Stigmella lauta Diskus & Stonis, sp.nov.
Creators: name: Stonis, Jonas R.
name: Diškus, Arūnas
name: Remeikis, Andrius
name: Schuster, Jack
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nepticulidae
Stigmella
Stigmella lauta

description: Stigmella lauta Diškus & Stonis, sp.nov.
(Figs 2, 18–23, 38–40, 60–69)
Type material. Holotype: ♂, Guatemala, Santa Cruz del Quiché (Utatlán Ruins), 15°01'22''N, 91°10'17''W, elevation ca. 2023 m, montane forest, larva on Quercus sp., 20.ii.2012, ex pupa iii.2012, field card no. 5103, LT-GT Scientific Expedition, genitalia slide no AD505 (ZMUC). Paratypes: 2♂, 2♀, same label data as holotype, genitalia slide nos AD 506♂, AD 512♂, AD507♀, AD518♀.
Diagnosis. In male genitalia the new species differs from all other species of the saginella group by the very long vinculum, rounded sublateral processes of transtilla, and very long spine-like cornuti. Also see Diagnosis of related S. sublauta sp. nov.
Male (Figs 38–40). Forewing length 2.2–2.3 mm; wingspan 4.8–5.0 mm. Head: palpi cream; frontal tuft black on vertex, yellowish cream in smaller frontal part; collar and scape large, yellowish cream; antenna with 27–29 segments, slightly shorter than half of forewing; flagellum dark grey on upper side, grey to cream-grey on underside. Thorax, tegulae and forewings yellow-cream or grey-cream densely irrorated with brown-black or black scales (no distinct forewing pattern); sometimes dark scales prevail and forewings look dark brown with a few scattered pale scales; cilia grey to blackish grey (including forewing apex); underside of forewing black-grey, with distinct or indistinct elongated cream spot on apex. Hindwings and cilia grey. Legs fuscous on upper side, yellowish cream on underside. Abdomen fuscous on upper side, cream on underside.
Female. Similar to male.
Male genitalia (Figs 60–64). Capsule longer (335 µm) than wide (185 µm). Vinculum without lateral lobes; ventral plate very large. Uncus with short triangular, distally thickened lateral lobes (Fig.62). Gnathos with slender transverse bar and two caudal processes (Figs 60, 62). Valva (Fig.61) 145 µm long, slender, pointed apically; transtilla with broad rounded sublateral processes. Juxta rounded caudally (Figs 60, 61). Aedeagus (Figs 63,64) 214–235 µm long, 55–60 µm broad; vesica with 6 very long spine-like cornuti.
Female genitalia (Figs 65–69). Total length 905 µm. Apophyses anteriores slightly shorter than apophyses posteriores (Fig. 67). Vestibulum relatively narrow, without sclerites. Accessory sac very small. Corpus bursae oval, 410 µm, covered with numerous pectinations and with short (55–110 µm) chitinized signa (Figs 68, 69).
Bionomics. Mines in leaves (Figs 18–23). Host-plants: Quercus sp. (section Lobatae) (Figs 21). Egg on upper side of the leaf. Larvae mine in February. Sinuous or contorted gallery of mine filled with coiled dark brown or black frass (Figs 18–22). Larva deep green, with brownish green intestine (Fig. 18). Larval exit slit on upper side of the leaf. Cocoon beige-brown. Adults emerged in March.
Distribution (Fig. 2). Known only from Guatemala in mixed montane forests at elevation about 2000 m (Fig.23).
Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin lautus (elegant; gaudy) in reference to the very large ventral plate of the vinculum, and transtilla with unusually broad, rounded sublateral processes.
Stigmella sublauta Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. (Figs 2, 3, 24–26, 41, 70–75)
Material examined. Holotype: ♀, Guatemala, Quetzaltenango, 14°47'27"N, 91°32'09"W, mining larvae on Quercus crassifolia, 2500 m, 08.ii.2012, field card no. 5118, LT-GT Scientific Expedition, genitalia slide no. RA481 (ZMUC). Paratypes: 2♀, the same label as holotype (ZMUC).
Diagnosis. It differs from all other species of the saginella group by combination of speckled forewings, long apophyses anteriores and asymmetrical signa. From most similar S. lauta sp. nov. it also differs by the paler forewing, much longer apophyses anteriores and signa: in S. sublauta signa are 175 and 280 µm long (in S. lauta 55–110 µm).
Male. Unknown.
Female (Fig. 41). Forewing length 2.3–2.4 mm; wingspan 5.0–5.2 mm. Head: palpi cream; frontal tuft black; collar and scape cream; antenna with 19–20 segments, slightly shorter than half of forewing; flagellum dark grey to fuscous on upper side, grey to cream-grey on underside. Thorax, tegulae and forewings yellow-cream or greycream densely irrorated with dark brown or black-brown scales (with no distinct forewing pattern); cilia pale grey; underside of forewing very pale brownish grey, except dorsal and tornal edges and apex where it remains cream. Hindwings and cilia pale grey. Legs fuscous to grey on upper side, yellowish cream on underside. Abdomen pale grey on upper side, yellowish cream on underside.
Female genitalia (Figs 70–75). Total length 1050 µm. Anterior and posterior apophyses equally long, ca. 150 µm (Fig. 70). Vestibulum narrow, heavily wrinkled, without sclerites. Accessory sac very small. Corpus bursae elongated, 660 µm, covered with numerous pectinations and with distinctly asymmetrical, 175 and 280 µm, chitinized signa (Figs 73–75).
Bionomics. Mines in leaves (Figs 24, 25). Host-plant: Quercus crassifolia Humb. & Bonpl. (section Lobatae) (Fig. 26). Egg on upper side of the leaf. Larvae mine in February. Sinuous gallery of mine filled with blackish frass (Figs 24, 25). Larva yellowish, with brownish intestine. Larval exit slit on upper side of the leaf. Cocoon whitish. Adults emerged in March.
Distribution (Fig. 2). Known from Guatemala (mixed montane forests at elevation 2500 m (Fig. 3).
Etymology. This species is named after related Stigmella lauta Diškus & Stonis.
Stigmella aurifasciata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. (Figs 2, 42, 76–80)
Material examined. Holotype: ♀, Guatemala, Panajachel, 14°45'06''N, 91°09'43''W, elevation ca. 1657 m, montane forest, larva on Quercus sp., 22.ii.2012, ex pupa iii.2012, LT-GT Scientific Expedition, genitalia slide no AD499 (ZMUC).
Diagnosis. It differs from all other species of the saginella group by combination of very broad golden cream median and two black basal and apical fasciae of forewing, very long apophyses posteriores, and asymmetrical signa.
Male. Unknown.
Female (Fig. 42). Forewing length 2.3 mm; wingspan 5.0 mm. Head: palpi; frontal tuft brownish orange; collar and scape yellow-cream; antenna with about 26 segments, slightly shorter than half of forewing; flagellum fuscous on upper side, cream on underside. Thorax golden cream (or yellow-cream); tegulae slightly darker, yellow-cream. Forewings with very broad golden cream (or yellow-cream) median fascia and two broad black fasciae: basal and apical; tiny basal area before basal fascia remains yellow-cream; fuscous scales with some purple iridescence; cilia yellowish cream on apex, greyish on tornus; underside of most of forewing fuscous, apex yellowish cream. Hindwings pale grey on upper side; grey to dark grey on underside; cilia of hindwings grey. Legs dark grey to fuscous on upper side, yellow-cream on underside. Abdomen black on upper side, yellow-cream on underside.
Female genitalia (Figs 76–80). Total length 845 µm. Anterior apophyses shorter than posterior apophyses (Figs 77, 78). Vestibulum narrow, without sclerites. Accessory sac very small. Corpus bursae elongated, 460 µm, covered with numerous pectinations (Fig. 79) and with asymmetrical, 135 and 230 µm, chitinized signa (Figs 76, 80).
Bionomics. Mines in leaves. Host-plant: Quercus sp. (section Lobatae). Larvae mine in February. Adults emerged in March.
Distribution (Fig. 2). Known only from Guatemala in mixed montane forests at elevation about 1660 m.
Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin aureus (golden) and fasciata (with fascia) in reference to the forewing with a broad golden cream fascia.
description: Published as part of Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius & Schuster, Jack, 2013, First discovery of Quercus feeding Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) in Central America, pp. 1-23 in Zootaxa 3737 (1) on pages 6-10, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3737.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/285197