Stigmella nivea

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Karsholt, Ole & Torres, Nixon Cumbicus, 2017, Illustrated review of the leaf-mining Nepticulidae of the central Andes (Peru and Bolivia), Zootaxa 4257 (1), pp. 1-70 : 38

The Stigmella nivea group (designated here) (species 30–35)

Diagnostics ( Fig. 37 ): forewing speckled (sometimes dark scales form subapical or apical fascia). In male genitalia, phallus with large cornuti aggregated into a band; valva with two apical processes (occassionally one); uncus bilobed but lobes closely juxtaposed, sometimes lobes are not separated and uncus looks rounded; gnathos with one caudal process or two very closely juxtaposed processes; vinculum usually small with triangular lateral lobes. Currently the group comprises of seven very similar but still differing Andean species: one from Ecuador (undescribed, Stonis et al., in prep.) and six from Peru (reviewed below). Host-plant relationships: larvae of three trophically investigated species mine leaves of Acalypha ( Euphorbiaceae, Fabids , Rosidae), Sida ( Malvaceae, Malvids , Rosidae), and Ageratina ( Asteraceae, Campanulids , Asteridae).

Figures

FIGURE 37. Diagnostics of the central Andean Stigmella.