Simplimorpha (Myrtinepticula) nielseni Stonis & Diškus & Remeikis & Solis 2018, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Stonis, Jonas R.
name: Diškus, Arūnas
name: Remeikis, Andrius
name: Solis, M. Alma
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nepticulidae
Simplimorpha

description: Simplimorpha (Myrtinepticula) nielseni Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov.
(Figs. 35, 68, 69, 87–117)
Type material. Holotype: ♂, ARGENTINA, Neuquén, Lago Lacar, Pucará, collected around mined Myrceugenia planipes, elevation ca. 650 m, 26–27.xii.1981, E. S. Nielsen & O. Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 620♂ (ZMUC). Paratypes (26 ♂, 6 ♀): 17 ♂, 2 ♀, same label data, collected around mined Myrceugenia planipes, E. S. Nielsen & O. Karsholt, slide nos Diškus 191♂, RA 622♂, AD 708♀, slide RA 621♂ (genitalia, head, wing venation, hindleg), O.Karsholt4270 ♂ (ZMUC); 1 ♂, Pucará, elevation ca. 750 m, 26.xii.1978, Mision Cientifica Danesa (ZMUC); 2 ♀, 5 km E Hua-Hum, larvae on Myrceugenia planipes, elevation ca. 640 m, 8.x.1981, E. S. Nielsen & O. Karsholt, genitalia slide nos RA 618♀, RA 619♀ (ZMUC); 1 ♂, Chubut, El Bolson, Lago Puelo, elevation ca. 220 m, 21.xi.1978, Mision Cientifica Danesa (ZMUC); 3 ♂, 1 ♀, CHILE: Osorno, Anticura, Puyehue, 1–5.i. 1986 m, L. E. Pena G. (USNM); 1 ♀, Osorno, Parque Nacional Puyehue, Aguas Calientes, larvae on Myrceugenia planipes, elevation ca. 450 m, 26.ix.1981, E. S. Nielsen & O. Karsholt (ZMUC); 1 ♂, 3 km W Aguas Calientes, elevation ca. 600 m, 12–20.xii.1981, D. R. Davis (USNM); 2 ♂, Chiloe Id., Hueque Trumao, 22 km N. Quellon, elevation ca. 50 m, 26–27.xii.1981, D. R. Davis, genitalia slide no. RA 623♂ (USNM); 1 ♂, Temuco Province, Fundo Chacamo, 35 km NW Nueva Imperial, elevation ca. 600 m, 5–8.xii.1981, D. R. Davis (USNM). Leaf mines: a set (collection) of mined leaves of Myrceugenia planipes, sample no. K27, ARGENTINA, 5 km E Hua-Hum, 8.x.1981, E. S. Nielsen & O. Karsholt (ZMUC).
Diagnosis. Externally, adults of the new species resemble another congeneric species, S. cercaria. However, purple iridescence is significantly stronger (not only along the forewing costa but particularly on the forewing apex). Male of S. nielseni is also distinguishable from male of S. cercaria because the latter possesses claw-like genital segments (ie. the valvae emerging from the abdomen) while in S. nielseni they look shorter (Fig. 68). In the male genitalia, the combination of the very large, distally broadly rounded vinculum, strongly curved valva with dorsal lobe, and the specific shape of the phallus with prominent spines on the cornutus distinguishes the species from all other Nepticulidae.
Male (Figs. 68, 69). Forewing length 3.0–3.4 mm; wingspan 6.6–7.2 mm. Head (Figs. 88–90): palpi yellowish cream to pale brown; frontal tuft orange to yellowish orange; collar large, comprised of lamellar scales, which are pale grey-brown with some golden gloss to golden coppery; scape golden cream to cream, sometimes posteriorly shadowed with brown or pale grey scales; antenna half the length of forewing or slightly longer; flagellum with 28–30 segments, brown-grey with golden gloss on upper and underside or fuscous on upper side but grey cream basally on underside. Thorax, tegula and forewing golden coppery, shiny; at apical part, also sometimes over other areas of forewing, with strong to very strong purple iridescence; no fascia; fringe grey-brown; underside of forewing fuscous brown, with weak purple iridescence, sometimes with pale, elongated spots at the base of forewing; no androconia; forewing venation with incomplete anal loop, with four distal veins (Figs. 93, 94). Hindwing grey-brown with some purple iridescence on upper side, fuscous brown, with or without purple iridescence on underside; no androconia; fringe grey-brown, without purple iridescence; hindwing venation with three distal veins (Fig. 95). Legs (Figs. 91, 92) dark brown to grey-brown on upper side, distally (mainly tarsi) orange-cream to cream. Abdomen dark brown to fuscous with purle iridescence on upper side, grey-brown golden glossy on underside; anal tufts very short, dark grey; genital plates glossy grey to brownish cream, very distinct.
Female. Very similar to male but antenna, hindwing, legs, and abdomen may be slightly paler. Flagellum with 24–26 segments. Forewing usually with strong purple iridescence apically, only occassionally forewing with very weak purple iridescence. Abdominal tip broadly trapezoid (Fig. 87), greyish white on underside. Otherwise as male.
Male genitalia (Figs. 96–106). Capsule longer (570–575 µm) than broad (420–425 µm). Vinculum very large, without lateral lobes; ventral plate of vinculum broadly rounded. Uncus weakly thickened, sometimes hardly visible in genitalia slides; ventral element trapezoid, with a caudal excavation and few sublateral setae, dorsal element triangular with lateral lobes (Figs. 97–99). Gnathos absent. Valva (Figs. 103, 106) 265–280 µm long, strongly curved inwardly, maximal width 85–95 µm, strongly thickened basally, with large basal process and large dorsal lobe (Fig. 106); transverse bar of transtilla absent. Phallus (Figs. 35, 100–102, 104) 455–460 µm long; minimal width 40 µm, maximal width 85 µm; at base rhomboid (angular), chitinization of phallus tube strong; vesica with a cathrema and single cornutus possessing four spines (Figs. 35, 102). Manica absent.
Female genitalia (Figs. 107, 108). Total length about 1180 µm. Anterior apophyses as a complex of thickened rods fused with abdominal segments and strongly thickened caudal belt; posterior apophyses simple, about 150– 155 µm long, slender. Vestibulum slender, without sclerites. Corpus bursae small (reduced), without pectinations or signa, rounded. Accessory sac absent; ductus spermathecae with 5–5.5 convolutions, extended into a large (455– 460 µm long, 410 µm broad) utriculus; spines or pectinations absent. Apex of abdomen blunt, broadly rounded or almost truncate.
Bionomics. Host plant: Myrceugenia planipes (Hook. & Arn.) O. Berg (Myrtaceae). Some specimens of the type series were collected around or reared from leaf mines on the Patagua de Valdivia (Myrceugenia planipes), an evergreen plant growing in Chile and Argentina from 37 to 45° S. Egg white or cream white, occasionally grey, glossy, distinctly oval-shaped, usually on upper side, occasionally on underside of the leaf. Larvae mine in October. Mine (Figs. 109–116) as a long, slender, gradually broadening and very contorted gallery with brown-black or black frass filling most of the gallery width (Figs. 113, 115). Color of larva unknown. Larval exit slit on underside of the leaf. Cocoon purplish brown but with a pale beige-brown flattened rim (Fig. 117); length 4 mm (3 mm without the flattened rim), maximal width 3 mm (2 mm without the flattened rim). Adults fly October–December.
Distribution. This species occurs in the southern Andes (mountainous western Argentina and central Chile) at altitudes of about 200– 750 m.
Etymology. This peculiar new species of leaf miner is named after Ebbe Schmidt Nielsen (1950–2001), a great Danish entomologist, influential in systematics and Lepidoptera research, an early proponent of biodiversity informatics, and who, together with Ole Karsholt, collected most of the type series.
description: Published as part of Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius & Solis, M. Alma, 2018, A Gondwanan concept of Simplimorpha Scoble (sensu lato): a step toward clarity in the generic diagnostics of global Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera), pp. 151-182 in Zootaxa 4521 (2) on pages 163-170, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4521.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2609733