Bucculatrix mirnae Vargas & Moreira

Vargas, Hector A. & Moreira, Gilson R. P., 2012, A new species of Bucculatrix Zeller (Lepidoptera: Bucculatricidae) associated with Baccharis salicifolia (Asteraceae) in northern Chile, Zootaxa 3300, pp. 20-33 : 21-24

Bucculatrix mirnae Vargas & Moreira , new species

Fig. (1–13)

Type material. Data are listed as they are found in the labels; dates correspond to adult emergences. HOLOTYPE, ɗ, CHILE: Azapa, Arica, Chile, July 2009, H.A. Vargas coll., reared from larva on Baccharis salicifolia ( MNNC). PARATYPES: 2 ΨΨ, same data as holotype ( MNNC); 1 ɗ Azapa, Arica, Chile, August 2008, H.A Vargas coll., reared from larva on Baccharis salicifolia , July 2008 ( MNNC); 3 ɗɗ, 3 ΨΨ Azapa, Arica, Chile, September 2008, H.A Vargas coll., reared from larva on Baccharis salicifolia , August 2008 ( MNNC); 1 ɗ Azapa, Arica, Chile, July 2010, H.A Vargas coll., reared from larva on Baccharis salicifolia , June 2010 ( IDEA); 1 ɗ, 3 ΨΨ Azapa, Arica, Chile, August 2011, H.A Vargas coll., reared from larva on Baccharis salicifolia , July 2011 ( IDEA); 1 ɗ Azapa, Arica, Chile, September 2011, H.A Vargas coll., reared from larva on Baccharis salicifolia , August 2011 ( IDEA) Other specimens examined. Immature stages collected by the senior author at the type locality on the same host plant, August 2010, fixed in Dietrich´s fluid and stored in 70% ethanol. All deposited in the LMCI collection, under accession numbers as follows: 5 eggs ( LMCI 161-1), 6 first-instar larvae ( LMCI 161-2), 26 second-instar larvae ( LCMI 161-3), 15 third-instar larvae ( LMCI 161-4), 12 fourth-instar larvae ( LMCI 161-5), 13 fifth-instar larvae ( LMCI 161-6), 6 pupae ( LMCI 161-7).

Diagnosis. The male genitalia of B. mirnae resemble those of B. dominatrix Rubinoff & Osborne , described from Florida, United States and with immature stages that are associated with Baccharis pilularis (de Candolle) ( Asteraceae ) ( Rubinoff & Osborne 1997). In the adult male, the unique, broad juxta of B. mirnae clearly separates the two species. The female of B. mirnae can also be easily distinguished from that of dominatrix by the distinct, broader area of the signum, composed of multiple small, spine-like elements, the corresponding lines being distally interspersed with single, larger spines.

Male adult ( Figs. 1 a–2)

Head. Frontoclypeus ( Figs. 2 a, 3a) with creamy white, broad scales with blunt apex. Vertex with narrow, slen- der scales, projected in all directions ( Fig. 2 a), mostly creamy white, some grayish brown in middle. Antennae ( Fig. 1 a) filiform, nearly 2/3 of forewing length; scape dorso-ventrally expanded ( Figs. 2 b, 3a), covering dorsal area of compound eye, creamy white, mostly covered by broad scales, with some long scales projected ventrally until near middle of compound eye; pedicel annular, short, creamy white; first flagellomere with dorsal notch ( Fig. 2 c), each flagellomere with single row of scales, alternating creamy white with grayish brown. Proboscis ( Figs. 2 d, 3a) without scales, short, nearly length of prothoracic coxa, with about 10 pairs of distally located styloconic sensilla. Labial palpus ( Figs. 2 e, 3a) short, apex reaching near base of proboscis, with creamy white scales on distal third, remaining portion without scales.

Thorax. Grayish brown dorsally, some scales with dark gray apex; lateral surface covered by creamy-white scales; ventral arm of tegula with group of creamy-white, piliform scales reaching anal margin of hind wing. Foreleg with creamy-white and dark brown scales mixed; epiphysis arising near base of foretibia. Midleg with color pattern similar to that of foreleg, with one pair of asymmetrical spurs at apex. Hindleg creamy-white with sparse grayish-brown scales on tarsus; tibia ( Fig. 2 f) with long hair-like scales distally projected, and with two pairs of asymmetrical spurs, one arising near base, another at apex. Forewing ( Figs. 1 , 3 b) (length: 2.78–3.33 mm) lanceolate, dorsally covered by light-reddish-brown scales, some with dark-grayish-brown apex, mostly concentrated at apex; fringe and ventral surface creamy white. Venation ( Fig. 3 b): Sc broadened basally, ending basal to midpoint of wing margin; R with five branches; basal half of R1 stalked with margin of discal cell; R5 stalked with M1; M2, CuA1 and CuP as a fold, poorly differentiated; M2 and CuA1 almost parallel, arising separately near apex of discal cell; CuP reaching wing margin near apex of CuA1; 1A+2A well developed, reaching wing margin near its midpoint. Hindwing dorsal and ventral surfaces and fringe creamy white. Venation ( Fig. 3 b): Sc broadened basally, expanded near basal third; Rs not reaching wing apex; M1 and M2 well separated; CuA ending near midpoint of wing margin; A as a fold ending near basal third of wing margin. Abdomen creamy white.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 3 c–d, 4a–c). Uncus absent; tegumen broad, not separated from saccus; socii well developed, divergent, with setae at apex; gnathos absent; juxta well developed, broad at base, narrow at apex; valva elongated, with costal margin slightly excavated distally, medial surface with hair-like setae ( Figs. 4 a–b) near midpoint, and peg-like setae ( Figs. 4 a, c) near apex; phallus elongated, narrow and straight; vesica without cornuti.

Female adult ( Figs. 1 b, 3a, 3e, 4d–g)

Similar to male, but antenna with first flagellomere without notch ( Fig. 3 a), hindwing with two frenular setae.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 3 e, 4d–g). Tergum VIII with spine-like microtrichia ( Figs. 4 d–e); papillae anales with spine-like microtrichia interspersed with long hair-like setae; ductus bursae cylindrical, narrow, lightly sclerotized; corpus bursae spherical ( Figs. 3 e, 4g), with signum formed by many small, spine-like, aligned elements that radiate from its proximal portion; distal lines interspersed with single, larger spines of similar shape; lamella postvaginalis as band laterally, continuous with tergum 8; anterior apophyses absent; posterior apophyses short.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Bucculatrix mirnae sp. n. adults: (A) male; (B) female. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 2. Scanning electron micrographs of Bucculatrix mirnae sp. n. adult head and thorax: (A) female head, antero-lateral view; (B) antennal cap (indicated by asterisk), ventro-posterior view; (C) basal section of male antenna, lateral view, showing notch on the first flagellomere (indicated by solid arrow); (D) partially coiled proboscis, anterior view, with styloconic sensilla (indicated by solid arrow); (E) labial palpus, ventro-posterior view; (F) hind leg, anterior view (open and solid arrows indicate basal and distal spur pairs respectively). Scale bars = 100, 50, 100, 50, 20, 250 µm, respectively.

FIGURE 3. Bucculatrix mirnae sp. n. adult morphology: (A) female head, anterior view; (B) fore- and hind wing venation; (C) male genitalia, ventral view (aedeagus removed); (D) aedeagus, lateral view; (E) female genitalia, ventral view. Scale bars = 300, 500, 100, 100, 100 µm, respectively.

FIGURE 4. Scanning electron and light microscopy micrographs of Bucculatrix mirnae sp. n. genitalia: (A) male valve, mesal view; (B) male valva basal setae (enlarged view of left square in A); (C) male valve, distal sensilla (enlarged view of right rectangle in A); (D) terminal portion of female abdomen, lateral view; (E) microtrichia on 8 th segment of female (area marked with asterisk in D, in detail); (F) detail of setae and microtrichia of female anal papillae (enlarged view of square in D); (G) signum of female corpus bursae. Scale bars = 50, 10, 5, 50, 5, 10, 30 µm, respectively.