Acalyptris yucatani Remeikis & Stonis

Stonis, Jonas R., Remeikis, Andrius, Diškus, Arūnas & Noreika, Remigijus, 2013, New Nepticulidae species (Insecta: Lepidoptera) from the Yucatán Peninsula (SE Mexico), Zootaxa 3609 (2), pp. 223-230 : 227

Acalyptris yucatani Remeikis & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 11–15, 17 )

Type material. Holotype: Ƥ, MEXICO, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Tulum, 20°12'35"N, 87°25'55"W, elevation 15 m, mining larva 29.xi.2011, ex pupa 14.xii.2011, leg. A. Remeikis & J. R. Stonis, gen. slide no. RA 468Ƥ (currently deposited in LEUS, with further re-deposition at ZMUC).

Diagnosis. Externally, the new species can be distinguished from most Acalyptris species, including Neotropical ones, by the presence of two white spots (costal and tornal) on the speckled forewing. In female genitalia it differs from all known Neotropical Acalyptris species by a combination of specialized large asymmetrical signae and a vestibulum without distinct sclerites.

Male. Unknown.

Female ( Fig. 11 ). Forewing length 1.65 mm, wingspan 3.63 mm (n=1). Head: palpi brownish cream; frontal tuft cream, on vertex dark brown; collar whitish cream, comprising piliform scales; scape white; antenna with ca. 25 segments, slightly shorter than half forewing; flagellum dark grey on upper side, pale grey on underside. Thorax, tegulae and forewings cream-white, speckled with blackish brown tipped scales. Forewing with two cream-white oblique spots: costal and tornal; cilia grey; underside of forewing brownish cream, grey-brown distally and along costa. Hindwings grey (at certain angle of view may look pale grey) on upper side and underside; cilia of hindwings grey. Legs cream, with blackish darkening on upper side; forelegs darkened on both sides.

Female genitalia ( Figs 12–14 ). Total length 565 mm (n=1). Vestibulum narrow, folded, without shaped sclerites. Corpus bursae oval, with very large, distinctly asymmetrical signae (245 and 350 mm) (n=1) ( Figs 13–14 ).

Bionomics. Mines in leaves ( Fig. 17 ). Host-plant: Schinus sp. ( Anacardiaceae ) ( Fig. 19 ). Egg on upper side of the leaf. Larvae mine in late November and early December. Sinuous gallery of mine filled with dark green to blackish or black frass ( Fig. 17 ). Larva yellow, with dark green intestine. Larval exit slit on upper side of the leaf. Cocoon very pale ochre-brown; length 1.65 mm, maximal width 1.1 mm (n=1). The single adult emerged in December.

Distribution ( Fig. 1 ). It occurs in the lowland coastal forest of Yucatán (SE Mexico: Quintana Roo) ( Fig. 15 ).

Etymology. This species is named after the Yucatán Peninsula.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 14. Acalyptris yucatani sp. nov. 11, adult, female. Scale bar 1 mm; 12, female genitalia, gen. slide no. RA 468. Scale bar 100 mm; 13, 14, signae in corpus bursae, gen. slide no. RA 468. Scale bar 100 mm.

FIGURES 15 – 19. Bionomics. 15, type locality and habitat of Stigmella maya sp. nov. and Acalyptris yucatani sp. nov., Yucatán, Tulum, 20 ° 12 ' 35 " N, 87 ° 25 ' 55 " W, elevation 15 m; 16, leaf-mine of Stigmella maya sp. nov., with mining larva; 17, empty leaf-mine of Acalyptris yucatani sp. nov.; 18, Karwinskia humboldtiana (Rhamnaceae), a host-plant of Stigmella maya sp. nov.; 19, Schinus sp. (Anacardiaceae), a host-plant of Acalyptris yucatani sp. nov.

FIGURES 1 – 5. Nepticulidae of Yucatán and adjacent areas. 1, currently known distribution: 1. Stigmella maya, Acalyptris yucatani. 2. Enteucha hilli, E. contracolorea, Stigmella barbata, S. kimae, S. albilamina, S. fuscilamina, S. pruinosa, Ectoedemia sp. 29105, E. fuscivittata, Fomoria diskusi, F. sp. 29122, Acalyptris latipennata, A. dividua, A. bovicorneus, A. martinheringi, A. hispidus, A. novenarius, A. bifidus, A. trifidus, A. unicornis, A. laxibasis, A. sp. 29135, A. platygnathos, A. sp. 29140, Glaucolepis argentosa. 3. Enteucha snaddoni, Acalyptris fortis. 4. Manoneura basidactyla. 5. Acalyptris lascuevella. 6. Stigmella racemifera, S. sp. 0 18, Acalyptris paradividua, A. terrificus, A. sp. 0 15, A. sp. 0 16. 7. Stigmella plumosetaeella (Map — courtesy of T. Patterson, USA); 2, adult of Stigmella maya sp. nov., male; 3, female; 4, male, hindwing with black androconia; 5, female. Scale bar 1 mm.