Stigmella brutea Remeikis & Stonis 2014, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Stonis, Jonas R.
name: Remeikis, Andrius
name: Davis, Donald R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nepticulidae
Stigmella
Stigmella brutea

description: 9. Stigmella brutea Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov.   
(Figs 29, 79, 80, 102)  
 Diagnosis. Despite the grey, irrorated with dark brown grey forewing, a character very common for many Stigmella species, this species posseses also unique male genitalia characters: the small valva with exceptionally long and straight apical process, the rounded phallus with numerous small spine-like and 6 broad and large cornuti.   
 Male (Fig. 29). Forewing length about 2.9 mm; wingspan about 6.4 mm. Head: palpi grey to dark grey; frontal tuft orange-beige; collar and scape cream; antenna longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum about 38 segments, dark grey on upper side and underside. Thorax, tegulae and forewing grey, irrorated with dark brown grey scales (especially distinct on apical half of forewing); forewing with no fascia; terminal and tornal cilia dark grey; underside of forewing greyish brown with short basal row of dark greyish brown chaetae along costal margin. Hindwings and cilia dark grey on upper side and underside, with no androconia. Legs dark grey to fuscous on upper side, grey to cream-grey on underside. Abdomen dark grey to grey on upper side and underside; anal tufts short, dark grey; anal plates greyish cream.   
 Female. Similar to male.   
 Male genitalia (Figs 79, 80). Capsule slender, longer (325–330 µm) than wide (185–190 µm). Vinculum with two long and very slender lateral (anterior) lobes. Uncus with short blunt lobes. Gnathos with two very narrow caudal processes and very slender transverse bar (Fig. 79). Valva 185–190 µm long, 65–70 µm broad, with very long and straight apical process; inner lobe of valva small, slightly angular; transtilla with weakly defined trianglar, sublateral processes. Phallus rounded (Fig. 80) about 180 µm long, 130 µm broad; chitinization of phallus tube is partially reduced in distal half; vesica with numerous various small, spine-like and 6 broad, large cornuti (but never with dentate ones). Manica absent.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 102). Total length about 970 µm. Anterior apophyses long (about 125 µm) and slender; posterior apophyses very long (about 170–185 µm) and very slender. Vestibulum narrow, without sclerites. Corpus bursae narrowed (about 140 µm broad) in distal 1/3 and very broad (305 µm), oval-shaped on basal 2/3, without signa, covered with pectinations over entire length, without spines. Accessory sac indistinct or absent; ductus spermathecae long, with about 3.5 weakly developed (“shallow”) convolutions, not extended into large utriculus (as in the purpurimaculae group). Abdominal tip broad, truncate.   
 Bionomics. A few specimens were collected around Colletia spinosissima (Rhamnaceae); however there is insufficient proof that this plant is the host of S. brutea. Adults fly in November–December. Otherwise unknown.   
 Distribution. This species occurs in the southern Andes (Argentina) at altitudes ca. 650–750 m (see Material).   
 Type material. Holotype: ♂, ARGENTINA, Neuquén, Lágo Lacar, Pucar, elevation ca. 650 m, 27.xii.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide no. RA 332♂ (ZMUC). Paratypes: 3 ♀, ARGENTINA, Neuquén, Lágo Lacar, Pucar, elevation ca. 750 m, 10.xi.1978, Mision Cientifica Danesa, slide nos. RA 371♀, RA 372♀, RA 386♀ (ZMUC); 1 ♀, elevation ca. 650 m, 27.xii.1981, Nielsen & Karsholt (ZMUC).   
 Other material (not type). 1 ♀, ARGENTINA, Neuquén, Lágo Lacar, Pucar, elevation ca. 750 m, 10.xi.1978, Mision Cientifica Danesa, slide no. RA 384♀ (ZMUC) (The specimen exibits some variation of genitalia and external characters and therefore was excluded from the type-series).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin bruteus (brutal) in reference to the unusually long, apical process of the valva in the male genitalia.
description: Published as part of Stonis, Jonas R., Remeikis, Andrius & Davis, Donald R., 2014, Ten new species from the Patagonian Andes (Argentina and Chile), mostly belonging to a newly designated Stigmella purpurimaculae group (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae), pp. 321-353 in Zootaxa 3887 (3) on pages 331-332, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3887.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/4952109