Stigmella paramica Diskus & Stonis, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Stonis, Jonas R.
name: Diškus, Arūnas
name: Remeikis, Andrius
name: Gerulaitis, Virginijus
name: Karsholt, Ole
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nepticulidae
Stigmella
Stigmella paramica

description: Stigmella paramica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.
(Figs 6–17, 27, 28, 33–48)
Type material. Holotype: Ƌ, ECUADOR: Napo Province, ca. 10 km W Papallacta, 0°21'45"S, 78°11'35"W, páramo, elevation 3800 m, mining larvae on Pentacalia sp. 13.i.2005, field card no. 4812, leg. A. Diškus & J. R. Stonis, genitalia slide no. AD611Ƌ (ZMUC). Paratypes: 3 Ƌ, 2 ♀, same label data as holotype, genitalia slides nos AD612Ƌ, AD618Ƌ, AD620Ƌ, AD619♀, AD621♀; head slide no. AD614Ƌ (all from mature pupae) (ZMUC).
Diagnosis. In the male genitalia, the set of very long and slender cornuti and one large spine-like cornutus distinguishes S. paramica sp. nov. from all other Stigmella species possessing clusters of cornuti; the host-plant Pentacalia Cass also makes this species distinctive.
Male (Fig. 34). Forewing length 2.1–2.2 mm; wingspan 4.8–5.0 mm. Head: palpi pale grey-cream to cream; frontal tuft ferruginous to pale ochre or beige; scape golden cream; antenna slightly longer than half the length of forewing; flagellum with 32–34 segments, dark grey-brown to grey (distinctly annulated), with golden gloss and some purple & green iridescence.Thorax and tegula dark brown with strong purple iridescence. Forewing dark brown to fuscous along costa and apically, with postmedian fascia; fascia grey cream to white with silvery gloss; cilia grey-brown to pale brown; underside of forewing fuscous with strong purple iridescence, without spots or androconia. Hindwing grey-brown on upper side and underside, with some purple iridescence but without androconia; its fringe grey. Legs brownish cream, darkened with fuscous brown on upper side.
Female. Similar to male.
Male genitalia (Figs 35–42). Capsule longer (300–305 µm) than wide (220–225 µm). Vinculum with small angular lateral lobes; ventral plate of vinculum short. Uncus with two wide lobes, each bearing two papillae (Figs 37, 39, 42). Gnathos stout, with two caudal processes widening basally (Figs 37, 39); central plate of gnathos large, in the form of a trapezium (Fig. 39). Valva (Figs 36, 41, 42) 185–190 µm long, 65–80 µm wide, with two large apical processes; inner lobe slightly bulged; transtilla without processes (Figs 37, 42). Juxta membranous, triangular, widening caudally (Fig. 36). Phallus (Figs 35, 38, 40) short (195–200 µm) but wide (100 µm); vesica with one large spine-like cornutus and one (Fig. 38) or two (Figs 35, 40) apical clusters of long slender cornuti; usually apical clusters are of different size (Figs 38, 40).
Female genitalia (Fig. 43). Total length 620–630 µm. Anterior and posterior apophyses almost equal in length. Vestibulum wide, without sclerites. Corpus bursae with round shaped, 310 µm wide in basal part, without signa or distinctive pectinations. Accessory sac wide but short; ductus spermathecae with one chitinized convolution. Abdominal apex blunt, about 130 µm wide.
Bionomics. Larva mines in leaves. Host-plant: Pentacalia sp. (Asteraceae) (Figs 44, 45). Larva pale green to pale yellow, with dark green intestine and brown head; mine in January. Sinuous or contorted gallery of mine filled with brown-black frass, except distal part with some empty areas without frass. Larval exit slit on upper side of the leaf. Cocoon dark ochre-brown. Adults emerged in February.
Distribution (Figs 17, 27). This species occurs high in the equatorial Andes (Ecuador: Napo Province) at altitudes about 3800 m in páramo habitats (Figs 6–16).
Etymology. The species is named after the habitat (páramo) where it occurs.
description: Published as part of Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Gerulaitis, Virginijus & Karsholt, Ole, 2016, Leaf-mining Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) from record high altitudes: documenting an entire new fauna in the Andean páramo and puna, pp. 1-94 in Zootaxa 4181 (1) on pages 22-25, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4181.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/164243