The First Attempt to Assess the Taxonomic Diversity of the Nepticulidae of Armenia Resulted in the Discovery of New Species and Cryptic Taxa in the Caucasus

Stonis, Jonas; Dobrynina, Viktorija; Remeikis, Andrius; Diškus, Arūnas; Orlovskytė, Svetlana; Kalashian, Mark

doi:10.3390/d16010060

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Indeed, the previously exclusive European species Ectoedemia spinosella was recently confirmed in the fauna of Turkmenistan and Tajikistan [ 14 ]. This year, E. mahalebella was reliably identified in the fauna of Armenia [ 28 ]. Among the most morphologically distinctive and well-known Nepticulidae species in Europe is S. plagicolella .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Stonis,

Diškus,

Orlovskytė

et al. 2024

Insects

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Stonis,

Diškus,

Orlovskytė

et al. 2024

Insects

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

A Phenomenon: What Are the Minuscule Grey Moths Abundant in the Dry Season in the Tropical Dry Forests of the Pacific Coast of Honduras?

Stonis,

Remeikis,

Diškus

et al. 2024

Insects

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Our investigation centered on the tropical dry forests along the Pacific coast of Honduras, aiming to elucidate the presence and abundance of minuscule grey moths during the dry season. Through specimen dissections and the taxonomic identification of the collected material, we have described three new species: Acalyptris podenasi sp. nov., A. palpiformis sp. nov., and A. tortoris sp. nov. Additionally, we documented two species previously known from neighboring countries, A. lascuevella Puplesis & Robinson and A. basicornis Remeikis & Stonis. The females of A. lascuevella were previously unknown and are documented here for the first time. Morphological examinations were complemented by DNA barcoding, particularly highlighting variation in A. lascuevella. The paper’s primary significance lies not only in the description of new species but also in uncovering their taxonomic, morphological, and molecular importance. We found that these species are unique and indicative of the previously unstudied dry forests as a distinct ecosystem. Our findings revealed several novel atypical morphological traits within the studied Nepticulidae, including unusually large signum cells in the female genitalia, a dorso-ventrally divided uncus, and asymmetrical valvae in the male genitalia. These discoveries underscore the morphological diversity of Acalyptris Meyrick and their significance in evolutionary biology. Consequently, the paper addresses a previously unknown phenomenon of the occurrence and astonishing abundance of minuscule plant-mining micromoths in dry deciduous forests during the peak of the dry season. We hope that this paper will encourage Lepidoptera taxonomists to explore micromoths in other tropical dry forests, which, while limited in distribution, hold global importance. The paper is extensively illustrated with photographs of Acalyptris adults and their genitalia, along with maps, habitats, and molecular phylogenetic trees.

show abstract

The First Attempt to Assess the Taxonomic Diversity of the Nepticulidae of Armenia Resulted in the Discovery of New Species and Cryptic Taxa in the Caucasus

Cited by 2 publications

References 40 publications

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

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

A Phenomenon: What Are the Minuscule Grey Moths Abundant in the Dry Season in the Tropical Dry Forests of the Pacific Coast of Honduras?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About