Stonis Jonas R, Remeikis Andrius, Diškus Arūnas, Dobrynina Viktorija, Orlovskytė Svetlana
State Research Institute Nature Research Centre, Akademijos g. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, Lithuania.
Insects. 2024 Aug 26;15(9):641. doi: 10.3390/insects15090641.
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: sp. nov., sp. nov., and sp. nov. Additionally, we documented two species previously known from neighboring countries, Puplesis & Robinson and Remeikis & Stonis. The females of were previously unknown and are documented here for the first time. Morphological examinations were complemented by DNA barcoding, particularly highlighting variation in . 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 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 adults and their genitalia, along with maps, habitats, and molecular phylogenetic trees.
我们的调查集中在洪都拉斯太平洋沿岸的热带干旱森林，旨在阐明旱季期间微小灰色蛾子的存在情况和数量。通过对标本的解剖以及对收集材料的分类鉴定，我们描述了三个新物种：新物种1、新物种2和新物种3。此外，我们记录了两个此前在邻国已知的物种，即普普利斯和罗宾逊发现的物种以及雷梅基斯和斯托尼斯发现的物种。其中一个物种的雌性此前未知，本文首次对其进行了记录。形态学检查辅以DNA条形码分析，特别突出了某方面的变异。该论文的主要意义不仅在于新物种的描述，还在于揭示了它们在分类学、形态学和分子方面的重要性。我们发现这些物种具有独特性，表明这片此前未被研究的干旱森林是一个独特的生态系统。我们的研究结果揭示了在所研究的潜蛾科内有几个新颖的非典型形态特征，包括雌性生殖器中异常大的标志性细胞、背腹部分裂的肛叉以及雄性生殖器中不对称的抱器瓣。这些发现强调了梅里克潜蛾属的形态多样性及其在进化生物学中的重要性。因此，本文阐述了一个此前未知的现象，即在旱季高峰期，干旱落叶林中存在数量惊人的微小食叶潜蛾。我们希望本文能鼓励鳞翅目分类学家探索其他热带干旱森林中的潜蛾，这些森林虽然分布有限，但具有全球重要性。本文配有大量成虫及其生殖器的照片，以及地图、栖息地和分子系统发育树。
