Stigmella olekarsholti Remeikis, Diškus & Stonis, 2016

Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Karsholt, Ole & Torres, Nixon Cumbicus, 2017, Illustrated review of the leaf-mining Nepticulidae of the central Andes (Peru and Bolivia), Zootaxa 4257 (1), pp. 1-70 : 47-48

36. Stigmella olekarsholti Remeikis, Diškus & Stonis, 2016

( Figs 2 , 9 , 15–18 , 33 , 37 , 110 )

Stigmella olekarsholti Remeikis, Diškus & Stonis, in Stonis et al. 2016f: 569 –570, figs 4, 5, 13–16, 33–36, 42, 43.

Material examined. 12 ♂ (holotype and paratypes), 5 ♀ (paratypes), PERU, Dept. Apurimac, 12 km N Abancay, Cerro Turonmocco , 13°34'36"S, 72°58'33"W, elevation about 3500 m, 17–18.iii.1987, O. Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 560♂ (holotype), RA 543♂, RA 561♂, RA 563♀, RA 564♀ (paratypes) ( ZMUC) ; 4 ♂, 2 ♀ (paratypes), Dept. Cusco, Urubamba Province, Aguas Calientes , 13°09'44"S, 72°32'15"W, elevation 2050 m, mining larvae on Asteraceae plant 19.x.2008, ex pupae xi.2008, field card no. 4940, A. Diškus, genitalia slides nos AD 722♂, AD 727♂, AD 753♂, AD 754♀, AD 761♂ ( ZMUC) .

Diagnosis. Belongs to the S. magnispinella group. The combination of very long lobes of uncus, small plate of gnathos, long ventral plate of gnathos without lateral lobes, and specific set of cornuti distinguishes S. olekarsholti from all members of the group, including the most similar Ecuadorian S. varispinella Diškus & Stonis.

Male ( Fig. 33 ). Described in Stonis et al. 2016: 569. Forewing length 1.8–2.6 mm; wingspan 4.3–5.7 mm.

Female. Externally similar to male.

Male genitalia. Illustrated in Stonis et al. 2016: figs 13–16.

Female genitalia. Illustrated in Stonis et al. 2016: figs 33–35.

Bionomics. Larvae mine in leaves of Asteraceae plant (an unidentified species). Larvae pale greenish grey with brownish grey head, mine in October (and probably in January–February). In the beginning, irregularly deposited blackish grey frass filling the most of the width of the gallery; further the gallery widened to a large elongated blotch with black frass distributed irregularly and with very wide unfilled areas of the blotch left (the leaf-mine illustrated in Stonis et al. 2016f: figs. 42, 43). Larval exit slit on upper side of the leaf. Adults fly in March and November.

Distribution ( Figs 9 , 15–18 ). Known from two localities in the Andean Peru (Dept. Apurimac and Cusco) at elevations about 2050–3500 m ( Figs 15–18 ).

Figures

FIGURE 33. Adults of the central Andean Nepticulidae.

FIGURE 37. Diagnostics of the central Andean Stigmella.

FIGURE 110. Plant clades engaged by leaf-mining Nepticulidae species in the central Andes. * — photographs of leaf-mines on Salicaceae plants belonging to Stigmella molinensis van Nieukerken & Snyers were recently provided by Chris Snyers (see van Nieukerken et al. 2016 b).

FIGURES 1 – 8. Distribution of the central Andean Nepticulidae. 1, high-Andean species recorded at altitudes above 3700 m (after Stonis et al. 2016 d); 2, species recorded at altitudes below 3700 m; 3 – 8, some collecting areas in the Peruvian Andes.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Distribution of the central Andean Nepticulidae. 9, species recorded at altitudes below 3700 m; 10, 11, some collecting areas in Peru. * — Stigmella epicosma Meyrick is also known from Arica Province, northern Chile (Vargas 2011); ** – S. inca sp. nov. is also discovered in southern Ecuador.

FIGURES 12 – 18. Distribution of some central Andean Nepticulidae. 12 – 14, 17, 18, habitats, Peru; 15, 16, distribution maps.