Astrotischeria ochrimaculosa Stonis & Diškus & Vargas 2019, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Stonis, Jonas R.
name: Diškus, Arūnas
name: Vargas, Sergio A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Tischeriidae
Astrotischeria
Astrotischeria ochrimaculosa

description: Astrotischeria ochrimaculosa Diškus, Stonis & Vargas, sp. nov.
(Figs. 1, 29–32, 58–88)
Type material. Holotype: COLOMBIA: ♂, Departamento de Valle del Cauca, Municipio de Dagua, El Naranjo, 550 m, at light, 3°46’46’’N, 76°43’63’’W, 21–23.ii.2019, J. R. Stonis & S. A. Vargas, genitalia slide no. AD 959♂ (MPUJ). Paratypes: 3 ♂, 2 ♀, PERU: Cusco Region, La Convención Province, Cerro Quintalpata, 13°0’24”S, 72°36’36”W, elevation 1260 m, 23.vi.2018, ex pupa vii.2018, field card no. 5290, A. Diškus & J. R. Stonis, genitalia slide nos AD 961 ♂ (from an adult in pupal skin, no moth preserved), AD 963♀, AD 964♀ (USNM).
Leaf mines also photographed, but not collected: PERU: Cusco Region, La Convención Province, Maranura, 12°57’56”S, 72°39’18”W, elevation 1220 m, 21.vi.2018, A. Diškus & J. R. Stonis (Figs. 85, 85).
Diagnosis. A remarkably distinctive species among Astrotischeria because of its small size and unique morphology of the phallus in the male genitalia (Figs. 59, 60), and the greatly reduced ovipositor lobes in the female genitalia (Fig. 76). The large, dorsally undivided and thickened uncus (Fig. 73), very short vinculum (Figs, 61, 70), and very large dorsal lobe of valva (Fig. 70) make this species very distinctive.
Male (Figs. 29–32). Forewing length 3.0 mm (n = 1, holotype from Colombia), 3.6 mm (n = 1, paratype from Peru); wingspan 6.6 (n = 1, holotype from Colombia), 7.9 mm (n = 1, paratype from Peru). Head: Face triangular, smoothly-scaled, grey, glossy, distally yellowish cream; labial palpus yellowish cream; frontal tuft brown-grey, with some yellowish cream lamellar scales; collar large, distinct, yellow cream (Fig. 30); antenna distinctly longer than half the length of forewing; pecten yellowish cream (Fig. 30), flagellum yellowish grey to grey; sensillae very fine, 3–5 times longer than width of the flagellum (Fig. 29). Thorax: Yellow cream with some grey scales distally. Tegula grey, distally yellow cream. Forewing densely covered with blackish grey scales and with elongate, irregular ochre-yellow patches; fringe black-grey, without a fringe line; forewing underside entirely black-grey, without spots or androconia. Hindwing and its fringe black-grey on upper side and underside, with little purple iridescence, and without androconia. Legs speckled with yellow cream and dark grey scales. Abdomen: Black-brown on upper side and underside, but with some yellowish cream scales on underside, more so distally; anal tufts short, indistinct; genital plates yellowish cream. Genitalia (Figs. 58–61, 69–74) with capsule 380 µm long, 230 µm wide (holotype from Colombia), 340 µm long, 190 µm wide (paratype from Peru). Uncus (Figs. 58, 59, 72, 73) comprised of a very large, undivided dorsal lobe and two large ventral lobes, each possessing a process distally (Fig. 73). Valva divided (Figs. 59, 61, 69, 70): ventral lobe (main body) straight and narrow; dorsal lobe inwardly curved, very large, wide in basal half, very slender apically; transtilla absent; basal process of valva moderately long (Fig. 59). Anellus long and distally thickened only dorsally (Figs. 72, 73), but mostly membranous and indistinct ventrally (Fig. 60). Phallus very small, 160–170 µm long (in both, Colombian and Peruvian specimens), distally furcated, without spines (Figs. 59, 60, 71, 74).
Female. Head and Thorax: Externally similar to male, but thorax and forewing pattern is paler. Abdomen: Genitalia (Figs. 75–79) with ovipositor almost pointed, with triangular, greatly reduced lobes; area between ovipositor lobes indistinct, with tiny papillae and some short setae. Second pair of lobes indisctinct. Anterior and posterior apophyses stout (Figs. 75, 78), anterior apohpyses distinctly longer than posterior ones; remaining two apophyses pairs represent slender, rod-like and broad lobe-like projections called prela. Tips of one pair of rod-like prela articulating with anterior apophyses in a groove 1/2 of their length (Fig. 77). Vestibulum without antrum, however, vestibulum may appear thickened laterally because of prela (Figs. 76, 77). Ductus bursae lost in slide no. AD963 (Figs 75–79). Ductus spermathaecae with about 10–11 large coils (Fig. 79).
Bionomics (Figs. 62–65, 80–88). The larvae mine the leaves of Abutilon Mill., possibly A. divaricatum Turcz. (Malvaceae: Malvoideae: Malvea) (Figs. 81–83) (see Remarks); mining larvae are recorded from June. The blotch mine is irregular, with very little or no frass (Figs 84, 85, 87); in fully developed mines the margin of the mined leaf is usually bent (Figs 85–86). The larva is pale green, with a dark green intestine (Fig. 87). Pupation occurs inside the leaf mine. The exit slit is on upper side of the leaf. Adults are attracted to light; the holotype was collected by a light trap in February (Figs. 66–68).
Distribution. The species is known from El Naranjo, Valle del Cauca (Fig. 1), a rather lush tropical locality/habitat on the eastern edge of the Choco biogeographical province in southwestern Colombia at an elevation of about 550 m (Figs. 62–65), and also from a tropical habitat in Cusco Region, Peru, at an elevation about 1200–1300 m (Fig. 80).
Etymology. The species name is derived from the Greek ochra (ochre) and Latin maculosus (spotted), referring to the forewing pattern with irregular yellowish ochre patches.
Remarks. The host plant, Abutilon Mill., possibly A. divaricatum Turcz., was identified by research botanist Francisco Fajardo Gutiérrez (Herbarium of Jardín Botánico de Bogotá) based on photographs. Hence, the identification is somewhat provisional.
description: Published as part of Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas & Vargas, Sergio A., 2019, Discovery of leaf-mining Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) in Colombia and their distribution in the Neotropics, pp. 219-236 in Zootaxa 4638 (2) on pages 223-235, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4638.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/3337701