river banks ( Brako and Zarucchi 1993).
Distribution.
Phyllocnistis furcata is known only from the type locality, Characato, Arequipa, Peru (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ).
Life history.
(Figs 7C-J View Figure 7 , 8 View Figure 8 ). Phyllocnistis furcata mines are serpentine throughout their length, initially narrow, increasing in width to the end of the mine, covering most of the area of the leaf (Fig. 7G View Figure 7 ). Mines were found either on young leaves under development or fully expanded ones, and almost all began near the midrib and extended along it. We found the majority of mines on the abaxial side of the leaf, and fewer on the adaxial side of the leaf. Most mines were found singly on a leaf; however, sometimes mined leaves carried two mines, either two on the abaxial side or one on each side. Mature mines are light green in color (Fig. 7G View Figure 7 ). Larvae are sap-feeders during the first instars (Fig. 7E View Figure 7 ) and are specialized in the palisade parenchyma, leaving the epidermis layers and generally the spongy parenchyma intact (Fig. 8 View Figure 8 ). During the last spinning instar, it does not feed, but spins a cocoon within which pupation occurs (Fig. 7F View Figure 7 ). The cocoon is endophyllous, located on the final portion of the mine, during construction leading to a fold outside the leaf typical for Phyllocnistis (Fig. 7H View Figure 7 ). Before adult emergence, the anterior half of the pupa (head and thorax) protrudes out, while the posterior half remains in the pupal cocoon (Fig. 7J View Figure 7 ). In the examined mines, ~20% had a living and not parasitized larva or pupa. The remaining mines (~80%) were either empty or contained larvae or pupae which were either dead or parasitized by unidentified species of Hymenoptera ; the affected stages varied from early sap-feeding larvae to pupal stage. Our field collection data indicate that the species may occur all year around in the area, with higher densities found in April and November.
Molecular data.
(Fig. 9 View Figure 9 ). The five DNA barcodes obtained for P. furcata (intraspecific distance = 0%) fall within the same clade, supporting the identification of the new species (Fig. 9 View Figure 9 ). The nearest neighbor (BS = 57) is P. ourea (Fig. 9A View Figure 9 ), a Baccharis -feeding species. This pattern is consistent in MP and ML analysis (Fig. 9B, C View Figure 9 , respectively), with node support (BS = 59). The mean distance between P. furcata and Neotropical Phyllocnistis (14.8%) is near the overall divergence within the genus (15.3%) and Neotropical groups (15.3%) (Table 2 View Table 2 ). The lowest divergence was observed between P. furcata and P. ourea . However, the Baccharis -feeding lineage Phyllocnistis sp. 12 showed high divergence distance (14.7%), similar to other species from the Neotropics.
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