Astrotischeria peruanica Diškus & Stonis, 2024

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Orlovskytė, Svetlana & Katinas, Liliana, 2024, How high can trumpet moths occur: documentation of mountainous leaf-mining Tischeriidae, featuring a species from record-high elevations, Zootaxa 5507 (2), pp. 201-223 : 205

Astrotischeria peruanica Diškus & Stonis , sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/ 312A8B5E-186B-4A62-BC1A-FBD89EEE8D91

( Figs 2 , 16–23 , 48–50 )

Type material. Holotype: 1 ♂, PERU, Urubamba Province , near Machu Picchu, 13°9'44"S, 72°32'25"W, elevation ca. 2,110 m, from feeding larva on Asteraceae , 19.x.2008, ex pupa xi.2008, field card no. 4942, leg. A. Diškus, genitalia slide no. AD1180 ( MfN) . Paratype 1 ♂, same label data as holotype, genitalia slide no. AD1172 ♂ ( MfN) .

Diagnosis. Externally, this species resembles other Astrotischeria species with ochre-colored spots. In the male genitalia, it is distinguished by a slender, straight valva; a slender, deeply divided phallus distally; a basally greatly extended uncus; and slender, slightly curved dorsal lobes, characters that differentiate it from all other species within the genus.

Male ( Fig. 2 ). Forewing length 3.0– 3.5 mm; wingspan 6.7–7.7 mm (n = 2). Head: frons ochre; palpi ochreous cream; pecten very slender, brownish, distally ochre; frontal tuft glossy grey to brown, ochreous distally; collar distinctive, ochre, pale brown distally; antenna slightly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum glossy brown on upper side, ochre on underside. Thorax grey-brown medially, ochre laterally; tegula dark grey-brown. Forewing dark grey-brown, with large elongated ochre patches medially; fringe grey-brown; fringe line indistinct; forewing underside dark brown, without spots or androconia. Hindwing and its fringe grey-brown to dark grey-brown, without androconia. Legs grey-brown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 16–23 ). Capsule 480–540 µm long, 230–240 µm wide. Uncus comprised of two long lobes strongly widened and thickened basally, partially divided into two lobes: long lateral and short rounded medial ( Figs 18, 19, 21, 22 ). Socii large, slender, membranous, covered with tiny spines. Valva divided: ventral lobe (main body) very narrow and straight ( Fig. 16 ); dorsal lobe inwardly slightly sinuous, slender ( Figs 17, 20 ). Transtilla absent. Anellus slightly thickened laterally with about three chetae on each side ( Figs 17, 20 ). Phallus ( Figs 17, 23 ) 255–340 µm long, slender, apically deeply divided ( Fig. 23 ).

Female. Unknown.

Bionomics ( Figs 48–50 ). Host plant is unidentified, possibly Baccharis trinervis Pers. , Asteraceae ( Fig. 48 ). Larvae mine leaves in October, producing irregular or rounded blotch mines ( Figs 49, 50 ).Adults occur in November. Otherwise, the biology is unknown.

Distribution. This species is currently known from a single locality in Peru, Urubamba Province, near Machu Picchu, at an elevation of 2,110 m.

Etymology. The new species is named after Peru, the country of its occurrence.

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Adults of mountainous Astrotischeria species. 1, A. parapallens Diškus & Stonis, 3,320 m, non-type specimen, a new elevation record; 2, A. peruanica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., holotype, 2,110 m; 3, A. montivaga Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., paratype, 3,320 m (MfN).

FIGURES 16–23. Male genitalia of Astrotischeria peruanica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., 2,110 m. 16–19, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD1180 (MfN); 20–23, paratype, with phallus (23) removed, genitalia slide no. AD1172 (MfN).

FIGURES 47–52. Bionomics of mountainous Astrotischeria species. 47, habitat of A. parapallens Diškus & Stonis and A. montivaga Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., Ayacucho, Huamanga Province, Peru, 3,320 m; 48, unidentified host plant of A. peruanica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., possibly Baccharis trinervis Pers., Asteraceae, 2,110 m; 49, 50, leaf mines with feeding larvae of Astrotischeria peruanica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.; 51, 52, Baccharis salicifolia (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers., Asteraceae, a host plant of Astrotischeria viscacha Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., Pisac, Calca Province, Peru at an elevation of 2,990 m.