Paratischeria suprafasciata Diskus & Stonis, 2020

Stonis, Jonas R., Diskus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Solis, M. Alma & Katinas, Liliana, 2020, Exotic-looking Neotropical Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) and their host plants, ZooKeys 970, pp. 117-158 : 117

Paratischeria suprafasciata Diskus & Stonis sp. nov. Figs 19-21 , 47 , 111-115

Holotype.

female, pinned, with genitalia slide no. AD967. Labels: Argentina, Misiones Province, Puerto Iguazú, 25°41'8"S, 54°26'47"W, elevation 160 m, mining larva on Allophylus edulis (A. St.-Hil., A. Juss. & Cambess.) Hieron. ex Niederl., Sapindaceae , 10 Feb 2019, field card no. 5291, A. Diškus (ZIN).

Diagnosis.

Externally, this new species can be differentiated from all congeneric species by the distinct forewing pattern with an ochre, oblique, postmedian fascia and ochre subapical spot (Fig. 47 ). Male unknown. In the female genitalia, the new species is characterized by the unique, oval-shaped widening of slender part of corpus bursae proximally (Fig. 111 ). This species is also distinctive because no other species in Tischeriidae is known to feed on Allophylus edulis (A. St.-Hil., A. Juss. & Cambess.) Hieron. ex Niederl. ( Sapindaceae ).

Description.

Male. Unknown.

Female (Fig. 47 ). Forewing length 3.2 mm; wingspan 6.9 mm (n = 1). Head: frons and pecten ochre cream to pale ochre; golden cream; collar glossy ochre-grey; antenna slightly longer than one half the length of forewing; flagellum dark grey on upper side, pale grey on underside. Tegula and thorax glossy ochre-grey. Forewing slender, glossy grey-ochre in basal half, with bright ochre, oblique postmedian fascia and bright ochre subapical spot widely surrounded by black and cream-tipped scales with purple iridescence; fringe black-grey, without fringe line. Hindwing and fringe grey on upper side and underside, without androconia. Legs grey to blackish grey on upper side, ochre cream on underside. Abdomen blackish grey on upper side, glossy pale ochre with some grey scales (especially prominent proximally) on underside; anal tufts absent; ovipositor slightly protruding.

Female genitalia (Figs 111-115 ) 1310 µm long. Ovipositor lobes large, rounded, clothed with short, modified peg-like setae; area between ovipositor lobes slender, with tiny papillae and some short setae. Second pair of lobes, lateral and anterior to the ovipositor lobes, slightly smaller, triangular, with long slender setae. Posterior apophyses slightly shorter than anterior ones (Fig. 115 ); prela comprised of three pairs of rod-like projections (Fig. 115 ); inner pair of these rod-like projections very long (as long as anterior apophyses). Corpus bursae folded, oval-shaped proximally, bulbous distally (Fig. 111 ), without pectination or signum on wide, basal part, but with some tiny spines proximally (Fig. 113 ). Ductus spermathaecae very slender, with many coils (Fig. 112 ).

Bionomics.

(Figs 19-21 ). Host plant is Allophylus edulis (A. St.-Hil., A. Juss. & Cambess.) Hieron. ex Niederl., Sapindaceae (Fig. 19 ). Larvae mine leaves in February. Larva very pale green with a bright green intestine and very pale brown head. The mine is blotch-like (Figs 20 , 21 ), fully transparent, without frass. Adults occur in March.

Distribution.

This species is known from a single locality in northern Argentina, Misiones Province, Puerto Iguazú, at the elevation ca. 160 m, but the host plant has a much wider distribution (see Discussion).

Etymology.

The species name is derived from Latin fasciatus (banded, with a fascia) with the prefix supra, in reference to the unusual (in Tischeriidae ), forewing pattern with a distinctive postmedian facia.

Figures

Figures 15 - 21. Bionomics of new species. 15 Astrotischeria jociui sp. nov., host plant Wissadula excelsior (Cav.) C. Presl., Malvaceae 16 same, habitat, elevation 2160 m, near Machu Picchu, Urubamba Province, Peru 17, 18 same, leaf mines on Wissadula excelsior 19 Paratischeria suprafasciata sp. nov., host plant Allophylus edulis (A. St. - Hil., A. Juss. & Cambess.) Hieron. ex Niederl., Sapindaceae 20 leaf mine with a pupa 21 leaf mine with a feeding larva.

Figures 44 - 49. Adults of Paratischeria spp. 44 P. guarani sp. nov., male, holotype (ZIN) 45 same, female, paratype (ZIN) 46 P. mesoamericana sp. nov., male, holotype (ZIN) 47 P. suprafasciata sp. nov., female, holotype (ZIN) 48 P. mesoamericana sp. nov., female, paratype (ZIN) 49 P. braziliensis sp. nov., male, holotype (USNM).

Figures 111 - 115. Female genitalia of Paratischeria suprafasciata sp. nov. 111 holotype, genitalia slide no. AD 967, general view 112 same, coils of ductus spermathecae 113 same, fragment of corpus bursae 114 same, ovipositor lobes 115 same, apophyses and prela (ZIN).