Paratischeria boehmerica Diškus & Stonis, 2021

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Monro, Alexandre K., Dai, Xiaohua & Xu, Jiasheng, 2021, Most trumpet moths don’t feed on plants of the nettle family but Paratischeria does: the first discovery of Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) on Urticaceae in Asia, Zootaxa 5040 (2), pp. 247-264 : 248-256

Paratischeria boehmerica Diškus & Stonis , sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2F42E305-3BCE-4818-9786-A2670C17AE62

( Figs. 1–43 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, LAOS: Luang Prabang Province, 30 km SW Luang Prabang, 19°44’58”N, 101°59’22”E, elevation ca. 560 m, mining larva on Urticaceae , 7.ii.2020, ex pupa ii.2020, field card no. 5319, leg. A. Diškus & M. Jocius, genitalia slide no. AD1055 ♂ ( ZIN) . Paratypes: 4 ♀, same label data as holotype, genitalia slide no. AD1062 ♀ ( ZIN) ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, 30 km SW Luang Prabang, 19°44’57”N, 101°59’35”E, elevation ca. 460 m, mining larvae on Urticaceae , 7.ii.2020, ex pupa ii.2020, field card no. 5318, leg. A. Diškus & M. Jocius, genitalia slide nos. AD1063 ♂, AD1064 ♀ ( ZIN) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Vientiane Province, Vang Vieng , 18°56’03”N, 102°25’32”E, elevation ca. 250 m, mining larvae on Boehmeria sp. (Urticaceae), 3.ii.2020, ex pupa ii.2020, field card no. 5309, leg. A. Diškus & M. Jocius, genitalia slide no. AD1036 ♂ ( ZIN) ; 1 ♂, same label data ( NRC) ; 1 ♂, same label data ( GNU) .

Diagnosis. Paratischeria boehmerica sp. nov. belongs to the P. ferruginea group designated and described by Stonis et al. (2017a). Externally, this new species differs from South American and African members of the group in the yellow-ochre colour of the forewing speckled with dark brown scales; from the most similar South East Asian P. grossa sp. nov. (described below) it differs in the smaller size and paler colour of the forewing. In the male genitalia, P. boehmerica differs from P. grossa in the unique, caudally rounded dorsal sclerite ( Fig. 31 ), absence of lobe-like anterior processes of the tegumen, and the truncated basal lobe of the valva ( Fig. 30 ); from the resembling African P. urticolella (Ghesquière) , the new species differs in the presence of a basal lobe of the valva and significantly less deep apical bifurcation of the phallus. In the female genitalia, the smaller size (about 1045–1330 µm) and the short corpus bursae without distinctive coils distinguish P. boehmerica from P. grossa (female of P. urticolella is unknown).

The new species is also distinctive because no other species in this genus is known to feed on Boehmeria Jacq. (Urticaceae) in Asia.

Male ( Figs. 22, 23 ). Forewing length 2.3–2.8 mm; wingspan 5.1–6.2 mm (n = 4).

Head. Frons, palpus, and pecten cream to yellowish brown; frontal tuft and collar pale brownish grey to ochrebrown, sometimes with purple iridescence; antenna slightly longer than one half the length of forewing; flagellum grey-brown to ochre-brown; sensilla very fine, relatively short, inconspicuous.

Thorax. Tegula blackish grey with some purple and blue iridescence, distally pale brown to ochre-brown. Thorax and forewing pale brownish yellow to pale ochre-yellow, occasionally ochre. Along costal margin and apically, forewing densely speckled with dark brown or blackish brown scales with purple and blue iridescence; dark brown scales also sparsely irrorate the rest of forewing and form a small, irregular spot on tornus; fringe dark grey on costal margin, yellow-ochre apically, pale grey on tornus; fringe line distinctive, comprised of dark brown scales or inconspicuous, incomplete; forewing underside dark brown, without spots or androconia. Hindwing grey to pale grey on upper side and underside, without androconia; fringe pale grey. Legs glossy brownish cream, dark grey-brown to blackish brown on upper side.

Abdomen. Metallic glossy, grey to dark brown on upper side and underside, sometimes with purple iridescence and ochre or pale brown scales on underside; anal tufts short, indistinctive, grey to greyish cream; genital segments cream to grey or golden ochre. Genitalia ( Figs. 27–39 ) with capsule 290–390 µm long (or 460 µm long if measured from valval tips to vinculum), 220–250 µm wide. Uncus ( Figs. 28 , 34 ) with two long and slender lobes. Valva ( Figs. 30 , 35 ) about 320 µm long, basally with a short lobe ( Fig. 30 ). Anellus ( Figs. 32 , 38, 39 ) strongly thickened laterally and caudally. Dorsal sclerite well-developed ( Fig. 34 ), rounded caudally ( Fig. 33 ). Vinculum rounded ( Fig. 30 ). Phallus 230–240 µm long, apically deeply bifurcated, weakly thickened, without spines, basally very wide ( Figs. 30–32 , 37 ).

Female ( Figs. 24–26 ). Forewing length 2.3–3.6 mm; wingspan 7.1–7.9 mm (n = 4) (also see Remarks). Similar to male.

Genitalia ( Figs. 40–43 ) 1045–1330 µm long. Ovipositor lobes large, rounded, densely clothed with short, modified setae (‘peg setae’); area between ovipositor lobes wide, with tiny papillae and some short setae. Second pair of lobes, lateral and anterior to the ovipositor lobes, 3–4 times smaller than ovipositor lobes, but bearing very long, slender lamellar setae. Anterior and posterior apophyses almost equal in length; prela ( Fig. 42 ) comprised of three pairs of projections. Corpus bursae long and slender, basally oval, without pectinations or signum. Accessory sac absent. Ductus spermathecae slender, relatively short, without distinctive coils but with an irregular, slender vesicle.

Bionomics ( Figs. 1–21 ). Host plants are Boehmeria Jacq. including B. clidemioides var. diffusa (Wedd.) Han- del-Mazzetti and plants from the species complex represented by Boehmeria japonica (L.f.) Miq. and B. zollingeriana Wedd. ( Figs. 3–7, 9 ) (see also Remarks). Larvae mine leaves in February and produce irregular blotch-like leaf mines, with little or no frass ( Figs. 10–21 ). Pupation in the leaf mine, in an inconspicuous nidus ( Fig. 15 ). Adults occur in late February–March. Otherwise, the biology is unknown.

Distribution. Paratischeria boehmerica is known from three sites in Luang Prabang and Vientiane provinces of Laos, at an elevation of about 250– 560 m.

Etymology. The species is named after the host plant, Boehmeria Jacq. (Urticaceae) .

Remarks. One paratype female specimen seems to be aberrant, being unusually small, with forewing 1.9 mm long and wingspan 4.2 mm (it was reared indoors; deposited at NRC) ( Fig. 25 ).

P. boehmerica sp. nov. was found mining several species of Boehmeria ( Figs. 2–9 ): sample no. 5309 was collected from Boehmeria clidemioides var. diffusa (Wedd.) Handel-Mazzetti ; nos. 5318 and 5319 were collected from plants of the species complex comprising Boehmeria sp. , similar with B. japonica (L.f.) Miq. and B. zollingeriana Wedd. , and the leaf mines of each differed slightly in their shape ( Figs. 10–21 ). Despite this, the dissected genitalia of insects feeding on different host plants did not display any variation. We therefore conclude that P. boehmerica is an oligophagous species feeding on different but related host plants.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Leaf mines on Boehmeria sp., sample no. 5319, Laos, Luang Prabang Province, 30 km SW Luang Prabang, eleva- tion ca. 560 m

FIGURES 2–9. Bionomics of Paratischeria boehmerica sp. nov. 2–5, habitat and host plant Boehmeria clidemioides var. diffusa (Wedd.) Handel-Mazzetti, sample no. 5309, Vang Vieng, Vientiane Province, Laos, elevation ca. 250 m; 6, 7, host plant Boehmeria sp., possibly B. japonica (L.f.) Miq., sample no. 5319, Luang Prabang, Laos, elevation ca. 460 m; 8, 9, habitat and host plant Boehmeria sp., possibly a species from the species complex comprising B. zollingeriana Wedd., sample no. 5318, Laos, Luang Prabang, elevation ca. 460 m

FIGURES 10–21. Leaf mines, mining larvae, and pupae of Paratischeria boehmerica sp. nov. 10–13, sample no. 5309 from Boehmeria clidemioides var. diffusa (Wedd.) Handel-Mazzetti; 14, 17, 19, sample no. 5319 from Boehmeria sp., possibly B. japonica (L.f.) Miq., 15, 16, 18, 20, 21, sample no. 5318 from Boehmeria sp., possibly a species from the species complex comprising B. zollingeriana Wedd.

FIGURES 22–26. Adults of Paratischeria boehmerica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 22, holotype, sample no. 5319 from Boehmeria sp., possibly similar with B. japonica (L.f.) Miq.; 23, 24, paratypes, sample no. 5318 from Boehmeria sp., possibly a species from the species complex comprising B. zollingeriana Wedd.; 25, 26, paratypes, sample no. 5319 from Boehmeria sp., possibly similar with B. japonica (L.f.) Miq. (ZIN)

FIGURES 27–32. Male genitalia of Paratischeria boehmerica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. AD1055 (ZIN)

FIGURES 33–39. Male genitalia of Paratischeria boehmerica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 33, dorsal sclerite, ventral view, holotype, slide no. AD1055; 34, dorsal sclerite, tegumen and uncus, lateral view, paratype, slide no. AD1036; 35, capsule, lateral view, paratype, slide no. AD1063; 36, same, left side, fragment of tegumen; 37, phallus, paratype, slide no. AD1036; 38, same, anellus; 39, anellus with phallus inside, holotype, slide no. 1055 (ZIN)

FIGURES 40–43. Female genitalia of Paratischeria boehmerica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., paratypes. 40, 42, genitalia slide no. AD1064 (ZIN); 41, 43, genitalia slide no. AD1062 (ZIN)