Stigmella evanida Diškus & Stonis, 2016

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 : 58

Stigmella evanida Diškus & Stonis , sp. nov.

( Figs 18 , 27 , 157–161 )

Type material. Holotype: Ƌ, PERU, Dept. Lima, 10 km N Oyón, Quabrada Quichas, Pueblo Quichas , 10°34'17"S, 76°46'03"W, 4000 m, 24–26.ii.1987, leg. O. Karsholt, genitalia slide no. AD672Ƌ ( ZMUC).

Diagnosis. The combination of a very long and slender, closely juxtaposed processes of gnathos, long thickened uncus, and specific set of three different spine-like cornuti distinguishes S. evanida sp. nov. from all other Stigmella species.

Male ( Fig. 157 ). Forewing length about 2.9–3.0 mm; wingspan about 6.4–6.5 mm. Head: palpi cream; frontal tuft pale yellowish orange; collar and scape cream; antenna distinctly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum with 38 segments, pale brown to grey-brown on upper side, pale brown on underside. Thorax, tegula and forewing glossy brownish cream, speckled with brown and dark brown scales, without purple iridescence; fringe pale grey; underside of forewing grey-brown, with no spots. Hindwing pale grey to grey white on upper side and underside, with no spots or androconia; fringe greyish white. Legs ochreous cream; forelegs with dark grey-brown scales on upper side. Abdomen grey-brown on upper side, cream on underside; tufts indistinct, cream; genital segments cream.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 159–161 ). Capsule longer (290 µm) than wide (145 µm). Uncus long, laterally strongly thickened, distally narrowing, divided into two lobes, each with two papillae. Gnathos with two very long and very slender, closely juxtaposed caudal processes and very slender central plate; lateral arms of gnathos large. Valva 190–195 µm long, 40–45 µm wide, with two apical processes; transtilla without sublateral processes, round in corners. Juxta membranous, indistict. Vinculum with triangular lateral lobes, wide anterior excavation and very short ventral plate. Phallus ( Fig. 161 ) 245 µm long, 40–50 µm wide; vesica with spine-like cornuti: two strongly thickened, four weakly thickened and smaller, and about 6–7 weakly thickened but gathered into a cluster.

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 4000 m.

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin evanidus (poor, weak, disappearing) in reference to the poorly speckled forewing and weakly developed cornuti in the male genitalia.

Figures

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

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 157 – 161. Stigmella evanida Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. 157, holotype, male adult; 158, same, male genitalia, slide no. AD 672, cornuti in phallus; 159, same, capsule with phallus removed, focused from ventral to more dorsal view; 160, same, ventral view; 161, phallus (ZMUC).