Astrotischeria plagifera (Meyrick, 1915)

Jonas R. Stonis, Arūnas Diškus, Fernando Carvalho Filho & Owen T. Lewis, 2018, American Asteraceae-feeding Astrotischeria species with a highly modified, three-lobed valva in the male genitalia (Lepidoptera, Tischeriidae), Zootaxa 4469 (1), pp. 1-69 : 49-55

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4469.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:42680994-585D-4230-B574-8DB398341B23
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5949597
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FF87EA-E37E-DA0C-FCAC-8F30FCB9F977
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Astrotischeria plagifera (Meyrick, 1915)
status

Treatment

Astrotischeria plagifera (Meyrick, 1915) View in CoL

( Figs. 15 View FIGURES 11–15 , 190–216 View FIGURES 190–195 View FIGURES 196–201 View FIGURES 202–205 View FIGURES 206–211 View FIGURES 212–216 , 233 View FIGURE 233 , 245–247 View FIGURES 245–248 )

Tischeria plagifera MEyRICK, 1915: 246.

Astrotischeria plagifera (MEyRICK); DIŠKUS & PUPLESIS (2003: 428).

Material examined. ECUADOR: 1 ♂ (lectotype), Huigra ( Parish ), elevation 1370 m, 14.vi.1914, genitalia slide no. 28677♂ (BMNH) ; 4 ♂, 4 ♀ (paralectotypes), same label data as lectotype, genitalia slide nos 28678 ♂, 28679 ♀ ( BMNH); 9 ♂, 8 ♀ (not type material), 45 km S Loja, western environments of Vilcabamba, 4°17'42"S, 79°13'15"W, elevation 1950 m, mining larvae on Rhysolepis incana (Pers.) H. Rob. & A.J. Moore (Asteraceae) , 23.i.2017, A. Diškus, genitalia slide nos AD 923♂, AD 942♀, AD 943♀ ( ZMUC).

Diagnosis. The species belongs to the Astrotischeria trilobata group. The combination of a twisted apex of phallus, unique dorsal lobes of valva (see Fig. 15 View FIGURES 11–15 ), distally furcate uncus in the male genitalia, and intense, multicolorous speckling of the forewing distinguishes A.plagifera from all other Astrotischeria , including other members of the A. trilobata group. The fact that it feeds on Rhysolepis also makes this species distinctive.

Male ( Figs. 190, 191, 193–195 View FIGURES 190–195 ). Forewing length: 3.4–4.2 mm; wingspan: 7.5–8.9 mm. Head: face pale grey to whitish cream; palpi grey, annulated with blackish brown scales; frontal tuft glossy, comprised of wide, either pale ochre-brown lamellar scales with cream tips, or of ochre cream lamellar scales; collar comprised of slender, fuscous-tipped lamellar scales; pecten distinct, cream, annulated with blackish brown scales; antenna distinctly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum pale grey, annulated with blackish brown scales; sensillae relatively short, rather indistinct. Thorax greyish cream, densely speckled with pale brownish grey scales; tegula densely covered with brownish grey or grey-black scales. Forewing densely speckled with scales of different color: predominantly pale brownish grey and dark brown-grey, also black and orangish ochre scales; the ochre scales mostly scattered in irregular, indistinct patches; fringe formed by brownish cream, piliform scales, annulated with dark grey or pale ochre; fringe-line distinctive, formed by brownish black scales (or indistinct in the holotype); forewing underside brown-grey to pale brown, except slender pale ochre edges; no androconia. Hindwing grey on both upper and underside, without androconia; fringe grey to ochre-grey. Legs brownish cream, on upper side densely covered with blackish brown scales with little purple iridescence. Abdomen glossy, grey to blackish brown with little purple iridescence on both upper and underside, sometime with areas of cream scales on underside; genital plates large, yellowish to brownish cream, contrasting with the collor of abdomen; anal tufts rather long, distinctive, brownish cream.

Female ( Fig. 192 View FIGURES 190–195 ). Similar to male.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 15 View FIGURES 11–15 , 196–201 View FIGURES 196–201 ). Capsule about 640 µm long, 315 µm wide. Uncus ( Figs. 196, 200 View FIGURES 196–201 ) consisting of two distally furcate lateral lobes and one short, rounded median lobe ( Fig. 199 View FIGURES 196–201 ). Valva divided ( Figs. 15 View FIGURES 11–15 , 196, 197 View FIGURES 196–201 ): ventral lobe very slender ( Fig. 197 View FIGURES 196–201 ), about 410 µm long (excluding basal process); dorsal lobe distally slender, with a transverse, lobe-like process ( Figs. 15 View FIGURES 11–15 , 196, 200 View FIGURES 196–201 ); transtilla absent; basal process of valva long and slightly bent outwardly ( Fig. 199 View FIGURES 196–201 ). Anellus mostly membranous, thickened only laterally ( Fig. 197 View FIGURES 196–201 ), with a few setae on each side. Phallus ( Fig. 201 View FIGURES 196–201 ) about 620 µm long, apically bifurcated and twisted ( Fig. 198 View FIGURES 196–201 ), without spines.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 202–205 View FIGURES 202–205 ). Total length 1425–1510 mm. Ovipositor small, clothed with short, stout and darker ‘peg setae’. One pair of prela unusually long ( Fig. 203 View FIGURES 202–205 ). Ductus bursae slightly widened posteriorly, with scallop-like pectinations ( Fig. 202 View FIGURES 202–205 ). Corpus bursae small, elongated ( Fig. 202 View FIGURES 202–205 ), with indistinct pectination but without signum. Ductus spermathaecae with about 2–3 coils ( Fig. 202 View FIGURES 202–205 ); utriculus absent or lost in slide preparation.

Bionomics ( Figs. 206–216 View FIGURES 206–211 View FIGURES 212–216 ). Host plant: Rhysolepis incana (Pers.) H. Rob. & A.J. Moore , Asteraceae ( Figs. 206–208, 210, 211 View FIGURES 206–211 ). Mining larvae recorded from January. Leaf mine as an irregular blotch ( Figs. 209 View FIGURES 206–211 , 212–216 View FIGURES 212–216 ), with black-brown frass or with very little frass but epidermis stained brown, therefore old leaf mine may look brown. Larva pale yellowish green to pale yellow, with dark brownish green intestine and brown head ( Figs. 213, 216 View FIGURES 212–216 ). Adults known from February and June.

Distribution ( Fig. 233 View FIGURE 233 ). Known from the Ecuadorian Andes at an elevation of about 1400–2000 m ( Figs. 245– 247 View FIGURES 245–248 ).

Remarks. Originally, the species was described from a few specimens collected from Huigra (a mountainous locality E of Guayaquil, Ecuador) but the host plant remained unknown. Only after a century this species was found occurring in abundance in other Andean locality, in southern Ecuador ( Figs. 245–247 View FIGURES 245–248 ), on distinctive, very brightly flovered plant of Rhysolepis (formerly Viguiera ).