Acalyptris mortalis Diskus & Stonis 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Stonis, Jonas R.
name: Diškus, Arūnas
name: Remeikis, Andrius
name: Vargas, Sergio A.
name: Solis, M. Alma
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Nepticulidae
Acalyptris
Acalyptris mortalis

description: 15. Acalyptris mortalis Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. (Figs 84–106)
Diagnosis. Externally, the new species can be distinguished from all other Neotropical Acalyptris by the sliver glossy forewing with black postmedian fascia (Figs 90–92). In the male genitalia, the unique, small uncus and inverted V-shaped gnathos distinguish A. mortalis from all known congeneric species. This species is also distinctive because no other species in this genus is known to feed on Inga saltensis.
Description. Male (Figs 90–92). Forewing length 1.6–1.8 mm; wingspan 3.6–4.1 mm (n = 2).
Head. Scape golden cream, distally grey or pale brown; frontal tuft pale ochre orange; collar comprised of brownish cream piliform scales; antenna one-half length of forewing; flagellum grey-black on upper side, greybrown on underside, with 23 segments.
Thorax. Tegula and thorax grey-black to black, with some purple iridenscence; forewing silvery glossy with blue and purple iridescence, and wide postmedian facia of brown-black or black scales with some purple iridescence; fringe grey, at tip cream, without fringe line; forewing underside grey-black, without androconia or spots, except for an elongated, scaless basal spot along costal margin. Hindwing and fringe grey to dark grey on upper side and underside, with some purple iridescence, without androconia. Legs black on upper side, dark grey with silvery gloss on underside, distally brownish cream.
Abdomen. Abdomen black with some purple iridescence on upper side, dark grey, silvery shiny on underside; anal tufts distinctive, black-grey; genital plates brownish cream, contrasting with the abdominal colour. Genitalia (Figs 93–102) with capsule about 250–265 µm long, 155–170 µm wide. Phallus about 240–260 µm long, with numerous large cornuti (Figs 97–102).
Female. Externally similar to male. Antenna usually curved, distinctly shorter than one-half length of forewing. Abdominal apex flat and truncated, without anal tufts. Genitalia (Figs 103–106) 525 µm long, with a large vaginal sclerite (Fig. 105).
Bionomics (Figs. 84 – 89). Host plant is Inga saltensis Burkart (Fabaceae: Mimosoidea) (Fig. 84). Egg ovoid, brown, glossy, usually laid on upper side of the leaf (hard to find). Larva pale green to dark green, with a dark green intestine and pale brown head. Larvae mine in June, produce sinuous, gallery-like leaf mines (Figs 85–88), with a wide central line of black frass; initial part of leaf mines always contorted. Cocoon (Fig. 89) beige. Adults fly in July.
Distribution (Fig. 1). Currently known from a single locality in Bolivia (Yungas: Coroico, Camino de la muerte / N Yungas Road), at altitude about 1300 m (Figs 6–9).
Etymology. The species name derived from the Latin mortalis (deathlike), in reference to the unusual, dark, mournful appearance of the moth, as well as the worldwide famous type locality of the new species (Camino de la Muerte).
Type material. Holotype: ♂, BOLIVIA, Nor Yungas Province, Coroico (Yolosa, Camino de la muerte / N Yungas Road), 16°13ꞌ38ꞌꞌS, 67°44ꞌ36ꞌꞌW, elevation 1270 m, mining larvae on Inga saltensis Burkart (Fabaceae), 11.vi.2018, ex pupa vii.2018, field card no. 5257, A. Diškus & J. R. Stonis, genitalia slide no. AD 955♂ (ZMUC). Paratypes: 2 ♂, 2 ♀, same label data as holotype, genitalia slides nos. AD 949♂ (from mature pupa, adult not pre- served), AD 952♀ (only genitalia slide; the adult totally consumed for DNA studies) (ZMUC).
description: Published as part of Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Vargas, Sergio A. & Solis, M. Alma, 2020, Diagnostics and updated catalogue of Acalyptris Meyrick, the second largest genus of Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) in the Americas, pp. 201-247 in Zootaxa 4748 (2) on pages 220-225, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4748.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3698667