Stigmella

Stonis, Jonas R. & Remeikis, Andrius, 2016, Southern Andean Stigmella sinuosa complex (Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae): unraveling problematic taxonomy with a pictorial key of adults?, Zootaxa 4136 (2), pp. 309-322 : 316

Documentation of Stigmella species 679

( Figs 13–18 )

Material examined. 1 Ƌ, ARGENTINA, Río Negro, S. C. de Bariloche, Colonia Suiza, elevation ca. 800 m, 22– 23.x.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. AD679 ( ZMUC).

Diagnosis. From the most resembling S. mevia and particularly S. sinuosa it differs in the combination of characters illustrated in fig. 18.

Male ( Fig. 13 ). Forewing length 3.3 mm; wingspan 7.2 mm. Head: palpi brownish cream; frontal tuft unknown, rubbed, only few pale beige piliform scales left; collar brownish cream; scape cream; antenna distinctly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum with 40 segments, golden grey on upper side, pale grey on underside. Thorax, tegula and forewing coarsely speckled with grey-brown and dark grey-brown scales, some with purple iridescence; forewing with indistinctive postmedian (subapical) spots of whitish cream lamellar scales without silvery gloss; fringe brownish cream, distally white; underside of forewing pale brown, without spots but with purple iridescence. Hindwing and its cilia brownish cream on upper side and underside, without androconia. Legs beige cream, with dark grey to fuscous scales on upper side. Abdomen fuscous on upper side, brown-grey on underside.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 14–18 ). Capsule longer (280 mm) than wide (185 mm). Vesica with 8 horn-like cornuti ( Fig. 18 ).

Bionomics. Host-plant: unknown. Adults fly in October.

Distribution. Known from the western (mountainous) Argentina at elavation about 800 m.

Figures

FIGURE 18. Comparison of Stigmella species 679 with S. sinuosa sp. nov. and S. mevia sp. nov.

FIGURES 13 – 17. Stigmella species 679. 13, male adult; 14, male genitalia, capsule with phallus removed, genitalia slide no. AD 679; 15, same, ventral view; 16, cornuti on vesica, genitalia slide no. AD 679; 17, gnathos and uncus, genitalia slide no. AD 679 (ZMUC).