Stigmella purpurimaculae Remeikis & Stonis, 2014

Stonis, Jonas R., Remeikis, Andrius & Davis, Donald R., 2014, Ten new species from the Patagonian Andes (Argentina and Chile), mostly belonging to a newly designated Stigmella purpurimaculae group (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae), Zootaxa 3887 (3), pp. 321-353 : 323-324

1. Stigmella purpurimaculae Remeikis & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 7–10 , 31–40 , 91–93 )

Diagnosis. Externally, adults of the new species resemble a few other species of the S. purpurimaculae group, especially S. truncata , S. sceptra and S. cana . However, the combination of the purple spot of the forewing, the long vinculum, long, basally often angular phallus without chitinized rods, long uncus and the large rounded inner lobe of the valva distinguish the species from others Stigmella .

Male ( Figs 7–10 ). Forewing length 2.1–2.3 mm; wingspan 4.9– 5 mm. Head: palpi greyish cream to cream; frontal tuft usually entirely yellowish orange, sometimes mixed: dark greyish brown on frons, yellowish orange on vertex; collar yellowish cream to golden brown; scape yellowish cream to whitish; antenna half the length of forewing or shorter; flagellum with 28–32 segments, dark greyish brown to golden grey, usually with weak purplish iridescence on basal third. Thorax, tegulae and forewing grey to brownish grey with strong golden gloss; no fascia; apex deep purple to brown-purple, occassionally dark brown (or at certain angle of view fuscous brown); terminal and tornal cilia greyish brown to pale grey; underside of forewing fuscous brown, sometimes with weak to strong purple iridescence, with no spots or androconia. Hindwings grey to greyish brown on upper side and underside, with no androconia; their cilia greyish brown to grey. Legs shiny, brownish grey to fuscous grey on upper side and underside. Abdomen fuscous brown, shiny on upper side, dark grey to shiny golden grey on underside; anal tufts short, brown to brownish cream; anal plates grey to greyish cream.

Female. Forewing length about 2.3 mm; wingspan about 5.1 mm. Flagellum with about 21 segments. Otherwise as in male.

Male genitalia ( Figs 31–40 ). Capsule much longer (365–385 µm) than wide (195–200 µm). Vinculum with two large lateral (anterior) lobes; ventral plate of viculum longer than usual in this species group. Uncus with long caudal lobes ( Figs 34, 35 ). Gnathos with two narrow caudal processes with broadened basal parts ( Figs 32, 34, 35 ); central plate of gnathos in the form of a narrow transverse bar. Valva ( Figs 32, 33 ) 175–185 µm long, very broad (80–105 µm), with large chitinized and pointed apical process; inner lobe broadly rounded; transtilla with short pointed sublateral processes. Phallus ( Figs 36–40 ) 265–310 µm long, 105–114 µm broad; chitinization of phallus tube is partially reduced in distal 1/4–1/5; vesica with numerous small dentate ( Figs 37, 40 ) and some small spinelike cornuti (the later make only 5–10% of all cornuti). Manica absent.

Female genitalia ( Figs 91–93 ). Total length about 690–890 µm. Anterior apophyses very short (about 40–50 µm long), posterior apophyses much longer (about 135–175 µm) and very narrow. Vestibulum broad, without sclerites. Corpus bursae with folded distal part and broader, ovally-shaped or round basal part, without signa, sparsely covered with pectinations only in proximal part, and with 6–8 short thickened spines ( Figs 92, 93 ) in the area where the folded part of bursae extends into the accessory sac. Accessory sac broad, short but not prominent (barely distinct); ductus spermathecae short, with about 2.5–3 convolutions, extended into long (220–370 µm) and broad (about 110 µm) utriculus. Abdominal tip blunt, rounded.

Bionomics. Some specimens are collected around Nothofagus pumilio ; however there is insufficient proof that this plant is the host-plant of S. purpurimaculae . Adults fly in October–December. Otherwise unknown.

Distribution. This species occurs in the southern Andes ( Argentina) at altitudes ca. 800–1600 m (see Material).

Type material. Holotype: ♂, ARGENTINA, Río Negro, S. C. de Bariloche, Camino del Tronador , elevation ca. 800 m, 29.xi.1978, Mision Cientifica Danesa, genitalia slide no. RA 393♂ ( ZMUC) . Paratypes: 1 ♂, ARGENTINA, Río Negro, S. C. de Bariloche, Colonia Suiza, elevation ca. 810 m, 7.xii.1978, Mision Cientifica Danesa, genitalia slide no. RA 421♂ ( ZMUC) ; 1 ♂, Pampa del Toro , elevation ca. 1000 m, 21.xi.1978, Mision Cientifica Danesa, genitalia slide no. RA 422♂ ( ZMUC) ; 10 ♂, 1 ♀, same, elevation ca. 900 m, 9–28.xi.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide nos. RA 396♂, RA 398♂, RA 403♂, RA 407♂, RA 415♂, RA 418♂, RA 447♂, RA 463♀, RA 497♂, RA 503♂, RA 555♂ ( ZMUC) ; 1 ♂, Cerro Otto , elevation ca. 930 m, 5.xii.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 409♂ ( ZMUC) ; 1 ♀, Monte Tronador , elevation ca. 1100–1500 m, 6.xii.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 466♀ ( ZMUC) , 1 ♂, Neuquén, Lago Tromen , elevation ca. 1000–1100 m, 1.xii.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 401♂ ( ZMUC) ; 1 ♂, S. M. de los Andes, Cerro Chapelco , elevation ca. 1400–1600 m, 1.xii.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 442♂ ( ZMUC) .

Other material examined (not type-series). 1 ♂, ARGENTINA, Río Negro, S. C. de Bariloche, Cerro Otto , elevation ca. 930 m, 5.xii.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 413♂ ( ZMUC) ; 2 ♀, Pampa del Toro , elevation ca. 900 m, 30.x.–9.xi.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 459♀ ( ZMUC) ; 1 ♀, Colonia Suiza , elevation ca. 800 m, 7.xii.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 457♀ ( ZMUC) ; 1 ♀, Neuquén, Lágo Lacar, Pucar , elevation ca. 650 m, 28–29.xi.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 305♀ ( ZMUC) ; 1 ♀, Paso Puyehue , elevation ca. 1300 m, 10.xii.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 455♀ ( ZMUC) (see Remarks) .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin purpurus (purple) and macula (a spot) in reference to the purple apical spot of the forewing.

Remarks. The specimens which exibit some variation of genitalia or external characters were excluded from the type-series.

Figures

FIGURES 7–14. Adults of new Stigmella spp. 7, S. purpurimaculae Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., holotype; 8, same, paratype; 9, same, other image of the holotype; 10, same, other paratype specimen; 11, S. cana Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., holotype; 12, same, paratype; 13, same, other paratype specimen; 14 S. truncata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., paratype.

FIGURES 31–35. Male genitalia of Stigmella purpurimaculae Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. 31, holotype, genitalia slide no. RA393; 32, paratype, genitalia slide no. RA398; 33, same, genitalia slide no. RA503; 34, same, uncus and gnathos, genitalia slide no. RA396; 35, same, genitalia slide no. RA398.

FIGURES 36–40. Phallus of paratypes of Stigmella purpurimaculae Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. 36, genitalia slide no. RA409; 37, same, artistic reconstruction with cornuti enlarged; 38, genitalia slide no. RA396; 39, genitalia slide no. RA497; 40, same, artistic reconstruction with cornuti enlarged.

FIGURES 91–96. Female genitalia of paratypes of new Stigmella species. 91, S. purpurimaculae Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., genitalia slide no. RA463; 92, same, thickened spines in bursae; 93, same, artistic reconstruction; 94, S. cana Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., genitalia slide no. RA461; 95, same, thickened spines in bursae; 96, same, artistic reconstruction.