Acalyptris murex Diskus & Stonis, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Stonis, Jonas R.
name: Diškus, Arūnas
name: Remeikis, Andrius
name: Karsholt, Ole
name: Torres, Nixon Cumbicus
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nepticulidae
Acalyptris
Acalyptris murex

description: 44. Acalyptris murex Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.
(Figs 2, 9, 25–28, 34, 97, 98, 108, 109, 116–120)
Type material. Holotype: ♂, BOLIVIA: Nor Yungas Province, Coroico, 16°11'49˝S, 67°43'07˝W, elevation 2030 m, mining larva on Collaea sp. 25.iv.2014, ex pupa v.2014, field card no. 5164, A. Diškus, genitalia slide no. AD 850♂ (ZMUC). Paratype: 1 ♀, same label data, genitalia slide no. AD851♀ (ZMUC).
Diagnosis. Belongs to A. peteni species group. The combination of a valva with median and basal widenings, unique shape of cornuti and carinae of the phallus, and unique vaginal sclerite of the female genitalia with five very long spines distinguishes A. murex sp. nov. from all other Acalytris species.
Male (Fig. 34). Forewing length about 2.6 mm; wingspan about 5.6 mm. Head: palpi yellowish cream; frontal tuft ferruginous; collar comprises of pale ferruginous piliform scales; scape yellowish cream; antenna shorter than half the length of forewing; flagellum with 29 segments, brown on upper side, yellow cream (stramineous) on underside. Thorax, tegula and forewing cream to yellowish cream with light blue iridescence; forewing with a dark brown pseudofascia and with numerous dark brown scales on apex; fringe cream with light blue iridescence; underside of forewing pale brownish grey, without spots or androconia. Hindwing and its cilia brownish cream on upper side and underside, without spots or androconia. Legs glossy, yellowish cream; forelegs and midlegs with some dark brown scales on upper side. Abdomen grey cream, glossy on upper side, golden cream on underside; anal tufts very short, cream.
Female. Similar to male.
Male genitalia (Figs 97, 98). Capsule longer (315 µm) than wide (200 µm). Vinculum very small but with very long and slender lateral lobes. Pseuduncus very slender. Uncus inverted V-shaped. Gnathos with small angular central plate, one large caudal process and wide lateral arms (see fig. 97). Valva 210–220 µm long, 40–45 µm wide, bulged medially and at the base; basal processes of valvae long and very slender. Phallus (Fig. 98) 350 µm long, 105–130 µm wide, with two wide lateral carinae, two closely juxtaposed ventral carinae, very large cathrema, and specific thickening (cornutus).
Female genitalia (Figs 108, 109). Total length about 655 µm. Anterior and posterior apophyses almost equal in length. Vestibulum wide, with unique spiny sclerite. Corpus bursae oval-shaped, 380 µm long, 190–140 µm wide, with a pair of signa reticulata (Fig. 108); pectinations comb-like and spine-like. Ductus spermathecae with weakly developed convolutions and small, plate-like sclerite. Abdominal apex truncated.
Bionomics (Figs 116–120). Larvae mine in leaves of Collaea speciosa (Loisel.) DC., Fabaceae (Figs 116– 118). Larvae pale greenish grey with bright green intestine and dark brown head, mine in April. Leaf-mine (Figs 119, 120) as a sinuous, gradually widening gallery; in the begining, slender part black-brown or brown frass fills whole width of the gallery, further frass deposited in a very wide central line with narrow unfilled areas. Larval exit slit on upper side of the leaf. Cocoon pale, yellowish beige; length 2.2 mm, maximum width 1.3 mm. Adults fly in May.
Distribution (Figs 9). This species occurs in the Bolivian Andes (Bolivia: Nor Yungas Departamento) at altitudes about 2030 m (Figs 25–28).
Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin Murex (tropical sea snails possessing shells with long spines) in reference to the long spines of vaginal sclerite in the female genitalia.
description: Published as part of 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), pp. 1-70 in Zootaxa 4257 (1) on pages 58-60, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.557156