Stigmella venezuelica Remeikis & Stonis

Stonis, Jonas R., Remeikis, Andrius, Diškus, Arūnas & Megoran, Nick, 2017, New species of leaf-mining Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) from the Neotropical and Ando-Patagonian regions, with new data on host plants, Zootaxa 4272 (1), pp. 1-39 : 26-29

Stigmella venezuelica Remeikis & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 102–107 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, VENEZUELA, Estado Amazonas (Territorio Federal de Amazonas), Cerro de la Neblina , Camp X, elevation about 1690 m, 0°54'N, 60°2'W, 13.ii.1985, W. E. Steiner, genitalia slide no. RA 657♂ ( USNM) .

Diagnosis. The combination of a unique gnathos ( Fig. 104 ), two rather large apical processes of valva, set of four large cornuti, and a dark brown forewing with two distinctive, silvery shiny fasciae distinguishes S. venezuelica sp. nov. from all other Stigmella .

Male ( Figs 102, 103 ). Forewing length about 2.0 mm; wingspan about 4.5 mm. Head: palpi grey; frontal tuft pale orange; collar and scape cream, glossy; antenna slightly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum with 38 segments, fuscous grey, glossy, with little purple & blue iridescence on upper side and underside. Thorax and tegula dark grey with strong blue iridescence. Forewing dark grey with strong blue and purple iridescence in basal half, darker on apex but with little or no purple iridescence; medial and apical fasciae distinctive, silvery shiny; fringe grey-brown; underside of forewing fuscous-grey, without spots. Hindwing pale grey to grey on upper side, dark grey on underside, without spots or androconia; its fringe grey. Legs metallic grey,very glossy; forelegs darkened with fuscous scales on upper side. Abdomen black on upper side, dark grey on underside; genital segments grey; anal tufts black.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 104–107 ). Capsule longer (300 µm) than wide (175 µm). Uncus with two large lobes each with two large papillae. Gnathos with two slender caudal process and large, elaborated plate. Valva 155 µm long, 45–50 µm wide, with two large apical processes; transtilla with weakly developed triangular sublateral processes. Vinculum with wide lateral lobes and large ventral plate. Phallus ( Fig. 107 ) 190 µm long, 65–70 µm wide; vesica with four large spine-like cornuti.

Bionomics. Adults fly in February. Otherwise biology unknown.

Distribution ( Figs 1 ). This species known only from Cerro de la Neblina (Sierra de la Neblina), a famous, heavily eroded sandstone plateau located in the northern Amazon Basin, close to the Brazil – Venezuela border (1700 m).

Etymology. The species is named after the country of origin, Venezuela.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map to the species treated in the current paper.

FIGURES 102 – 107. Stigmella venezuelica Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. 102, 103, male, holotype; 104 – 106, male genitalia, slide no. RA 657, holotype, capsule with phallus removed; 107, same, phallus (ZMUC).