Acalyptris yucatani Remeikis & Stonis, 2013
- Dataset
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
- Rank
- SPECIES
- Published in
- Stonis JR, Remeikis A, Diškus A, Noreika R. New Nepticulidae species (Insecta: Lepidoptera) from the Yucatán Peninsula. Zootaxa 3609: 223-230. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3609.2.8. (2013).
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Arthropoda
- class
- Insecta
- order
- Lepidoptera
- family
- Nepticulidae
- genus
- Acalyptris
- species
- Acalyptris yucatani
description
Description. Male (first record) (Figs 113 – 115). Forewing length 2.2 – 2.4 mm; wingspan 4.8 – 5.3 mm (n = 4). Head. Labial palpus cream; scape yellowish cream; frontal tuft dark beige to brown; collar cream, comprised of piliform scales; antenna distinctly shorter than one-half length of forewing; flagellum glossy, brownish grey to dark grey-brown. Thorax. Tegula and thorax brownish cream with some dark brown scales. Forewing yellowish cream to greyish cream, speckled with dark brown scales, particularly distinct on apical half of forewing; fringe yellowish cream, without fringe line; forewing underside pale brown or ochre-brown, with slight purple iridescence, without androconia. Hindwing glossy cream or greyish cream (depending on angle of view), densely covered with pale brown or ochre-brown androconial scales, except the glossy cream apical 1 / 4; fringe cream. Legs glossy, cream, with some grey-brown scales on upper side. Abdomen. Pale brown to dark grey-brown and some purple iridescence on upper side, golden cream on underside; genital plates cream; anal tufts inconspicuous or absent. Genitalia (Figs 116 – 120) with capsule about 500 – 520 µm long. Phallus about 410 µm long, with spined carinae (Figs 117, 120). Female. Externally similar to male but without brown scales on hindwing. Genitalia (Figs 121 – 124) about 1170 µm long, without a vaginal sclerite. Bionomics (Figs 107 – 111). Host plant is Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth ex Walp., commonly known as matarratón (Fabaceae: Faboideae) (Figs 107, 108) (new host plant); the previous record of Schinus sp. (Anacardiaceae) (Stonis et al. 2013 c, Stonis & Remeikis 2017) was based on an incorrect identification. Egg laid singly, both on upper and underside of the leaf; egg case flat, shiny, black-grey when filled with frass. Larvae mine leaves from early December (Stonis et al. 2013 c) to early March; based on numerous older, vacant leaf mines observed in western Colombia, the mining may be particularly active in January; voltism unknown. Larva bright green to yellow, with a dark green intestine and pale brown head. Leaf mine (Figs 110, 111) as a gallery filled with dark green frass. Cocoon (Fig. 109) 1.7 – 1.8 mm long, 1.2 – 1.3 mm wide (n = 8), beige, only sometimes dark brown. Adults of the Colombian series emerged in late February to early March; one specimen was also attracted to light. Otherwise, biology is unknown.
diagnosis
Diagnosis. External characters, except the male hindwing covered in pale brown scales, are not sufficient for species identification. In the male genitalia, the long and curved chetae of valva (fig. 117), very short vinculum (Fig. 116), and the unique, spined carinae of phallus (Figs 117, 120) distinguish A. yucatani from all known Acalyptris species. In the female genitalia, the net-like structure of a corpus bursae (Fig. 122) and unique, spined, asymmetrical signa (Fig. 123) distinguish the new species from all known congeneric species. This species is also distinctive because no other species in this genus is known to feed on Gliricidia.
distribution
Distribution (Fig. 1). Mexico, Yucatán: Quintana Roo, Tulum (Stonis et al. 2013 c); Colombia, the western tropical slopes of the Andes: Valle del Cauca, Dagua, Lobo Guerrero and El Naranjo (Figs 10, 11) (new distribution). DNA barcode. We barcoded four specimens of the Colombian series of this species; sequences are available in GenBank under voucher / sample ID’s MN 732881, MN 982361, MN 982362, MN 982363.
materials_examined
Material examined. 9 ♂, 4 ♀, COLOMBIA: Valle del Cauca, Lobo Guerrero, 850 m, 3 ° 45 ’ 42 ’’ N, 76 ° 39 ’ 46 ’’ W, larvae on Gliricidia sepium, field card no. SV 002, 8. ii – 3. iii. 2019, leg. J. R. Stonis & S. A. Vargas, genitalia slide no. RA 1031 ♂, RA 1028 ♂, RA 1031 ♀ (MPUJ); 1 ♀, El Naranjo, 550 m, at light, 3 ° 47 ’ 2 ” N, 76 ° 43 ’ 14 ” W, 21 – 23. ii. 2019, J. R. Stonis & S. A. Vargas, genitalia slide no. RA 1032 ♀ (MPUJ).,
diagnosis
Diagnosis. Externally, the new species can be distinguished from most Acalyptris species, including Neotropical ones, by the presence of two white spots (costal and tornal) on the speckled forewing. In female genitalia it differs from all known Neotropical Acalyptris species by a combination of specialized large asymmetrical signae and a vestibulum without distinct sclerites. Male. Unknown.
etymology
Etymology. This species is named after the Yucatán Peninsula.
materials_examined
Type material. Holotype: Ƥ, MEXICO, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Tulum, 20 ° 12 ' 35 " N, 87 ° 25 ' 55 " W, elevation 15 m, mining larva 29. xi. 2011, ex pupa 14. xii. 2011, leg. A. Remeikis & J. R. Stonis, gen. slide no. RA 468 Ƥ (currently deposited in LEUS, with further re-deposition at ZMUC).