Acalyptris lesbia
Creators: name: Van, Erik J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2007
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nepticulidae
Acalyptris
Acalyptris lesbia

description: Acalyptris lesbia Van Nieukerken & Hull sp. n.
(Figs. 14, 16, 17, 38, 44, 57–59, 70, 82, 83, 88, 90, 92, 115–117, 127)
Type material. Holotype ɗ: GREECE (Lesvos): Lesvos: Skala Kallonis, 39.12’22” N-26.13 ’3”E, 16.vi.2004, M. Hull, leafmines on Limonium gmelini (Willd.), e.l. 20.vi–1.vii.2004, reared in Leiden, RMNH /EvN no. 2004902, Don. M. Hull 2004– ENT –56, Genitalia slide EvN 3625 (RMNH-INS no 23625). — Paratypes 16 ɗ, 17 Ψ, 9 larvae, same locality, 13.vi.2003, 12, 13, 16 + 19.vi.2004, e.l. resp. 19–24.vi.2003, 20.vi- 6.vii.2004, M. Hull, reared in Caernarfon or Leiden; Genitalia slides ɗ 3552, Ψ 3626, Ψ 3642, Wing slide 3645, Larval slides RMNH INS no 12392–12394 (RMNH, BMNH, WML, MH).
Non type material. Leafmines: same data as types.
Diagnosis. Externally A. lesbia resembles A. limonii, but the female lacks the conspicuous anal tuft. Males identified with certainty by examination of genitalia: gnathos triangular, wider than in limonii, but distinctly narrower than in maritima, uncus narrow and pointed as in limonii. Aedeagus distinctly longer than in maritima. Female genitalia resemble limonii in the hairy anal papillae and S7, but lack the conspicuous tufts on T7.
Description. Male (Figs. 14, 16, 17). Forewing length 1.7–2.1 mm, wingspan 4.0–4.6 mm. Head: frontal tuft and collar white or ochreous, mixed with dark grey scales; scape hidden in tuft, some brown-tipped scales, flagellum grey. Antenna with 28–34 segments. Thorax and forewing white, irrorate with brown-tipped scales; white fascia at 2/3, some additional white spots basally may be present; cilia white, cilia line present. Hindwing narrow, grey, with costal bristles. Underside of forewing and hindwing dark brown or grey. Abdomen dark grey with conspicuous yellow anal tufts.
Female. Forewing length 1.9–2.2 mm, wingspan 4.4–4.8 mm. Antenna with 29–31 segments. Abdominal tip broadly rounded, no tufts present.
Male genitalia (Figs. 38, 44, 70, 82, 83). Measurements: see Table 3. Vinculum rounded, ventral plate narrow, with ventral, triangular posterior process; lateral arms slightly expanded ventrally. Tegumen forming distinctly produced, rounded pseuduncus with many setae dorsally. Uncus with long, pointed central element, strongly curved posteriorly. Gnathos with triangular central element, longer than broad, lateral arms not ‘swollen’. Valva (Fig. 70) basally broadest; tip slightly produced inwards, with many thick setae dorsally; transtilla with slightly curved transverse bar and short sublateral processes. Aedeagus (Figs. 44, 82, 83) with ventral carina bifurcate, long, pointed; lateral carinae strongly curved dorsad. Vesica without cornuti.
Female genitalia (Figs. 57–59). Two groups of 6–8 setae along posterior margin of T7. T8 trapezoid, slightly indented mesially, without setae and scales. T9 with two groups of more than 50 setae. S7 also with many setae near abdominal tip. Vestibulum and bursa flimsy, without sclerotisations, bursa hardly reaching beyond segment 7, total bursa length from cloaca ca 375 μm. Ductus spermathecae with 2 narrow convolutions.
Final instar larva. Head capsule ca 350 µm wide, see further group description.
Biology. Hostplant: Limonium gmelinii (det. J. Edmondson). The hostplant grows here on the edges of the dunes, either close to the sea in sand or close to the salt marsh amongst grass. The host does not grow on the salt marsh proper.
Egg on either side of leaf. Leafmine (Figs. 115, 116) a full-depth mine, gallery throughout, starting much contorted, often spirally, later a full-depth mine with narrow broken, brown, frass, following straighter course through leaf. Larval exit hole on leaf upperside. Mines not separable from those of A. maritima or A. limonii.
Cocoon white, usually spun on leaf underside (Fig. 117).
Distribution (Fig. 127). Greece, Lesvos. Only found at Skala Kallonis, and not found on other sites with the host on Lesvos, nor on Khios (pers. comm. M. Hull).
Etymology. Named after the island of Lesvos (=Lesbos): lesbios (Greek), lesbius (Latin), an adjective, denoting ‘from Lesvos’ or inhabitant of Lesvos. Lesvos is the transcription of modern Greek as used in the Times Atlas (Times 2000).
description: Published as part of Van, Erik J., 2007, Acalyptris Meyrick: revision of the platani and staticis groups in Europe and the Mediterranean (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae), pp. 1-48 in Zootaxa 1436 on page 22, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.273702