Tischeria neokristenseni Diskus & Stonis 2023, sp. nov.

Tischeria neokristenseni Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 105B1D1F-7081-419B-B39C-E9B3E7CF9129 (Figs 237–264) Type material. Holotype: Ô, GUATEMALA: El Quiché Department, Santa Cruz del Quiché, 15°1’22”N, 91°10’17”W, elevation 2020 m, mining larva on Quercus sp. (Fagaceae) 20.ii.2012, ex pupa iii.2012, field card no. 5101, leg. A. Diškus, genitalia slide no. AD1077 (MfN). Paratypes: 5 Ô, 2 ♀ same label data as holotype, genitalia slide nos AD521Ô, AD1076 ♀ (MfN); 8 Ô, 8 ♀, Antigua Guatemala, San Juan del Obispo, 14°31’7”N, 90°43’50”W, elevation 1680 m, mining larvae on Quercus sp. (Fagaceae) 25.ii.2012, ex pupa iii.2012, field card no. 5111, leg. A. Diškus, genitalia slide no. AD927Ô (from adult in pupal skin) (MfN). Diagnosis. Externally, this new species can be confused with some other similar Tischeria species, however, the new species is characterized by a slightly darker (than usual) coloration of the forewing. In the male genitalia, the unique shape of the juxta (see Figs 245, 248) distinguishes T. neokristenseni sp. nov. from all known congeneric species. In the female genitalia, the combination of a unique, well-developed, elaborated antrum, long stout anterior apophyses, and a large, round vesicle of the ductus spermathecae can differentiate this species from all congeneric species. DNA barcode. We barcoded two paratypes; sequences are available in the GenBank database under accession numbers OQ413573 and OQ413574. Description. Male (Figs 237–239, 241, 242). Forewing length 2.8–3.9 mm; wingspan 6.2–8.6 mm (n = 12). Head: palpi yellowish cream; frons ochreous yellow; frontal tuft and distinctly paired collar comprised of lamellar scales, yellow-ochre distally, dark brown basally; antenna slightly or distinctly longer than one half the length of forewing; flagellum ochre-yellow, distinctly annulated with blackish brown scales. Tegula, thorax, and forewing yellow ochre to bright yellow-ochre; some brown-black or black scales with small amount of purple iridescence scattered along costal margin and at apex of forewing to form a distinctive tornal spot; fringe blackish grey, ochreous only apically, without fringe line; forewing underside brown-black, without androconia. Hindwing black-grey on upper side and underside, without androconia; fringe grey to dark grey-brown. Legs yellow-ochre, densely speckled with black-brown scales on upper side. Abdomen dark grey, with some golden gloss and purple iridescence on upper side, pale ochre, sometimes with some brown-grey scales on underside; genital plates large, yellow-ochre; anal tufts distinctive, relatively long, lateral, dark grey. Female (Figs 240, 243). Forewing length 3.5–4.2 mm; wingspan 7.6–9.3 mm (n = 9). Similar to male, only sometimes larger and more brightly coloured, without long antennal sensilla; ovipositor not protruding. Otherwise, identical with male. Male genitalia (Figs 244–249) with capsule 800–885 µm long, 395–405 µm wide. Uncus comprised of two large lobes. Socii large, paired, membranous. Valva 390–415 µm long. Transtilla and anellus absent. Juxta complex (see Figs 245, 248). Vinculum with a triangular ventral plate extended into a relatively slender anterior process. Phallus 785–800 µm long, bifid; lateral processes lobe-like apically. Female genitalia (Figs 250–257) ca. 1640 µm long. Ovipositor lobes large, rounded, densely covered with relatively long peg-like setae; second pair of ovipositor lobes twice as small, with numerous wide setae. Posterior apophyses significantly longer than anterior apophyses; prela with only two pairs of clearly visible rod-like projections. Antrum well-developed, elaborated (see Figs 253, 257). Corpus bursae medium long, with a slender and folded proximal part and oval-shaped main body with indistinctive pectinations. Ductus spermathecae very slender, sinuous, with 2–2.5 medium large coils and large, round, plate-like vesicle. Bionomics (Figs 258–264). Host plant is Ouercus L. (section Lobatae, Fagaceae) (Figs 258–260). Larvae mine leaves in February. Leaf mines are blotch-like, transparent, with a distinctive round nidus inside, without frass. Adults occur in March. Distribution. This species is known from two localities in Guatemala (Santa Cruz del Quiché and Antigua) at an elevation of 1680–2020 m. Etymology. By combining the prefix “neo” (meaning new and derived from the Neotropics) and the surname of our late colleague, this species is named in honour of Professor DSc. Niels Peder Kristensen (1943–2014), one of the greatest Lepidoptera morphologist and taxonomist of all time, an inspiring teacher, and outstanding supervisor, editor-in-chief of two Lepidoptera volumes of “Handbook of Zoology”, former director of Zoologisk Museum of Københavns Universitet, and honorary member of academic societies (see Simonsen et al. 2015 for honors and awards). The authors of the new Tischeriidae species description, Arūnas Diškus and Jonas R. Stonis, are deeply indebted to our late colleague Niels Peder Kristensen for his generous support and enthusiastic motivation for our studies of the Neotropical Nepticuloidea and global Tischerioidea. This is the second species we have named in honour of Niels Peder Kristensen, the first one was Stigmella kristenseni Diškus & Stonis (Stonis et al. 2016b).Published as part of Stonis, Jonas R., Diškus, Arūnas, Remeikis, Andrius, Orlovskytė, Svetlana, Solis, Alma, Paulavičiūtė, Brigita, Xu, Jiasheng & Dai, Xiaohua, 2023, Genera of Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera): a review of the global fauna, with descriptions of new taxa, pp. 1-131 in Zootaxa 5333 (1) on pages 51-52, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5333.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/826113