Revealing a Novel Potential Pest of Plum Trees in the Caucasus: A Species Resembling the European Leaf-Mining Stigmella plagicolella, Nepticulidae.

In instances of severe infestations, Nepticulidae larvae can inflict damage on cultivated plants. Previously, it was assumed that the Prunus-feeding Nepticulidae have continuous distribution from Europe to the neighboring Caucasus. During recent fieldwork in the Caucasus, leaf mines were found on plum trees that initially resembled those of Stigmella plagicolella (Stainton) in Europe. However, upon rearing the adults, significant differences emerged, leading to the hypothesis that a different Prunus-feeding species exists in the Caucasus; this challenges previous records in Western Asia. This paper presents the outcomes of our morphological, molecular, and statistical investigations, unveiling S. colchica sp. nov., a previously unknown potential plum-tree pest. Distinguished by male genitalia characteristics, the new species differs from S. plagicolella. The inter- and intraspecific divergences between S. colchica sp. nov. and S. plagicolella range from 3.5% to 6.02%. Moreover, the utilized delimitation algorithms reliably clustered two species separately, as does our mitotype network. A statistical analysis also shows a discernible trend between the leaf mines of S. colchica sp. nov. and S. plagicolella. This unexpected discovery not only documents a new potential pest, enhancing our understanding of the Caucasian fauna, but also contributes to the broader biological inventory.

Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) of East Asia (1). Re-examination of the male genitalia of types deposited at the Russian Academy of Sciences .

East Asia is famous for its tremendous overall biodiversity, and the Nepticulidae are no exception. The majority of the currently known fauna of Nepticulidae was described in 1984-1987 by several authors, but R. Puplesis is the author of the largest number of new species from the region. Unfortunately, the genitalia of all species from Primorskiy Kray, Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands were described from temporary slides in glycerol, and therefore, the drawings do not always show all details of genital armature or may be confusing. Without the baseline data providing morphology of genital armature of type material, it is impossible to continue studies on the East Asiatic fauna of Nepticulidae. In this paper we reexamine and document for the first time with photographs the types of 56 species described by R. Puplesis from the Russian Far East. Details of the morphology is updated for most of the re-examined species.

Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) of East Asia (2). Study of a collection sample deposited at the Russian Academy of Sciences, with descriptions of new species and a checklist.

Over the few couple of decades, the Nepticulidae of East Asia have been the subject of continuing investigation. Male genitalia of the nepticulid species described from Primorskiy Kray (the Russian Far East) were re-examined in the preceding paper in this journal. The present paper continues our study on the diversity and systematics of the Nepticulidae of East Asia based on a sample of specimens collected in 1974-1990 at various sites of the southern part of Primorskiy Kray and treats 35 species: two new taxa (Ectoedemia ortiva sp. nov. and E. species 219) and 33 other species. Seventeen of them are briefly discussed and illustrated with photographs of male genitalia. Two new synonyms are proposed, and three new distribution records are provided. We also provide an updated checklist of the Nepticulidae of East Asia, which comprises 105 species; 67 species occur in the Russian Far East and 53 in Japan (20 of which occur both in Japan and Russia). Species with Euro-East Asiatic distribution currently comprise 11% of the Japanese fauna and 16% of the continental fauna of the Russian Far East, Primorskiy Kray.

New Nepticulidae species (Insecta: Lepidoptera) from the Yucatán Peninsula (SE Mexico).

Thirty-eight species of Nepticulidae are known from the Yucatán Peninsula and adjacent areas (mainland Mexico and Be-lize). This paper describes two new species: Stigmella maya Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. (a leaf-miner of Karwinskia hum-boldtiana, Rhamnaceae), and Acalyptris yucatani Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. (a leaf-miner of Schinus sp., Anacardiaceae). S. maya is among the smallest Lepidoptera in the world. In its male genitalia S. maya resembles a sizeable group of undescribed species occurring in the Andes (Patagonia: Argentina). The adults of both new species are illustrated with photographs of adults, genitalia and leaf-mines.

First discovery of Quercus feeding Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) in Central America.

Despite the high taxonomic diversity of oaks in Mexico and Central America, no Quercus feeding Nepticulidae have ever been recorded from the region. Here, we present seven species whose larvae are leaf-miners of Quercus (section Lobatae) in Guatemala. Except Stigmella nigriverticella (Chambers 1875), which was previously known from the United States, all other discovered species are new. We describe and name five new species (Stigmella jaguari Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. lauta Diskus & Stonis, sp. nov., S. sublauta Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. aurifasciata Diskus & Stonis, sp. nov. and S. guatemalensis Diskus & Stonis, sp. nov.); the remaining new species is described but left unnamed because of lack of adults (i. e. moths and genitalia are described from developed pupae). All seven treated species are illustrated with photographs of the leaf-mines, adults, and genitalia.

Four new leaf-mining Acalyptris species from Guatemala and Belize, with new data on bionomics of Stigmella pruinosa (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae).

This paper describes four new species: Acalyptris basicornis Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., A. peteni Diskus & Stonis, sp. nov., A. caribbicus Diskus & Stonis, sp. nov. (host-plant: Lantana involucrata L., Verbenaceae), and A. statuarius Diskus & Stonis, sp. nov. Another species, Stigmella pruinosa Puplesis & Robinson, is re-described, with new distribution records in Guatemala and with the first documentation of leaf-mines on Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. (Malvaceae). All five species are illustrated with photographs of the leaf-mines, adults, and genitalia.

Description of new species of oak leaf-miners (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae), with notes on the species groups of Stigmella Schrank associated with Quercus as a host-plant.

Stigmella acuta Diskus, Navickaite & Remeikis, sp. nov., a new species of oak-feeding leaf-miner belonging to the S. hemargyrella group, and S. cornuta Rociene & Stonis, sp. nov., belonging to the newly designated S. cornuta group, are described from Asia and, for the first time, the S. hemargyrella group is associated with Quercus as a host-plant. The new species are illustrated with photographs of the leaf mines, adults, and genitalia. Diagnostics and host-plant preferences of seven Stigmella species groups associated with oaks (the S. caesurifasciella, S. saginella, S. quercipulchella, S. ruficapitella, S. castanopsiella, S. hemargyrella and S. cornuta groups) are discussed.

Collecting in the Northern Andean Páramo revealed purple iridescent pygmy moths of the little known Andean endemic Brachinepticula (Nepticulidae).

This paper describes two new species of Brachinepticula Stonis & Diskus: B. melania Remeikis, Mey & Stonis, sp. nov. and B. colombica Remeikis, Mey & Stonis, sp. nov. Both the new species were collected in the Northern Andean Páramo (Cundinamarca, Colombia). Since the specimens were caught at night-time with a light trap, the host plants remain unknown. The examination of the morphology of the male genitalia of B. melania and female genitalia of B. colombica revealed a highly distinctive new taxa of pygmy moths and broadened our knowledge of the morphology and distribution of the recently described endemic genus Brachinepticula Diskus & Stonis. The examination of the new findings also allowed us updating the diagnosis of Brachinepticula. The new species were illustrated with photographs of the genitalia, adults, and habitats.

Unexpected mitotype diversity of Simplimorpha promissa (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae) in Ukraine and Armenia revealing a possible cryptic taxon.

In this paper, the results of a recent molecular study of theCotinus-feeding, leaf-miningSimplimorpha promissa(Staudinger) (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae) are discussed for the first time on the basis of samples collected in Ukraine and Armenia. Newly obtained mtDNACO1-5'sequences from these countries were compared with previously known sequences from France, Italy, Croatia and Greece. A mitotype network and a Neighbor-Joining tree of twenty-two specimens ofS. promissaare provided.They show that the studied specimens from Ukraine and the rest of the European countries are genetically closer to each other than to the examined specimens from Armenia, thereby suggesting the Armenian specimens could represent a sister taxon to the EuropeanS. promissa. The study also revealed a significantly large genetic diversity ofS. promissain Ukraine.

Genera of Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera): a review of the global fauna, with descriptions of new taxa.

For the first time, genera of leaf mining Tischeriidae of the global fauna are reviewed and four new genera are described: Coptotrichoides Dikus & Stonis, gen. nov., trophically associated with Sapindaceae from Central and South America; Rytietia Dikus, Xu & Dai, gen. nov., trophically associated with Annonaceae from East and South East Asia; Pafazaria Dikus & Stonis, gen. nov., trophically associated with Fabaceae and Malvaceae from East and South East Asia; and Gnathitischeria Dikus, gen. nov., trophically associated with Malvaceae and Asteraceae from Central America. In addition to the descriptions of new genera, all previously described genera (Coptotriche Walsingham, 1890; Dishkeya Stonis, 2020; Tischeria Zeller, 1839; Manitischeria Dikus & Stonis, 2021; Neotischeria Dikus & Stonis, 2021; Paratischeria Dikus & Stonis, 2017; and Astrotischeria Puplesis & Dikus, 2003) are characterized and a pictorial identification key for all 11 genera is provided. Morphological and biological characteristics of all genera are supplemented with some molecular data. We described 12 new species: South East Asian Coptotriche sapaensis Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov.; Central American Coptotrichoides sapindoidum Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov. and Tischeria neokristenseni Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov.; South East Asian Rytietia uncinata Dikus, Xu & Dai, sp. nov., East Asian R. chongyiensis Xu & Dai, sp. nov.; South East Asian Pafazaria capitata Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov. and P. faboidica Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov.; Central American Neotischeria antigua Dikus & Remeikis, sp. nov. and N. subantigua Dikus & Remeikis, sp. nov.; South American Astrotischeria incae Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov.; and Central American Gnathitischeria atitlani Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov. and G. arcana Dikus & Stonis, sp. nov. The taxonomic rank of the East Asian subspecies Tischeria decidua siorkionla Kozlov, 1986 is elevated to species rank: T. siorkionla Kozlov (stat. nov.). The male genitalia of holotypes, paratypes, lectotypes or paralectotypes, or non-type specimens of some little-known species are examined for the first time. We provide the first morphological documentation for the following: Tischeria ceanothi lectotype and paralectotype; T. immaculata (stat. restored) paratype; Coptotrichoides deliquescens (Meyrick) lectotype and paralectotype; lectotypes of Coptotriche aenea (Frey & Boll), Astrotischeria plagifera (Meyrick), A. helianthi (Frey & Boll), and A. ephaptis (Meyrick); Coptotriche berberella (De Prins) paratype; and the first photographic documentation of Tischeria lvoskyi Kozlov holotype. Some non-type specimens deposited at NHMUK, including a few previously neglected species, are also examined and documented, including the American Astrotischeria solidagonifoliella (Clemens) and A. omissa (Braun). Nine new combinations are provided: Coptotrichoides deliquescens (Meyrick, 1915), comb. nov.; C. singularis (Stonis & Dikus) comb. nov.; C. suprafasciata (Dikus & Stonis) comb. nov., C. serjaniphaga (Remeikis & Stonis) comb. nov.; C. braziliensis (Dikus & Stonis) comb. nov.; Pafazaria jingdongensis (Xu & Dai), comb. nov.; Neotischeria explosa (Braun) comb. nov.; N. pallidipennella (Braun) comb. nov.; and Astrotischeria heteroterae (Frey & Boll) comb. nov. The synonymization of Tischeria longeciliata Frey & Boll, 1878 with Astrotischeria helianthi (Frey & Boll, 1878) is confirmed. One new species group, the Tischeria ceanothi group, is established. We also report a new distribution record of T. dodonaea Stainton from the Caucasus, Armenia. Three tables and 569 figures of adult external morphology, male and female genitalia, leaf mines, and cladograms based on molecular characters are provided.

Dishkeya, a recently described endemic Tischeriidae genus, now discovered in Colombia.

This paper describes Dishkeya ursipedella Diskus, Mey & Stonis, sp. nov. from Cundinamarca, Choachi (Colombia). The new species was collected at night time at light, therefore, the host plant remains unknown. The examination of morphology of the male genitalia of D. ursipedella revealed a highly distinctive new taxon of trumpet moths belonging to the recently described endemic genus Dishkeya Stonis. The new species is illustrated with photographs of the male genitalia, adults, and habitats. In a pictorial scheme, the male genitalia characters of D. ursipedella are compared with those of all other currently known members of Dishkeya.

Global Nepticulidae, Opostegidae, and Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera): temporal dynamics of species descriptions and their authors.

This study identifies the number of named and described species of three monotrysian, plant-mining lepidopteran families worldwide: Nepticulidae and Opostegidae (Nepticuloidea), and Tischeriidae (Tischerioidea). At the end of 2021, we estimated that a total of 1000 Nepticulidae species, 197 Opostegidae species, and 170 Tischeriidae species have been described since the taxonomic practice of describing species began in the 18th century. We examine and discuss the history of descriptions and authorship of species worldwide for each of the three families. We found that the total (accumulative) number of species described increased with each time period delineated. About five new species were described per year on average, or about 22 new species were described per year in the 21st century. We recognize researchers with the most number of described species in these three taxa.

Diagnostics and updated checklist of Oriental Pseudopostega (Opostegidae), including the matrona species group with a new, extralimital species discovered in the Mediterranean.

We provide diagnostics for eight species groups of Oriental Pseudopostega Kozlov (Lepidoptera: Opostegidae) and a pictorial key for their identification. We designate three new species groups, P. frigida and P. strigulata groups, and the P. auritella group for two Palaearctic species, and rename the P. nigrimaculella group as the P. matrona group. We assign P. euryntis (Meyrick), P. zelopa (Meyrick), and P. subviolaceae (Meyrick), three formerly unplaced species, to species groups based on re-examination of male and female genitalia. We list 22 currently known Oriental Pseudopostega species, and synonymize Pseudopostega spilodes (Meyrick), syn. nov., with P. machaerias (Meyrick). One new Mediterranean species with affiliations to the Oriental fauna, P. matrona Karsholt Remeikis, sp. nov., is described. The new species is illustrated with photographs of the adults and male genitalia. Additionally, we provide a distribution map of the P. matrona group, now extralimital to the Oriental region.

Discovery of the new Coptotriche species in China revealed two novel host-plant families and host-plant orders for Tischeriidae, a family of stenophagous, leaf-mining lepidopterans.

The article describes three new species of Coptotriche Walsingham, 1890 from China and adjacent northern Vietnam: C. camptotheca Xu Dai, sp. nov. feeding on Camptotheca acuminata Decne. (Nyssaceae); C. turpinia Xu Dai, sp. nov. feeding on Turpinia arguta (Lindl.) Seem. (Staphyleaceae); and C. asiana Dikus Stonis, sp. nov. The latter appeared to be a narrow oligophagous species feeding on various Symplocos Jacq.: S. sumuntia Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don, S. poilanei Guill., and Symplocos glauca (Thunb.) Koidz. (Symplocaceae). Nyssaceae and Staphyleaceae are novel host-plant families of Tischeriidae. The new species are illustrated with photographs of adults, male and female genitalia, and leaf mines. The article also briefly discusses about the proportion of monophagous and oligophagous species of Tischeriidae.

Diagnostics of Manitischeria /gen. nov., an Old-World genus of leaf-mining Tischeriidae, composed of new species and species formerly in Tischeria Zeller.

We describe a new genus, Manitischeria Diskus Stonis, gen. nov., and five new species: Manitischeria selindica Stonis Diskus, sp. nov., M. namibiensis Stonis Diskus, sp. nov. from Africa, and M. brachiata Diskus Stonis, sp. nov., M. symbolica Diskus Stonis, sp. nov., and M. baryshnikovae Diskus Stonis, sp. nov. from South East Asia. We discuss the diagnostics of Manitischeria gen. nov. composed of these new species and others transferred from Tischeria Zeller. Species are mostly trophically associated with Malvaceae, but also Rhamnaceae and Betulaceae. We list 18 currently known species of Manitischeria gen. nov., including M. ptarmica (Meyrick), the type species, and provide 13 new combinations and the first documentation of genitalia of some, previously little-known species. New species are illustrated with photographs or drawings of the adults, genitalia, and the leaf mines when available. We briefly discuss the use of herbarium specimens to discover lepidopteran leaf mines, host plant, and distribution data.

New leaf-mining Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera): potential pests of aromatic Lamiaceae plants from equatorial Andes.

Members of the Lamiaceae, or mint family, are used worldwide for medicinal, culinary and/or magical-religious purposes, as well as in pesticides and as ornamental plants. Very little is known about nepticulids, or pygmy moths, as leaf miners of Lamiaceae, but they may be an important component of South American diversity and potential pests of economically-important species of the mint family. In this paper, four new species of leaf-mining Nepticulidae are described from the equatorial Andes of Ecuador: S. mentholica Diskus Stonis, sp. nov., Stigmella aromatica Diskus Stonis, sp. nov., S. odora Diskus Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Minthostachys mollis (Benth.) Griseb., and S. tomentosella Diskus Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Clinopodium tomentosum (Kunth) Govaerts. It is hypothesized that host-plant distribution ranges can provide clues to potential distribution ranges of these newly discovered, trophically specialized leaf miners. The leaf mines, adults, and the genitalia of the new species are illustrated with photographs.

What are the smallest moths (Lepidoptera) in the world?

The world's smallest moths in Lepidoptera (Insecta) and the complexity in making such a determination are examined and discussed. The forewing length and wingspan of 650 species were measured and the same data were retrieved from published papers to determine which species and family have the smallest moths in the world. The minimal recorded forewing length was found to be around 1.2-1.3 mm and the wingspan around 2.6-2.8 mm in two families, the Gracillariidae and Nepticulidae. Among Lepidoptera, the following species have the smallest moths globally: the European Johanssoniella acetosae (Stainton), the Peruvian Simplimorpha kailai Stonis Diskus, the Mexican Stigmella maya Remeikis Stonis, the Mediterranean S. diniensis (Klimesh), the Mediterranean Parafomoria liguricella (Klimesh) (Nepticulidae), the South East Asian Porphyrosela alternata Kumata, and the Central African P. desmodivora De Prins (Gracillariidae). Additionally, in the Nepticulidae, we provide a measurement update for Stigmella maya Remeikis Stonis, one of the tiniest species with a forewing length of 1.3 mm and wingspan of 2.8 mm, and describe a new species, Stigmella incaica Diskus Stonis, sp. nov., with a forewing length of 1.75 to 1.95 mm and a wingspan of 3.8 to 4.3 mm.

Most trumpet moths dont feed on plants of the nettle family but Paratischeria does: the first discovery of Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) on Urticaceae in Asia.

This is the first record of Urticaceae-feeding trumpet moths (Tischeriidae) from Asia. We describe Paratischeria boehmerica Dikus Stonis, sp. nov. and P. grossa Dikus Stonis, sp. nov., two distinctive new species of Tischeriidae recently discovered from Laos, South East Asia, feeding on plants of the nettle family. Urticaceae is a rare host-plant family for leaf-mining Tischeriidae worldwide. The new species are illustrated with photographs of the adults, male and female genitalia, and the leaf mines.

Documenting trumpet leaf-miner moths (Tischeriidae): new Neotropical Coptotriche and Astrotischeria species, with notes on Sapindaceae as a host-plant family.

Four new species of trumpet leaf-miner moths (Tischeriidae) are described from the Neotropics: Coptotriche serjaniphaga Remeikis Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Serjania Mill. (Sapindaceae), Astrotischeria mystica Dikus Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Verbesina L. (Asteraceae), A. yungasi Dikus Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Oyedaea DC. (Asteraceae), and A. parapallens Dikus Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Baccharis L. (Asteraceae). Records on Sapindaceae-feeding Tischeriidae are very rare and Serjania is a novel host-plant genus for Tischeriidae. It is hypothesized that Serjania, a diverse genus in the tropical and subtropical Americas, may be a host for many undiscovered species of specialized stenophagous Tischeriidae. The new species are illustrated with photographs of the adults, male and, if available, female genitalia, and the leaf mines. We briefly discuss the importance of new species descriptions as a part of biodiversity assessment.

Documenting new and little known leaf-mining Nepticulidae from middle and southwestern areas of the Asian continent.

We review eighteen species of Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera: Nepticuloidea) from Asia and describe eleven new species from Central Asia and the western Himalaya: Stigmella ziziphifolia Rociene Stonis, sp. nov., S. damocles Remeikis, sp. nov., S. pyramidata Diskus Navickaite, sp. nov., S. alilediella Diskus Navickaite, sp. nov., S. longa Remeikis Stonis, sp. nov., S. latilobata Diskus Navickaite, sp. nov., S. paniculata Diskus Navickaite, sp. nov., Ectoedemia orbiculata Diskus, Remeikis Stonis, sp. nov., Acalyptris brunipexus Stonis, Diskus Remeikis, sp. nov., A. noctilucus Rociene Stonis, sp. nov., and A. nasutus Diskus Navickaite, sp. nov. The new taxa are illustrated with photographs of the adults, their genitalia, and, if available, leaf mines. We also provide the first photographic documentation of adults and male genitalia of some Asiatic species. We synonymize E. petrosa Puplesis with E. spinosella (de Joannis), and E. rosiphila Puplesis with E. ingloria Puplesis.