American Asteraceae-feeding Astrotischeria species with a highly modified, three-lobed valva in the male genitalia (Lepidoptera, Tischeriidae)
Author
Jonas R. Stonis
Author
Arūnas Diškus
Author
Fernando Carvalho Filho
Author
Owen T. Lewis
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-09-03
4469
1
1
69
journal article
29181
10.11646/zootaxa.4469.1.1
9a69324f-0dfb-463a-a399-070b030037af
1175-5326
1454525
42680994-585D-4230-B574-8DB398341B23
The
Astrotischeria trilobata
species group (designated here)
Diagnostics:
forewing varied, from rather dark, densely speckled with grey-brown scales to ochre-yellow, sparsely irrorated with brown or black, brown and ochre scales; the latter may form irregular, indistinct obligue stripes or blotches. In the male genitalia, valva with one, usually slender ventral and two shorter, but usually pointed and curved dorsal lobes; the latter lobes are best visible from the lateral view (
Figs. 4–19
); the second dorsal lobe can be rather indistinct, variously developed in some species. Basal process of valva long or very long. Uncus short and with four lobes (two slender, longer lateral lobes, and usually rounded, shorter median ones) except for one species,
A. onae
Diškus & Stonis
,
sp. nov.
, which possesses a rather long, bilobed uncus. Gnathos absent. Anellus prominent, laterally thickened (sometimes very strongly), with a few lateral setae; distally anellus usually with weakly chitinized, rounded lobes. Phallus very slender, apically widened and bifurcated. Female genitalia with well-developed prela which sometimes are greatly prolonged or in the shape of a chitinized plate proximally. Ductus spermathecae usually with a few small coils, except for
A. casila
Diškus & Stonis
,
sp. nov.
and
A. selvica
Diškus, Carvalho-Filho & Stonis
,
sp. nov.
where coils are numerous.
Currently the group comprises 11 species occurring from North America (northern
USA
) to South America (as far as
Bolivia
). All species with studied biology are associated with
Asteraceae
.