Manitischeria ptarmica Stonis & Diškus & Solis & Monro 2021, comb. nov.
Creators: name: Stonis, Jonas R.
name: Diškus, Arūnas
name: Solis, M. Alma
name: Monro, Alexandre K.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Tischeriidae
Manitischeria
Manitischeria ptarmica

description: 1. Manitischeria ptarmica (Meyrick, 1908), comb. nov.
(Figs. 1, 2, 4–9, 33, 34, 37–45)
Tischeria ptarmica Meyrick, 1908: 399.
Tischeria ptarmica Meyrick, in van Nieukerken 2010: 515–517.
Host plants. In India, Ziziphus jujuba Mill. (Meyrick 1908) and Z. mauritiana Lam. (Robinson et al. 2010); in the Arabian Peninsula, possibly Z. spina-christi (L.) Desf. (van Nieukerken 2010); in Laos, Ziziphus sp. (resembling Z. rugosa Lam.), Rhamnaceae (Fig. 4).
Distribution. The species is possibly widespread in South West, South and South East Asia. Currently known from the Arabian Peninsula: UAE (van Nieukerken 2010); Pakistan, Peshawar (new distribution data); India, Orissa: Puri (Meyrick 1908), Pusa, Surat, and Karwar (new distribution data); and Laos: Luang Prabang Province (new distribution data).
Material examined. 10 ♂ (lectotype and paralectotypes, designated here; seven without abdomen), INDIA: Odisha [Orissa], Puri, mining larvae on Ziziphus jujuba Mill., i.1908, E. Meyrick, genitalia slide no. 28663 ♂ (lectotype) (NHMUK); 1 ♂, N of Mumbai [Bombay], Surat, 26.iv.1919 (NHMUK) (new distribution data); 1 ♂, Karwar (also known as Kanara or Karnataka Coast), vi.1911 (without abdomen) (NHMUK) (new distribution data); 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Pusa, Rangi Coll., mining larvae on Ziziphus jujuba, 6.iii.1934, genitalia slide no. 28664 (NHMUK) (new distribution data).
1 ♂, PAKISTAN: Peshawar, 20–25.v.1916, Fletcher Coll. (presented by R. L.E. Ford 1949), genitalia slide 28820 (NHMUK) (new distribution data).
3 ♂, 1 ♀, LAOS: Luang Prabang Prov., Nong Khiaw, 20°32’48”N, 102°38’22”E, elevation 410 m, mining larvae on Ziziphus sp., 12.ii.2020, field card no. 5310, A. Diškus & M. Jocius, genitalia slide nos.AD1018 ♂, AD1019 ♂ (no pinned moth available, the adult, except for genitalia, completely consumed for molecular studies), AD1025 ♂ (ZIN); 2 ♂, 2 ♀, Vientiane Province, Vang Vieng, 18°56’01”N, 102°25’56”E, elevation 240 m, mining larvae on Ziziphus rugosa Lam., 3.ii.2020, field card no. 5310, A. Diškus & M. Jocius, genitalia slide nos. AD1017 ♂ (from adult in the pupal skin, no pinned moth is available), AD1020 ♂, AD1013 ♀, AD1016 ♀ (ZIN).
THAILAND. Herbarium samples with leaf mines of M. ptarmica collected in 21.xii.1969 from Fang, Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand (see Discussion).
Remarks. Here, we designate a lectotype and nine paralectotypes of M. ptarmica. The lectotype and paralectotypes are designated here to fix and stabilize the current concept of the name, labeled as in Material examined. Each specimen is supplied with individual round paper labels that clearly states the status of the specimen: red for the lectotype and yellow for paralectotypes.
The leaf mines of M. ptarmica are documented for the first time (see Figs. 4–9.) The male genitalia of the lectotype is provided in Fig. 1. For illustrations of the male and female genitalia from the Arabian Peninsula, see van Nieukerken (2010); for the newly examined specimens from Laos, see Figs. 37–45.
Based on the study of many specimens from different localities, including a large series from Laos, we found that the juxta in M. ptarmica is always distinctly asymmetrical.
So far, M. ptarmica is the smallest known Tischeriidae worldwide. We measured our series from Laos: male forewing length 2.0– 2.75 mm (n = 3, average mean = 2.5 mm); male wingspan 4.35–5.93 mm (n = 3, average mean = 5.40 mm); female forewing length 1.92–2.95 mm (n = 3, average mean = 2.55 mm); female wingspan 4.06–6.33 mm (n = 3, average mean = 5.47 mm) (Stonis et al. 2021). With a minimal wingspan of 4.06 mm, T. ptarmica is the smallest described species among the family, however, the maximum recorded wingspan of this species is longer than in another tiny species, Coptotriche pulverea Walsingham, 1897 (Stonis et al. 2021).
description: Published as part of Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Solis, M. Alma & Monro, Alexandre K., 2021, Diagnostics of Manitisheria gen. nov., an Old-World genus of leaf-mining Tischeriidae, composed of new species and species formerly in Tischeria Zeller, pp. 251-287 in Zootaxa 4964 (2) on page 257, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4964.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/4709284