Astrotischeria casila Diškus & Stonis, 2018

Jonas R. Stonis, Arūnas Diškus, Fernando Carvalho Filho & Owen T. Lewis, 2018, American Asteraceae-feeding Astrotischeria species with a highly modified, three-lobed valva in the male genitalia (Lepidoptera, Tischeriidae), Zootaxa 4469 (1), pp. 1-69 : 37-43

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4469.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:42680994-585D-4230-B574-8DB398341B23
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5949589
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FF87EA-E36A-DA10-FCAC-8A88FCDAFC09
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Astrotischeria casila Diškus & Stonis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Astrotischeria casila Diškus & Stonis View in CoL , sp. nov.

( Figs. 11, 12 View FIGURES 11–15 , 127–159 View FIGURES 127–136 View FIGURES 137–144 View FIGURES 145–150 View FIGURES 151–154 View FIGURES 155–159 , 233 View FIGURE 233 , 237, 238 View FIGURES 234–238 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, BELIZE: Cayo District, Chiquibul Forest Reserve , Las Cuevas , 16°43'58"S, 88°59'06"W, elevation 580 m, mining larva on Montanoa atriplicifolia (Pers.) Sch. Bip. (Asteraceae) , 29.vi.1998, O. T. Lewis, genitalia slide no. AD 939♂ (BMNH) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 9 ♂, 6 ♀, same label data as holotype, 2.iv.1998 and 13.vi.–12.viii.1998, O. T. Lewis, genitalia slide nos AD0295♂, AD849 ♂, AD940♀ (BMNH); 1 ♂, Cayo District, San Ignacio, secondary forest, 17°09'15"S, 89°04'04"W, elevation 85 m, 17–18.iv.1998, at light, R. Puplesis & S. Hill, genitalia slide no. AD934♂ (BMNH).

Diagnosis. The combination of a helmet-like anellus, merged median lobes of uncus, rather slender, apically pointed dorsal lobes of valva and weakly divided, wide lobes of phallus in the male genitalia distinguishes A. casila sp. nov. from all other Astrotischeria , including other members of the A. trilobata group.

Male ( Figs. 127–129, 132–136 View FIGURES 127–136 ). Forewing length: 2.4–2.6 mm; wingspan: 5.4–5.8 mm. Head: face and palpi pale ochre-yellow; frontal tuft comprised of lamellar, pale brown, yellow-tipped scales with ochre-yellow bases; sometimes frontal tuft entirely ochre-yellow ( Fig. 132 View FIGURES 127–136 ); pecten very prominent ( Fig. 134 View FIGURES 127–136 ), ochre cream, sometimes with a few pale brown scales; collar comprised of slender lamellar scales, usually ochre cream, sometimes scales pale brown distally; antenna with about 37 segments, distinctly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum cream with some pale brown scales on upper side (mostly in distal half), brownish grey on underside; sensillae very long and fine, therefore, usually indistinct. Thorax ochre-yellow; tegula ochre-yellow distally, densely speckled with brown-black and black scales anteriorly; forewing relatively wide but short, glossy, ochre-yellow, sparsely speckled with brown-black and black scales; usually black scales form irregular, oblique, stripe-like patches; fringe yellowish grey on costal margin, pale grey on tornus, ochre-yellow on termen; fringe-line usually indistinct; forewing underside brown with some purple iridescence, without androconia. Hindwing slender, pale grey to grey, at certain angle of view with some pale green and purple iridescence on both upper and underside, without androconia; fringe pale brownish grey. Legs ochre cream to yellow-ochre, speckled with grey-brown to pale grey-brown scales on upper side. Abdomen relatively short and stout, glossy; on upper side and laterally brown to brownish grey, on underside entirely ochre-yellow or speckled with brown scales; tufts distinct, yellowish cream to brownish cream; genital plates large, yellowish cream.

Female ( Figs. 130, 131 View FIGURES 127–136 ). Similar to male, only sometimes forewing pattern darker, black stripe-like patches more prominent, and, occasionally, connected into transverse fasciae.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 11, 12 View FIGURES 11–15 , 137–150 View FIGURES 137–144 View FIGURES 145–150 ). Capsule about 500 µm long, 210 µm wide. Uncus consisting of two long lateral lobes and short median plate, formed by two merged median lobes ( Figs. 146, 147 View FIGURES 145–150 ). Valva divided ( Figs. 11 View FIGURES 11–15 , 110 View FIGURES 105–111 ): ventral lobe, at least at certain angle of view, slightly widened apically ( Fig. 145 View FIGURES 145–150 ), about 270 µm long, 40–45 µm wide ( Figs. 137 View FIGURES 137–144 , 99, 100 View FIGURES 99–104 ); dorsal lobes consisting of two elements: wide, distally curved lobe ( Figs. 137 View FIGURES 137–144 , 145, 150 View FIGURES 145–150 ), and slender, horn-like process ( Figs. 12, 14 View FIGURES 11–15 , 150 View FIGURES 145–150 ); transtilla absent; basal process of valva long, curved ( Figs. 137 View FIGURES 137–144 , 150 View FIGURES 145–150 ). Anellus with a chitinized, helmet-like plate dorsally, and with two wide and connected lobes ventrally, each possessing 3–5 setae laterally ( Fig. 148 View FIGURES 145–150 ). Phallus ( Figs. 139, 140, 143 View FIGURES 137–144 ) about 300 µm long, distally wide and bifurcated, without spines ( Figs. 141, 142 View FIGURES 137–144 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs. 151–159 View FIGURES 151–154 View FIGURES 155–159 ). Total length about 1250 mm. Ovipositor lobes small ( Fig. 153 View FIGURES 151–154 ); the area between ovipositor lobes widely rounded, not triangular ( Figs. 155, 156 View FIGURES 155–159 ), with tiny papillae and some setae. Second pair of lobes, lateral and anterior to the ovipositor lobes, significantly smaller ( Fig. 156 View FIGURES 155–159 ), bearing very long slender setae. Anterior and posterior apophyses very long and stout ( Fig. 153 View FIGURES 151–154 ); prela with three pairs of processes; two pairs of processes articulating with anterior apophyses, remaining pair unusually developed, stout and very long ( Figs. 154 View FIGURES 151–154 , 158 View FIGURES 155–159 ). Vestibulum without antrum but with two unusual, membranous lobes ( Figs. 154 View FIGURES 151–154 , 159 View FIGURES 155–159 ). Ductus bursae long but slender ( Fig. 151 View FIGURES 151–154 ), without distinctive pectinations. Corpus bursae very small, elongated ( Fig. 157 View FIGURES 155–159 ), without spines or signum. Ductus spermathaecae with many large and very large coils ( Fig. 152 View FIGURES 151–154 ); utriculus absent or broken in Fig. 151 View FIGURES 151–154 .

Bionomics ( Figs. 119–126 View FIGURES 119–126 ). Host plant: Montanoa atriplicifolia (Pers.) Sch. Bip. (Asteraceae) . Mining larvae recorded from June to August. Leaf-mine blotch-like. Adults know from April and July–August.

Distribution ( Fig. 233 View FIGURE 233 ). The species occurs in moist tropical (secondary and primary) forest of Belize (Central America), at elevation of about 80–600 m ( Figs. 237, 238 View FIGURES 234–238 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin casila (wearer of a helmet) in reference to the most distinctive character, the helmet-like anellus in the male genitalia.