Astrotischeria guatemalica Diškus & Stonis, 2019

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Katinas, Liliana, Torres, Nixon Cumbicus, Schuster, Jack & Puplesyte-Chambers, Julia, 2019, Diagnostics of new species of Neotropical Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera), with the first record of Coptotriche Walshingham from South America, Zootaxa 4691 (1), pp. 1-32 : 11-12

Astrotischeria guatemalica Diškus & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 40, 41 , 80–87 , 125–133 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, GUATEMALA: Antigua Guatemala, San Juan del Obispo , 14 ° 31’7’’N, 90 ° 43’50’’W, elevation 1680 m, mining larvae 25.ii.2012, ex pupa iii.2012, field card no. 5112, A. Diškus, genitalia slide no. AD1001 ♂ ( ZMUC) . Paratypes: 12 ♂, 4 ♀, same label data as holotype, genitalia slides no. AD1002 ♂, AD1003 ♀ ( ZMUC) .

Diagnosis. Externally, this new species can be confused with some other speckled Astrotischeria species. In the male genitalia, the combination of two pairs of dorsal processes (including the slender dorsal processes, see Fig. 87 ), distinctive uncus ( Figs 81, 83 ), and unique phallus ( Figs 84–86 ) distinguishes A. guatemalica from all known congeneric species. In the female genitalia, the wide, elaborate prela ( Fig. 130 ), the presence of a rod-like thickening ( Fig. 133 ), and unusual shape of the corpus bursae (see Fig. 126 ) are hypothesized to be unique to this species. These female characters may not remain valid for species differentiation because females of many other Astrotischeria species are unknown and remain to be discovered.

Description. Male ( Fig. 40 ). Forewing length 3.1–3.5 mm; wingspan 6.7–7.6 mm (n = 13).

Head. Face triangular, grey to cream grey; pecten greyish cream; labial palpus ochre cream; frontal tuft very glossy, black brown with purple iridescence to metallic grey, sometimes with some cream scales; collar large, ochre; antenna distinctly longer than one-half length of forewing; flagellum glossy, grey, inconspicuously annulated with ochre scales.

Thorax. Tegula and thorax covered with ochre-tipped, black scales; forewing densely speckled with ochretipped, black or black-grey scales and with a few large, but irregular ochre patches (see Fig. 40 ); fringe grey to dark grey, but ochre on forewing apex; fringe line indistinct and incomplete, comprised of black scales; forewing underside black-brown to black, without spots or androconia. Hindwing and its fringe grey to dark grey on upper side and underside; without androconia. Forelegs and midlegs densely covered with ochre-tipped, black-grey scales, hindlegs shiny, black-grey on upper side, glossy cream on underside.

Abdomen. With purple, green and blue iridescence; on upper side brown-black, on underside covered with brown-black scales proximally, ochre cream scales distally; anal tufts long, grey-black; genital plates grey cream. Genitalia ( Figs 80–87 ) with capsule 935–955 µm long, 410–455 µm broad. Uncus ( Figs 81, 83 ) comprised of two wide and very short dorsal lobes and two slender and longer ventral lobes. Valva ( Figs 80, 82, 83 ) about 510–540 µm long (excluding the basal process); dorsal lobe greatly developed, with short, additional process (see Fig. 80 ); second dorsal process of valva very slender (see Figs 83, 87 ); transtilla absent; basal process of valva long ( Fig. 87 ). Anellus indistinctive, mostly membranous, with 2–3 setae laterally ( Figs 80, 87 ). Vinculum rounded. Phallus about 980 µm long, distally with two long and two short spine-like processes ( Figs 84–86 ).

Female ( Fig. 41 ). Forewing length 3.4–3.8 mm; wingspan 7.4–8.1 mm (n = 4). Similar to male, but forewing with 3 or 4 distinct, ochre patches.

Abdomen. Abdominal apex slender. Genitalia ( Figs 125–133 ) about 2900 µm long, with unique rod-like thickening ( Fig. 133 ). Ovipositor lobes small ( Fig. 129 ), clothed with short, modified peg setae; area between ovipositor lobes rounded and broad, with tiny papillae and some short setae. Second pair of lobes, lateral and anterior to the ovipositor lobes, much smaller than ovipositor lobes, triangular and bearing a few very long slender setae, without stout, modified peg setae. Posterior and anterior apophyses almost equal in length ( Figs 125 , 129 ); prela comprised of two pairs of unique, plate-like projections ( Fig. 132 ) and a pair of rod-like projections. Corpus bursae long and narrow, distally oval-shaped ( Fig. 126 ), with pectinations (see Fig. 126 ) and small spines (see Figs 126, 127 ). Accessory sac inconspicuous; ductus spermathaecae very slender with 3–4 coils and rounded vesicle ( Fig. 128 ).

Bionomics. The host plant is unknown. Larvae mine leaves in February, producing blotch-like leaf mines. Adults occur in March. Otherwise, the biology is unknown.

Distribution. The species is known from the single locality in Guatemala ( Antigua) at an elevation of about 1700 m.

Etymology. The species is named after the country where it was collected, Guatemala.

Figures

FIGURES 38–41. Male adults of new Astrotischeria species. 38, A. bacchariphaga Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., male, holotype; 39, same, female, paratype; 40, A. guatemalica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., male, holotype; 41, same, female, paratype.

FIGURES 80–87. Male genitalia of Astrotischeria guatemalica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 80, capsule with phallus removed, holotype, genitalia slide no. AD1001; 81, uncus, lateral view, paratype, genitalia slide no.AD1002; 82, same, apex of valva; 83, same, genital capsule, lateral view; 84–86, phallus, holotype, genitalia slide no.AD1001; 87, genital capsule, focussed on dorsal lobes of valva and uncus, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD1002.

FIGURES 125–128. Female genitalia of Astrotischeria guatemalica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., paratype, genitalia slide no. AD1003.

FIGURES 129–133. Female genitalia of Astrotischeria guatemalica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., ovipositor and apophyses, paratype, genitalia slide no. AD1003.