A new distribution record, first host plant record and DNA barcoding of the Neotropical micromoth Astrotischeria karsholti Puplesis & Diškus (Lepidoptera, Tischeriidae)

Abstract

Astrotischeria Puplesis & Diškus, 2003 (Lepidoptera, Tischeriidae) is a New World genus of micromoths whose larvae are leaf miners associated mainly with plants of the family Asteraceae. The original description of the type species Astrotischeria karsholti Puplesis & Diškus, 2003 was based on adults from central Peru. No additional distribution records, host plants or DNA barcodes have been documented for this species. Astrotischeria karsholti is reported for the first time from Chile, based on adults obtained from leaf mines of Ambrosia cumanensis Kunth (Asteraceae) collected in the transverse valleys of the Atacama Desert. This discovery expands the distribution range of this micromoth nearly 900 km to the southeast and represents its first host plant record. Divergence between DNA barcodes of A. karsholti and the nearest congeneric was 6% (K2P). A Maximum Likelihood analysis, based on DNA barcodes, raises questions about the monophyly of Astrotischeria.