Discovery of leaf-mining Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) in Colombia and their distribution in the Neotropics
Author
Stonis, Jonas R.
Author
Diškus, Arūnas
Author
Vargas, Sergio A.
text
Zootaxa
2019
2019-07-16
4638
2
219
236
journal article
26201
10.11646/zootaxa.4638.2.3
04799c8c-e8fc-4f8c-b619-c5aa5289a797
1175-5326
3337701
F0F5791B-C899-4F15-A786-0C1862925113
Astrotischeria ochrimaculosa
Diškus, Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
(
Figs. 1
,
29–32
,
58–88
)
Type material
.
Holotype
:
COLOMBIA
:
♂
,
Departamento
de
Valle del Cauca
,
Municipio de Dagua
,
El Naranjo
,
550 m
, at light,
3°46’46’’N
, 76°43’63’’W,
21–23.ii.2019
,
J. R. Stonis
&
S. A. Vargas
, genitalia slide no. AD
959♂
(
MPUJ
)
.
Paratypes
:
3 ♂
,
2 ♀
,
PERU
:
Cusco Region
,
La Convención Province
,
Cerro Quintalpata
,
13°0’24”S
,
72°36’36”W
,
elevation
1260 m
,
23.vi.2018
, ex pupa
vii.2018
, field card no. 5290,
A. Diškus
&
J. R. Stonis
, genitalia slide nos AD
961
♂ (from an adult in pupal skin, no moth preserved), AD
963♀
, AD
964♀
(
USNM
)
.
Leaf mines also photographed, but not collected:
PERU
:
Cusco Region
, La Convención Province, Maranura,
12°57’56”S
,
72°39’18”W
, elevation
1220 m
,
21.vi.2018
, A. Diškus & J. R. Stonis (
Figs. 85, 85
).
Diagnosis.
A remarkably distinctive species among
Astrotischeria
because of its small size and unique morphology of the phallus in the male genitalia (
Figs. 59, 60
), and the greatly reduced ovipositor lobes in the female genitalia (
Fig. 76
). The large, dorsally undivided and thickened uncus (
Fig. 73
), very short vinculum (Figs, 61, 70), and very large dorsal lobe of valva (
Fig. 70
) make this species very distinctive.
Male
(
Figs. 29–32
). Forewing length 3.0 mm (n = 1,
holotype
from
Colombia
), 3.6 mm (n = 1,
paratype
from
Peru
); wingspan 6.6 (n = 1,
holotype
from
Colombia
), 7.9 mm (n = 1,
paratype
from
Peru
). Head: Face triangular, smoothly-scaled, grey, glossy, distally yellowish cream; labial palpus yellowish cream; frontal tuft brown-grey, with some yellowish cream lamellar scales; collar large, distinct, yellow cream (
Fig. 30
); antenna distinctly longer than half the length of forewing; pecten yellowish cream (
Fig. 30
), flagellum yellowish grey to grey; sensillae very fine, 3–5 times longer than width of the flagellum (
Fig. 29
). Thorax: Yellow cream with some grey scales distally. Tegula grey, distally yellow cream. Forewing densely covered with blackish grey scales and with elongate, irregular ochre-yellow patches; fringe black-grey, without a fringe line; forewing underside entirely black-grey, without spots or androconia. Hindwing and its fringe black-grey on upper side and underside, with little purple iridescence, and without androconia. Legs speckled with yellow cream and dark grey scales. Abdomen: Black-brown on upper side and underside, but with some yellowish cream scales on underside, more so distally; anal tufts short, indistinct; genital plates yellowish cream. Genitalia (
Figs. 58–61
,
69–74
) with capsule
380 µm
long,
230 µm
wide (
holotype
from
Colombia
),
340 µm
long,
190 µm
wide (
paratype
from
Peru
). Uncus (
Figs. 58, 59
,
72, 73
) comprised of a very large, undivided dorsal lobe and two large ventral lobes, each possessing a process distally (
Fig. 73
). Valva divided (
Figs. 59, 61
,
69, 70
): ventral lobe (main body) straight and narrow; dorsal lobe inwardly curved, very large, wide in basal half, very slender apically; transtilla absent; basal process of valva moderately long (
Fig. 59
). Anellus long and distally thickened only dorsally (
Figs. 72, 73
), but mostly membranous and indistinct ventrally (
Fig. 60
). Phallus very small,
160–170 µm
long (in both, Colombian and Peruvian specimens), distally furcated, without spines (
Figs. 59, 60
,
71, 74
).
Female.
Head and Thorax: Externally similar to male, but thorax and forewing pattern is paler. Abdomen: Genitalia (
Figs. 75–79
) with ovipositor almost pointed, with triangular, greatly reduced lobes; area between ovipositor lobes indistinct, with tiny papillae and some short setae. Second pair of lobes indisctinct. Anterior and posterior apophyses stout (
Figs. 75, 78
), anterior apohpyses distinctly longer than posterior ones; remaining two apophyses pairs represent slender, rod-like and broad lobe-like projections called prela. Tips of one pair of rod-like prela articulating with anterior apophyses in a groove 1/2 of their length (
Fig. 77
). Vestibulum without antrum, however, vestibulum may appear thickened laterally because of prela (
Figs. 76, 77
). Ductus bursae lost in slide no. AD963 (
Figs 75–79
). Ductus spermathaecae with about 10–11 large coils (
Fig. 79
).
FIGURES 9–19.
Leaf mines of
Astrotischeria colombiana
Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
, Lobo Guerrero, Valle del Cauca, Colombia.
FIGURES 20–32.
Exuviae and adults of new
Tischeriidae
species from Colombia. 20–25,
Astrotischeria colombiana
Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
, exuviae; 26, same, male adult, holotype; 27, same, paratype; 28, same, other paratype; 29–32,
A. ochrimaculosa
Diškus, Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
, male adult, holotype (MPUJ).
FIGURES 33–39.
Male genitalia of
Astrotischeria colombiana
Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
, capsule with phallus removed, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD960 (MPUJ).
FIGURES 40–46.
Male genitalia of
Astrotischeria colombiana
Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
, phallus. 40–42, apical part, lateral and ventral (41) view; 43–44, general view, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD956; 45–46, same, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD960 (MPUJ).
FIGURES 47–53.
Male genitalia of
Astrotischeria colombiana
Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov
.
47, 48, 50, 51, lateral view of capsule (50, with phallus little removed), paratype, genitalia slide no. AD956; 49, ventral view of uncus, genitalia slide no. AD958; 52, 53, general view of capsule with phallus, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD958 (MPUJ).
FIGURES 54–57.
Female genitalia of
Astrotischeria colombiana
Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD956 (MPUJ). 54, general view; 55, 56, apophyses and ovipositor; 57, coils of ductus spermathecae (broken off).
FIGURES 58–61.
Male genitalia of
Astrotischeria
ochrimaculosa
Diškus, Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
, capsule with phallus, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD959 (MPUJ).
FIGURES 62–68.
Habitat and collecting of
Astrotischeria
ochrimaculosa
Diškus, Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
in Colombia. 62–65, habitat, El Naranjo, 550 m, Valle del Cauca, 3°46’46’’N, 76°43’08’’W; 66–68, collecting at light using a Philip bulb ML 220–230 V, 160 W (from left to right: Franklin J. Galindo, Sergio A. Vargas and Jonas R. Stonis, El Naranjo, February 2019).
FIGURES 69–74.
Male genitalia of
Astrotischeria
ochrimaculosa
Diškus, Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
, paratype, Peru, genitalia slide no. AD961 (USNM). 69, 70, capsule with phallus removed; 71, 74, phallus; 72, 73, uncus and vinculum, lateral view.
Bionomics
(
Figs. 62–65
,
80–88
). The larvae mine the leaves of
Abutilon
Mill.
, possibly
A. divaricatum
Turcz.
(
Malvaceae
:
Malvoideae
: Malvea) (
Figs. 81–83
) (see Remarks); mining larvae are recorded from June. The blotch mine is irregular, with very little or no frass (
Figs 84, 85, 87
); in fully developed mines the margin of the mined leaf is usually bent (
Figs 85–86
). The larva is pale green, with a dark green intestine (
Fig. 87
). Pupation occurs inside the leaf mine. The exit slit is on upper side of the leaf. Adults are attracted to light; the
holotype
was collected by a light trap in February (
Figs. 66–68
).
Distribution
. The species is known from El Naranjo,
Valle del Cauca
(
Fig. 1
), a rather lush tropical locality/habitat on the eastern edge of the
Choco
biogeographical province in southwestern
Colombia
at an elevation of about
550 m
(
Figs. 62–65
), and also from a tropical habitat in
Cusco Region
,
Peru
, at an elevation about
1200–1300 m
(
Fig. 80
).
FIGURES 75–79.
Female genitalia of
Astrotischeria
ochrimaculosa
Diškus, Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
, paratype, Peru, genitalia slide no. AD963 (USNM). 75–78, ovipositor, apophyses and prela; 79, coils of ductus spermathecae.
FIGURES 80–88.
Bionomics of
Astrotischeria ochrimaculosa
Diškus, Stonis & Vargas
,
sp. nov.
80, habitat, Peru, Cusco Region, La Convención Province, Maranura, 12°57’56”S, 72°39’18”W, elevation 1220 m; 81–83, host plant,
Abutilon
sp.,
Malvaceae
(see Remarks); 84–88, leaf mines.
Etymology.
The species name is derived from the Greek
ochra
(ochre) and Latin
maculosus
(spotted), referring to the forewing pattern with irregular yellowish ochre patches.
Remarks.
The host plant,
Abutilon
Mill.
, possibly
A. divaricatum
Turcz.
, was identified by research botanist Francisco Fajardo Gutiérrez (Herbarium of Jardín Botánico de
Bogotá
) based on photographs. Hence, the identification is somewhat provisional.