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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Systematic Entomology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #381877
Research Project: Systematics of Hyper-Diverse Moth Superfamilies, with an Emphasis on Agricultural Pests, Invasive Species, Biological Control Agents, and Food Security

Location: Systematic Entomology Laboratory

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

Author
item STONIS, JONAS - Lithuanian University Of Educational Sciences
item DISKUS, ARUNAS - Lithuanian University Of Educational Sciences
item Solis, M Alma
item MONRO, ALEX - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Submitted to: Zootaxa
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/11/2021
Publication Date: 4/22/2021
Citation: Stonis, J.R., Diskus, A., Solis, M.A., Monro, A.K. 2021. Diagnostics of Manitisheria gen. nov., an Old-World genus of leaf-mining Tischeriidae, composed of new species and species formerly in Tischeria Zeller. Zootaxa. 4964(2):251-287. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4964.2.2.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4964.2.2

Interpretive Summary: Trumpet moths are the tiniest of the moth and butterfly group and have larvae that are leaf miners of wild and cultivated plants, and therefore important as potential pests. We describe a new group within this family and five new species from southeast Asia. The new taxa are illustrated with photographs of the adults, their genitalia, and leaf mines when available. We discuss the feeding of the larvae on the mallow and related plant families, and briefly discuss the use of herbarium specimens to discover leaf mines, host plant, and distribution data. This research will be useful to scientists interested in the biology and identity of leaf mining moths on plants of the mallow family.

Technical Abstract: We describe a new genus, Manitischeria Diškus & Stonis, gen. nov., and five new species: Manitischeria selindica Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov., M. namibiensis Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov. from Africa, and M. brachiata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., M. symbolica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., and M. baryshnikovae Diškus & 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 all 18 currently known species of Manitischeria gen. nov., including M. ptarmica (Meyrick), the type species, 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, when available, the leaf mines. We briefly discuss the use of herbarium specimens to discover lepidopteran leaf mines, host plant, and distribution data.