A new Brazilian Passiflora leafminer: Spinivalva gaucha, gen. n., sp. n. (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae, Gracillariinae), the first gracillariid without a sap-feeding instar

Abstract

Male, female, pupa, larva and egg of a new genus and species of Gracillariidae (Gracillariinae), Spinivalva gaucha Moreira and Vargas from southern Brazil are described and illustrated with the aid of optical and scanning electron microscopy. A preliminary analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences including members of related lineages is also provided. The immature stages are associated with Passiflora actinia, Passiflora misera and Passiflora suberosa (Passifloraceae), and build mines on the adaxial leaf surface. Initially the mines are serpentine in shape, but later in larval ontogeny become a blotch type. Although the larvae are hypermetamorphic as in other Gracillariidae, there is no sap-feeding instar in Spinivalva gaucha; the larva feeds on the palisade parenchyma, thus producing granular frass during all instars. Pupation occurs outside the mine; prior to pupating, the larva excretes numerous bubbles that are placed in rows on the lateral margins of the cocoon external surface. This is the second genus of gracillariid moth described for the Atlantic Rain Forest, and the second gracillariid species known to be associated with Passifloraceae.

Cryptic Diversity in the Monotypic Neotropical Micromoth Genus Angelabella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in the Peru-Chile Desert

“…In relation to the geographic distribution of A. tecomae, the results provide molecular evidence in support of the only previous Peruvian record of this species, suggesting a relatively narrow geographic range restricted to a few ravines near the limit between Peru and Chile, as only the samples from Tacna-Arica showed divergence levels within the ranges previously reported as intraspecific for Gracillariidae [56][57][58]. This geographic range may be slightly wider, because T. f. fulva occurs in a few additional ravines in the southernmost part of Peru [18]; this micromoth should be searched for in all of them.…”

“…However, the results provided here suggest that it is not a monotypic genus, but harbors four morphologically cryptic allopatric species, a scenario that should be explored further. As Angelabella has been surveyed only on three of the six subspecies of T. fulva, surveys must be expanded to the remaining three subspecies, two of which are distributed on the eastern slopes of the Andes [18], to characterize better the distribution and species diversity of this micromoth genus. A greater sampling effort is necessary to define lineage diversity at the metapopulation level for the type species and the three candidate species suggested here, which implies more detailed knowledge of their geographic ranges.…”

“…DNA barcodes [8] are widely recognized as helpful complementary tools in taxonomic identification of Lepidoptera [9][10][11], including Gracillariidae [12][13][14][15]. Their use is especially adequate to identify immature stages [16,17] and to detect putative new species [6,18].…”

Systematics and biology of some species of Micrurapteryx Spuler (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) from the Holarctic Region, with re-description of M. caraganella (Hering) from Siberia

“…Many species of gracillariids remain to be discovered, especially in the tropical regions (Lees et al 2013; Brito et al 2013) but also in the Palearctic (Laštůvka et al 2013; Kobayashi et al 2013; Kirichenko et al 2015) and Nearctic regions (Davis and Deschka 2001). …”

Three new cecidogenous species of Palaeomystella Fletcher (Lepidoptera, Momphidae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest

“…Although now substantially reduced and fragmented, the Atlantic Rain Forest still supports one of the most diverse communities of plants and animals on earth, with high endemism (for general descriptions and discussions, see Morellato and Haddad 2000 , Myers et al 2000 , Carnaval et al 2009 ). Thus, as pointed out for this biome by Brito et al (2013) , regarding the expected diversity of leaf miner moths in general, it is expected that several species of cecidogenous momphine moths associated with Melastomataceae await description.…”