Stigmella alticosma Remeikis & Stonis

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Gerulaitis, Virginijus & Karsholt, Ole, 2016, Leaf-mining Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) from record high altitudes: documenting an entire new fauna in the Andean páramo and puna, Zootaxa 4181 (1), pp. 1-94 : 63

Stigmella alticosma Remeikis & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 18 , 27 , 29 , 174–179 )

Type material. Holotype: 1 Ƌ, PERU, Dept. Lima, 10 km N of Oyon, Quabrada Quichas, Pueblo Quichas , 10°34'17"S, 76°46'03"W, elevation ca. 4000 m, 24–26.ii.1987, O. Karsholt, genitalia slide no. Diškus 188Ƌ ( ZMUC).

Diagnosis. The combination of a forewing with two silvery shining fasciae and shiny golden base, deeply divided uncus, and a specific set of two large but unequal horn-like cornuti in male genitalia (with cornuti ratio 1:2) distinguishes S. alticosma sp. nov. from all other Stigmella species.

Male ( Figs 174, 175 ). Forewing length about 2.0 mm; wingspan about 5.0 mm. Head: palpi whitish cream; frontal tuft ochreous cream; collar large, gold shining, concoloros with thorax; scape glossy, whitish cream; antenna slightly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum with 29 segments, dark grey with golden gloss on upper side, grey cream on underside. Thorax and tegula gold shining. Forewing dark brown with golden gloss and purple iridescence, with two silvery shining fasciae (median and apical) and golden shining base (concolorous with thorax); fringe dark grey-brown with some golden gloss, especially apically; underside of forewing greybrown, without spots. Hindwing and its fringe grey-brown on upper side and underside, without spots or androconia. Legs glossy grey, darkened with dark grey on upper side.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 176–179 ). Capsule longer (305–310 µm) than wide (200 µm). Uncus with two deeply divided and separated lobes, each with two papillae. Gnathos with two caudal processes and slender central plate. Valva 190–195 µm long, 75–85 µm wide, with one large apical processes and bulged inner lobe; transtilla with large sublateral processes. Juxta membranous, indistinctive. Vinculum with short, widely rounded lateral lobes, and rather short ventral plate. Phallus ( Fig. 176 ) 180 µm long, 75 µm wide; vesica with two horn-like cornuti: one large and second twice larger (ratio: 1:2).

Bionomics. Adults fly in February. Otherwise biology unknown.

Distribution ( Figs 18 , 27 ). This species occurs in the high Peruvian Andes ( Peru: Lima Departamento) at altitudes about 4000 m.

Etymology. The species is named after other, closely similar species— Stigmella epicosma (Meyrick) but with a different Latin prefix alti (high) in reference to the occurrence of S. alticosma sp. nov. in high altitudes.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Distribution map of the high-Andean Nepticulidae with height records.

FIGURE 29. Morphology of male genitalia of high-Andean Stigmella, Nepticulidae.

FIGURES 18 – 19. Distribution of high altitude Nepticulidae and collecting in the Peruvian Andes. 18, distribution map; 19, collector and co-author Ole Karsholt in Polylepis forest during Polylepis Expedition organized by Prof. Dr. Jon Fjeldså (the leader of the Polylepis Expeditions, ZMUC) in 1987.

FIGURES 174 – 179. Stigmella alticosma Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., holotype. 174, 175, male adult; 176, male genitalia, slide no. AD 188, phallus; 177, same, uncus and gnathos; 178, same, capsule with phallus; 179, same, focused from ventral to more dorsal view (ZMUC).