17. Manitischeria baryshnikovae Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 7A67D90F-BB3B-4B49-8E01-ABE9AE27814C

(Figs. 19–24, 35, 96–106)

Type material. Holotype: ♂, LAOS: Luang Prabang Prov., Nong Khiaw, 20°33’07”N, 102°36’21”E, elevation 1070 m, from feeding larvae 10.ii.2020, A. Diškus & M. Jocius, genitalia slide no. AD1015 ♂ (ZIN) . Paratype: 1 ♀ same label data as holotype, genitalia slide no. AD1014 ♀ (ZIN) .

Diagnosis. Externally, M. baryshnikovae sp. nov. can be confused with other sparsely speckled Tischeriidae species, including the most similar M. symbolica sp. nov., described above. In the male genitalia, the presence of two large, curved, dorsal lobes of the juxta (Fig. 100) and a short uncus distinguish the new species from all known congeneric species. In the female genitalia, M. baryshnikovae is characterized by the unique, laterally elaborate antrum (Fig. 106), however, females of most other Manistischeria are unknown.

Male (Fig. 35). Forewing length 3.2 mm; wingspan 6.6 mm (n = 1). Palpi and frons cream; pecten brownish cream; frontal tuft and collar ochre cream, distally cream, comprised of slender lamellar scales; antenna slightly longer than one half the length of forewing; flagellum brownish cream to cream, irregularly annulated with brown scales; sensillae very fine, relatively short, but visible. Tegula and thorax concolourous with forewing. Forewing pale yellowish ochre, irrorated with blackish brown and pale grey scales, with most of blackish brown scales in apical third of the wing; fringe yellow-ochre; fringe line indistinctive; forewing underside pale brown-grey, without spots or androconia. Hindwing cream to brownish cream depending on angle of view; hindwing underside pale grey-brown; fringe brownish cream. Legs ochre cream, on upper side and laterally densely speckled with blackish brown scales. Abdomen yellow-ochre to ochre-brown; genital plates grey cream; anal tufts long, very distinctive, ochre-yellow or yellow-brown depending on angle of view.

Female. Forewing length 3.2 mm; wingspan 6.6 mm (n = 1). Scaling as in male, but flagellum not annulated with brown scales; fringe line of forewing distinctive, comprised of blackish brown scales; dark scales form four inconspicuous, ill-defined spots on forewing apex. Otherwise, as in male.

Male genitalia (Figs. 96–104). Capsule 470 µm long, 275 µm wide. Uncus comprised of two short, basally wide lobes (Figs. 101, 104). Valva (Figs. 98, 100) slender in basal half, with a prominent inner arm. Juxta comprised of ventral and dorsal elements; ventrally with a pair of pointed, curved, spine-like processes (Figs. 97, 100, 103), dorsally with a pair of very large, inwardly bent lobes (Figs. 96, 100, 102, 104). Vinculum with a very short dorsal lobe (Fig.99). Phallus (Figs. 97, 104) deeply divided apically (Fig.97).

Female genitalia (Figs. 105, 106) 1015 µm long. Ovipositor lobes relatively small, rounded, with peg-like setae (Fig. 105; second pair of ovipositor lobes twice smaller. Anterior apophyses slightly shorter than posterior apophyses (Fig. 106); prela with three pairs of rod-like projections and a pair of lobe-like projections; the latter is mostly membranous (Fig. 105). Antrum thickened and elaborate laterally (Fig. 106). Corpus bursae wide, but short (Fig. 106); pectinations indistinctive. Ductus spermathecae inconspicuous.

Bionomics (Figs. 19–24). Host plant is Helicteres Pluk. ex L. sp., Malvaceae (Fig. 19). Larvae mine leaves in February. Larva is yellowish grey with a dark green intestine and brown head. The mine is irregularly shaped, blotch-like (Figs. 21–24), with very little or without frass. Adults occur in March.

Distribution. This species is known from a single locality in Laos, Luang Prabang Province, at elevation of about 1100 m, but the host plant has a much wider distribution.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of our great colleague and friend Dr. Svetlana V. Baryshnikova (Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia) in recognition of over 40-years research in the field of leaf mining Lepidoptera .