Atacamaptilia ambrosiavora Vargas & Espinoza-Donoso 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Espinoza-Donoso, Sebastián
name: Gonçalves, Gislene L.
name: Vargas, Héctor A.
name: Moreira, Gilson R. P.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gracillariidae
Atacamaptilia
Atacamaptilia ambrosiavora

description: Atacamaptilia ambrosiavora Vargas & Espinoza-Donoso sp. nov.
Figs 1–10
Type material. MALE HOLOTYPE, CHILE: Arica Province, Azapa; 18°31’19’’ S; 70°10’42’’ W; 260 m; emerged November, 2017; H.A. Vargas leg.; ex-larva, Ambrosia cumanensis; collected October, 2017; “ Holotype Atacamaptilia ambrosiavora Vargas & Espinoza-Donoso ” [red handwritten label]; IDEA-LEPI-2021-014; genitalia slide HAV-1395. Specimen and genitalia slide deposited at IDEA.
PARATYPES, CHILE: four males, three females, same data as for holotype; IDEA-LEPI-2021-015 to IDEA- LEPI-2021-021; [wing and genitalia slides] HAV-1209, 1211; [genitalia slides] HAV-1393, 1394, 1398, 1399, 1467. Specimens and slides deposited at IDEA.
Additional material. Ten larvae and ten pupae, same data as for holotype, deposited in LMCI under accession code LMCI –358.
Diagnosis. As for the genus.
Description. Adult (Figs 2–3). Male and female similar in size and color. Forewing length 3.5–3.8 mm.
Head. Frons and vertex creamy white. Maxillary palpus mostly creamy white, with distal segment light grey. Antenna creamy white on scape and pedicel, light grey on flagellum. Labial palpus mainly creamy white; second segment with light grey scales on distal half; third segment with a light grey ring in the middle.
Thorax. Mostly creamy white with scattered light grey scales. Foreleg with creamy white and light grey scales on coxa; femur and tibia light grey; tarsus creamy white. Midleg similar in color to foreleg; tibia with narrow, flat, elongated light grey scales medially. Hind leg creamy white; tibia with narrow, spine-like longitudinal row of creamy white scales posteriorly. Forewing mostly light yellowish brown, with three lightly differentiated dark greyish brown oblique stripes almost equidistant; an apical dark greyish brown blotch with a small creamy white blotch centrally. Hindwing whitish grey, with concolorous fringe. Abdomen. Creamy white, with scattered light grey scales.
Male genitalia. As described for genus.
Female genitalia. As described for genus.
Egg (Fig. 10E). Oval. Maximum length 0.3 mm; maximum width 0.2 mm. Whitish immediately after deposition; chorion translucent; larva visible by transparence before eclosion.
Larva. Hypermetamorphic with five instars; the first three sap-feeding; the last two tissue feeding.
Third instar (Figs 4, 6). Apodal, prognathous; head, thorax and abdomen slightly depressed. Maximum length 2.2 mm; head width 0.29–0.30 mm.
Head (Fig. 4A–E). Light brown. Five circular stemmata (Fig. 6A, B) arranged laterally in a semicircle. Antenna 3-segmented (Figs. 4E); first segment annular; second, cylindrical, same diameter as the first, with three sensilla at apex; third small, length almost half that of the second one, with three sensilla at apex. Mouthparts typical of sapfeeding type. Labrum 2-lobed with rounded cleft in the middle of distal margin; each lobe with slightly pectinate distal margin. Mandible semicircular, flattened, with two hook-like teeth on anterior margin. Maxillae absent. Labium depressed, with anterior end broadly widened, anterior margin markedly concave in the middle. Spinneret just a small perforation at the border between labium and hypopharynx that is densely covered with small spines (Fig. 4C). Labial palpus as a reduced projection bearing two small sensilla (Fig. 4D).
Thorax. Creamy white. All thoracic segments with well-differentiated shields (Figs 6C–E) on both dorsal and ventral surfaces, with elliptical and subtrapezoidal shapes, respectively. One pair of ambulatory callosities on T1 (Fig. 4H). Thoracic legs vestigial, unsegmented, on T2–3 (Fig. 4I). T1–3 bearing 5 short setae near the base of ambulatory callosities. Integument mostly covered by granular microtrichia on dorsal and ventral surfaces (Fig. 4F) and by small spine-like microtrichia laterally and near the base of ambulatory callosities. Spiracles circular, laterally on T1 (Fig. 4G).
Abdomen. Creamy white. All abdominal segments with well-differentiated subtrapezoidal shields (Figs 6A–C) dorsally on A1–10 and ventrally on A1–9. Ventral ambulatory callosities on A3–6 (Fig. 4J); crochets absent. Integument mostly covered by small spine-like microtrichia, in greater number around ambulatory callosities and more sparsely on the lateral, dorsal and ventral surfaces. Spiracles circular, laterally on A1–8.
Chaetotaxy of third instar (Fig. 6). Head (Fig. 6A, B). A-group bisetose; A1 slightly posterior to stemma 3; A3 posterolateral to A1. L-group unisetose; L1 anterolateral to P2. MG-group unisetose. P-group bisetose; P1 posteromedial to P2. S-group trisetose; S1 between stemmata 2 and 3; S2 and S3 between stemmata 1 and 5. SS-group trisetose. Groups AF, C, CD and F absent. Thorax (Fig. 6C–E). T1. D-group bisetose. XD-group unisetose. SD-group bisetose. D and XD groups on the dorsal shield. L-group bisetose; L1 and L2 anterior to spiracle, L2 smaller than L1. SV-group bisetose; SV1 and SV2 dorsal to ambulatory callosity. T2–3. D-group bisetose; D1 on dorsal shield. SD-group bisetose; SD1 anterodorsal to SD2. L-group bisetose. SV-group unisetose; SV1 dorsal to ambulatory callus. Abdomen (Fig. 6C–E). A1, A7 and A8. D-group 1-setose; D2 near lateral margin of dorsal shield. SD-group bisetose; SD1 near and anteroventral to D2; SD2 posterodorsal to spiracle. L-group bisetose; L1 posteroventral to spiracle. V-group unisetose; V1 near lateral margin of ventral shield. A2. Similar to A1, but with SV-group unisetose. A3–6. Similar to A2, but SV-group trisetose with SV1, SV2 and SV3 on lateral surface of ambulatory callus. A9. D-group bisetose; D1 anterodorsal to D2, both near lateral margin of dorsal shield. SD, L and V groups 1-setose. A10. Eleven pairs of setae.
Fifth instar (Figs 5, 7). Eruciform; hypognathous; legs on T1–3, prolegs on A3–5 and A10. Maximum length 5.5 mm; head width 0.36–0.39 mm.
Head (Fig. 5A–G). Light brown. Frontoclypeus subtriangular, elongated, slightly sinuous laterally. Five circular stemmata, laterally arranged in a semicircle (Fig. 5D). Antennae 2-segmented (Fig. 5E); first segment annular, with one sensillum laterally and four sensilla at apex; second segment cylindrical, same length and about 1/3 diameter of first segment, with two sensilla at apex. Chewing mouthparts. Labrum bilobed with a raised median area on each lobe (Fig. 5F). Epipharynx with numerous spines, three teeth and one pore (Fig. 7D). Mandible with five teeth on distal margin and two setae on external surface. Maxilla with galea and palpus well-differentiated. Labium with relatively short cylindrical spinneret with apex rounded (Fig. 5G); labial palpus with basal segment 4 times the length of smaller apical one, bearing short subapical sensillum; apical segment bearing elongate apical sensillum, exceeding length of basal segment.
Thorax. Yellowish-white; covered with short spine-like microtrichia. Prothoracic dorsal shield slightly differentiated, elliptical, smooth. Spiracles circular, with slightly elevated peritreme laterally on each side of prothorax. Leg (Fig. 5H) with a narrow and curved tarsal claw at apex (Fig. 5I).
Abdomen. Yellowish-white; covered by short spine-like microtrichia (Fig. 5J). Circular spiracle with slightly elevated peritreme laterally on A1–8 (Fig. 5K). Prolegs of A3–5 with crochets arranged in circle; those in the posterior half three times longer than in the anterior half (Fig. 5L); crochets of A 10 in uniordinal mesoseries. Anal shield semicircular (Fig. 5M), smooth, yellowish-white.
Chaetotaxy of fifth instar (Fig. 7).
Head (Fig. 5A–B). A-group trisetose. AF-group bisetose; AF2 smaller than AF1, close to each other and near dorsal vertex of frontoclypeus. C-group bisetose; C2 smaller than C1, and both close to ventral margin of frontoclypeus. CD-group trisetose; pore CDa present. F-group unisetose; F1 close to lateral adfrontal suture. L-group unisetose; L1 posterolateral to A3. MG-group unisetose. P-group bisetose; P1 lateral to AF-group; P2 lateral to P1. S-group trisetose; S1 between stemmata 2 and 3; S2 and S3 between stemmata 1 and 5. SS-group trisetose.
Thorax (Fig. 5C). T1. D-group bisetose. XD-group unisetose. D- and XD-groups on dorsal shield. SD-group bisetose. Pore between XD1 and SD1. L-group bisetose; L1 and L2 anteroventral to spiracle. SV-group bisetose; SV1 and SV2 above coxa. T2–3. D- and SD-groups bisetose; both groups arranged in an almost diagonal line. MD-group unisetose. L-group bisetose with L1 anteroventral to L2. MSD-group bisetose. SV-group unisetose; SV1 dorsal to coxa. MV-group unisetose.
Abdomen (Fig. 5C). A1. D- and SD-groups bisetose; D1 anteroventral to D2; SD1 posterodorsal to spiracle; SD2 anterodorsal to spiracle. L-group bisetose; L1 posteroventral to spiracle. SV-group unisetose. V-group unisetose. A2. Similar to A1, but with SV-group bisetose; SV1 anterior and close to SV2. A3–5. Similar to segment A2, but SV-group trisetose on lateral face of proleg. A6. Similar to A3-5, but SV-group between L3 and V1. A7–8. Similar to A6, but SV-group absent. A9. D-group bisetose. SD-, L- and V-groups unisetose. A10. D- and SD-groups bisetose, all setae close to margin of anal shield. L-, PP-, SV- and V-groups on proleg. L-group trisetose; SV-group 4-setose; V-group unisetose.
Pupa (Figs 8–9). Light brown; maximum length 3.9 mm.
Head. Cocoon-cutter with three small, triangular projections anteriorly directed (Fig 8D, E). Frons with two pairs of short setae (Fig 8F). Antennae long, extending beyond the last abdominal segment (Fig. 9A–C). Labial palpus almost one third the length of proboscis (Fig. 9A). Apex of proboscis extending up to the middle of the fourth abdominal segment.
Thorax. Prothorax a narrow transverse stripe in dorsal view, slightly wider on distal and lateral portions. Mesothorax a smooth, wide transverse stripe in dorsal view, with a pair of medium-sized hair-like setae (Fig. 8G), close to the anterior margin. Metathorax a narrower sub-trapezoidal plate in dorsal view with pair of medium-sized hairlike setae close to the anterior margin. Apex of prothoracic legs extending to near the middle of the fourth segment. Apex of mesothoracic legs extending to near the middle of the fifth segment. Apex of metathoracic legs extending to the end of eighth segment (Fig. 9A–C).
Abdomen. Partly covered with granular microtrichiae; one pair of medium-sized setae dorsally on A1, three pairs on A2–7, one pair of microsetae between the anterior margin and spiracle on A2–7. Circular spiracles with slightly elevated peritreme from A2–7 (Fig. 8H, 9C). A transverse patch of posteriorly curved spine-like projections dorsally on segments A2–7 near anterior margin (Fig. 8I, 9B–C). Segment A10 with six stout, anteriorly curved spines arranged in semicircle dorso-laterally (Fig. 8J–L).
Etymology. The species name is derived from the genus of the host plant (Ambrosia) and the Latin word vorare (=to eat, to devour).
Distribution. The distribution range of A. ambrosiavora is currently restricted to the type locality, the Azapa Valley in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.
Host plant (Fig. 10A). Ambrosia cumanensis Kunth (Asteraceae) is the only known host plant of A. ambrosiavora. This widespread Neotropical plant is introduced in Chile with the only country records restricted to the highly human-modified agricultural area of the Azapa Valley (Moreira-Muñoz et al. 2016). Ambrosia cumanensis has been erroneously cited as Ambrosia peruviana Willd. in the literature dealing with the Chilean flora (Luebert & García 2020).
Natural history (Fig. 10A–I). Eggs are deposited on the abaxial side of A. cumanensis leaves. The first instar larva immediately enters the leaf, producing a narrow, very inconspicuous serpentine mine restricted to more superficial cell layers. Subsequently it eats most of the parenchyma and the mine becomes a well-defined blotch on the two leaf surfaces, obliterating the initial serpentine one. The last instar exits the mine through a lateral slit to pupate externally in a silk cocoon. The larva is yellowish white, changing to reddish pink before exiting the mine. Eggs, sap-feeding and tissue-feeding instars can be found throughout the year, suggesting multiple and overlapped generations.
description: Published as part of Espinoza-Donoso, Sebastián, Gonçalves, Gislene L., Vargas, Héctor A. & Moreira, Gilson R. P., 2022, Atacamaptilia ambrosiavora gen. et sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), a leaf miner of Ambrosia cumanensis (Asteraceae) in the Atacama Desert, pp. 401-418 in Zootaxa 5100 (3) on pages 406-415, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5100.3.5, http://zenodo.org/record/6201727