Astrotischeria furcata Stonis & Diškus, 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 : 49

Astrotischeria furcata Stonis & Diškus , sp. nov.

( Figs. 16, 17 , 176–189 , 233 , 239, 240 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, BELIZE: Cayo District, Chiquibul Forest Reserve , Las Cuevas, 16°43'59"S, 88°59'01"W, elevation 590 m, 3–16.iv.1998, R. Puplesis & S. Hill, genitalia slide no. AD 925♂ ( BMNH) .

Diagnosis. The combination of a large uncus, unique-shaped dorsal lobes (see Figs. 16, 17 ), and the wide apical fork of phallus in the male genitalia distinguishes A.furcata sp. nov. from all other Astrotischeria , including other members of the A. trilobata group.

Male ( Fig. 176 ). Forewing length about 3.5 mm; wingspan about 7.5 mm. Head: face and palpi yellowish cream; frontal tuft comprised of lamellar scales, glossy, yellowish cream centrally, ochre to ochre-brown laterally; antenna longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum yellowish grey to grey, basally yellowish cream; sensillae long, greyish white. Thorax glossy, orange-yellow, with a few scattered blackish brown scales; tegula orange-yellow distally, densely covered with blackish brown scales basally. Forewing glossy, mostly yellowish cream with patchy shade of ochre-orange; black-brown scales scattered laterally and form an oblique, subapical spot along costal margin, and a small, indistinct spot on tornus; fringe grey on costal margin, dark grey to pale brown grey on tornus, but yellowish cream on termen; fringe-line absent or indistinct; forewing underside coarsely covered with dark brown scales with weak greenish and purple iridescence, no androconia. Hindwing pale grey to brown (depends on angle of view), without androconia; fringe pale brown to brown. Legs glossy, golden cream, with brown to dark brown scales and some purple iridescence on upper side.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 16, 17 , 177–189 ). Capsule about 520 µm long, 285 µm wide. Uncus ( Figs. 181 , 184, 186 ) consisting of two long, slender lateral lobes, and two very short, rounded median lobes. Valva divided ( Figs. 16, 17 , 178 , 182–187 ): ventral lobe ( Fig. 180 ) wide at basal half, slender at apical half, about 260 µm long (excluding basal process); dorsal lobes consisting of two elements: wide, distally pointed transverse lobe ( Figs. 16, 17 , 185–188 ), and short, bifurcate lobe ( Figs. 16 , 183, 184 ); transtilla absent; basal process of valva rather long ( Figs. 181 , 187 ). Anellus rather indistinct, chitinized laterally, with a few setae on each side. Phallus ( Fig. 177 ) about 425 µm long, distally widely furcated, with two lobe-like processes.

Bionomics. Host plant unknown. Adults fly in April.

Distribution ( Fig. 233 ). Known from a single locality in Belize (Las Cuevas Biological Station), the moist tropical forest habitat, at an elevation of about 600 m ( Figs. 239, 240 ).

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin furcatus (forked) in reference to the furcate dorsal lobe of valva in the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURE 233. DISTRIbUTION MAP. CURRENTLy KNOWN SPECIES OF THE Astrotischeria trilobata GROUP. (MAP bASE—COURTESy OF TOM PATTERSON, THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IN HARPERS FERRy, WEST VIRGINIA, USA). NOTE: ALSO SEE REMARKS IN THE TExT ON A. heliopsisella (CHAMbERS).

FIGURES 16–19. DORSAL LObES OF VALVA, LATERAL VIEW. 16, 17, Astrotischeria furcata STONIS & DIŠKUS, sp. nov.; 18, 19, A. onae DIŠKUS & STONIS, sp. nov.

FIGURES 176–181. Astrotischeria furcata STONIS & DIŠKUS, sp. nov., HOLOTyPE, BELIzE (BMNH). 176, MALE ADULT; 177, MALE GENITALIA, PHALLUS, GENITALIA SLIDE NO. AD925; 178–181, SAME, CAPSULE WITH PHALLUS REMOVED.

FIGURES 182–189. MALE GENITALIA OF Astrotischeria furcata STONIS & DIŠKUS, sp. nov., HOLOTyPE, BELIzE (BMNH). 182–187, LATERAL VIEW; 188, 189, DORSAL VIEW, FOCUSED ON UNCUS.

FIGURES 239–244. HAbITATS OF Astrotischeria species. 239, 240, A. furcata STONIS & DIŠKUS, sp. nov., LAS CUEVAS, BELIzE, 16°43'58"S, 88°59'06"W, ELEVATION 590 M; 241–244, A. amazonica DIŠKUS & STONIS, sp. nov., MISAHUALLI, ECUADOR, 1°01'28"S, 77°40'02"W, ELEVATION 440 M (244—COLLECTOR ARūNAS DIŠKUS, 2007).