Simplimorpha (Myrtinepticula) cercaria 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) cercaria Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.
(Figs. 65–67, 75–86)
Type material. Holotype: ♂, CHILE, Osorno, Parque Nacional Puyehue, Aguas Calientes, 450 m, 13.xi.1981, leg. E. S. Nielsen & O. Karsholt, genitalia slide no. AD 707♂ (ZMUC). Paratypes (10 ♂, 14 ♀): 3 ♂, 2 ♀, same label data as holotype, genitalia slide no. Diškus 192 ♂ (ZMUC); 5 ♂, 11 ♀, same locality as holotype, 12.xii.1981, collected around Myrceugenella apiculata, leg. E. S. Nielsen & O. Karsholt, genitalia slide nos AD 709♀, AD 720♀ (ZMUC); 1 ♂, same locality, 600 m, 3 km W Aguas Calientes, 12–20.xii.1981, leg. D. R. Davis, genitalia slide nos AD 706♂ (wing venation), AD 726♂ (capsule with phallus missing) (USNM); 1 ♂, Chiloe Id., Hueque Trumao, 22 km N Quellon, 50 m, 26–27.xii.1981, leg. D. R. Davis (USNM); 1 ♀, ARGENTINA, Neuquén, Lago Lacar, 5 km E of Hua-Hum, 26–27.xii.1981, E. S. Nielsen & O. Karsholt (ZMUC).
Diagnosis. Externally, adults resemble M. nielseni sp. nov. However, purple iridescence is significantly weaker (mostly only along costa in the basal half of forewing, only seldom wider) or absent (in S. nielseni the purple iridescence usually is very strong, particularly on forewing apex). Males of S. cercaria are also recognizable by the anal end of abdomen: large, claw-like genital segments (which are valvae emerging from the abdomen) which can instantly identify the species (Fig. 67). In male genitalia, the combination of the very large, distally broadly rounded vinculum, very long slender valva with inner lobe, and the specific shape of phallus (see Fig. 78) distinguishes the species from all other Nepticulidae.
Male (Figs. 65–67). Forewing length 3.4–3.7 mm; wingspan 7.6–8.2 mm. Head: palpi yellowish cream to pale brown; frontal tuft orange to yellowish orange; collar large, comprised of lamellar scales, which are golden coppery to pale grey-brown with some golden gloss; scape golden cream to cream, posteriorly sometimes shadowed with brown or pale grey scales; antenna half the length of forewing or slightly longer; flagellum with 29 segments, brown-grey with golden gloss to very pale brown on upper side and underside. Thorax, tegula and forewing golden coppery, shiny; basal half of forewing with light to strong purple iridescence along costal margin; occasionally weak purple iridescence covers broader areas; no fascia; fringe grey-brown; underside of forewing fuscous brown, with a weak purple iridescence, sometimes with pale, elongate basal spots; no androconia. 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. Legs dark brown to greybrown on upper side, distally, mainly tarsi, orange-cream to cream; on underside, legs mostly whitish cream. Abdomen dark brown to fuscous on upper side, grey-brown on underside; anal tufts short, dark grey; genital plates glossy grey to brownish cream, very distinct.
Female. Very similar to male. Flagellum with about 25–26 segments. Abdomen distally ochre-brown on underside, only proximally greyish white. Apex of abdomen broadly rounded (Fig. 86). Otherwise as male.
Male genitalia (Figs. 75–82). Capsule longer (450–560 µm) than broad (405–410 µm). Vinculum very large, without lateral lobes; ventral plate of vinculum broadly rounded, almost truncate. Uncus reduced, tegumen with weakly developed, short, asymmetrical lateral lobes (Fig. 79). Gnathos absent. Valva (Figs. 75, 80) slender and very long (405–410 µm), strongly broadned and thickened at the base, with a large basal process and large dorsal lobe (Figs. 80, 81) that functionally may be replacing the transtilla which is absent. Phallus (Figs. 77, 78, 82) 465– 470 µm long; minimal width 40 µm, maximal width 70 µm; at base broadened, angular, tube of phallus thickened; vesica with a cathrema and thickened cornutus-like fold (Figs. 78, 82). Manica absent.
Female genitalia (Figs. 83–85). Total length 1285–1500 µm. Anterior apophyses as a complex of thickened rods and lobes fused with thickened abdominal segments; posterior apophyses simple, rod-like, about 145–170 µm long, slender. Vestibulum slender, without sclerites. Corpus bursae small (reduced), without pectinations or signa, rounded. Accessory sac absent; ductus spermathecae with 4.5–5 convolutions, extended into very large (300–700 µm long, 215–290 µm broad) utriculus; spines or pectinations absent. Apex of abdomen very broadly rounded.
Bionomics. Some adult specimens were collected around the Chilean myrtle Luma apiculata (DC.) Burret (previously also known as Eugenia apiculata DC., Myrceugenia apiculata (DC.) Niedenzu, or Myrceugenella apiculata (DC.) Kausel.)(Myrtaceae) which is expected to be the host-plant of this species. Luma apiculata is native to the southern Andes between Chile and Argentina, at 33 to 45° S. However, no reared material or leafmines on Luma (= Myrceugenella) are known. Adults fly mostly in November–December; one specimen was also collected in early January. Otherwise the biology is unknown.
Distribution. This species occurs in the southern Andes (central Chile and eastern Argentina) at altitudes ca. 50– 600 m.
Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin cercarius (tailed) in reference to the claw-like valvae of the male genitalia, distinctly visible in non-dissected specimens.
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 159-163, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4521.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/2609733