Andrius Remeikis

Nature Research Centre · Institute of Ecology

Ten new Stigmella Schrank species are described: Stigmella purpurimaculae Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. cana Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. truncata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. sceptra Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. concreta Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. pseudoconcreta Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. quadrata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. (...

We describe three new species: Stigmella crassifoliae Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. (a leaf-miner on Quercus crassifolia and Q. crispipilis from the highlands of Guatemala), S. robleae Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., and S. humboldti Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. (leaf-miners on Quercus humboldtii from the Colombian Andes). No Quercus-feeding Nepticulidae...

In this paper we describe three new species of Acalyptris Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Nepticuloidea: Nepticulidae): Acalyptris nigrisignum Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. from the Country of Curaçao (formerly the Netherlands Antilles), A. trigonijuxtus Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. from British Virgin Islands, and A. dominicanus Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. fro...

In this paper, we report the results of recent fieldwork on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica and Mexico, i.e., in the areas unrepresented in the material used in the most recent review of Opostegidae. From these new collections, we describe three new species: Pseudopostega robusta Remeikis & Stonis, sp. n. (Costa Rica), P. mexicana Remeikis & Stonis...

For the first time, genera of leaf mining Tischeriidae of the global fauna are reviewed and four new genera are described: Coptotrichoides Diškus & Stonis, gen. nov., trophically associated with Sapindaceae from Central and South America; Rytietia Diškus, Xu & Dai, gen. nov., trophically associated with Annonaceae from East and South East Asia; Paf...

This paper describes two new species of Brachinepticula Stonis & Diškus: B. melania Remeikis, Mey & Stonis, sp. nov. and B. colombica Remeikis, Mey & Stonis, sp. nov. Both the new species were collected in the Northern Andean Páramo (Cundinamarca, Colombia). Since the specimens were caught at night-time with a light trap, the host plants remain unk...

This identification tool is freely accessible and manageable with smart electronic devices (e.g., smart phones). Such an easy-to-use and involving system is a rather innovative product of biotaxonomy and, we hope, will provide users with the means and ability to identify the Neotropical Nepticulidae themselves. The address for free access is: https...

It includes three separate chapters: Collecting of Nepticulidae Adults (by J. R. Stonis, A. Remeikis), Rearing of Nepticulidae Adults from Mining Larvae (by A. Diškus, J. R. Stonis), and Specimen Documentation and Micro-Mounts of Genitalia Structures Adopted for the Minute Lepidoptera (by J. R. Stonis, A. Diškus, A. Remeikis).

In the launched electronic Nepticulidae species identification tool (https://www.nepticulidaespecies.info), nine of ten sections of this tool are dedicated to morphology: one section is about adult forewing pattern and eight other about various structures of the male genitalia. This guide omits such characters like the adult’s head scaling, wing ve...

The publication deals with 228 species of Nepticulidae (or pygmy moths) from the Neotropics (i.e., the Neotropical and Ando-Patagonian regions) and adjacent areas. The species are illustrated with photographs or drawings of adult forewings, the male genitalia and, if available, leaf mines. In addition to the illustrated species review, the monograp...

Nepticulidae are characterized by a specialized mode of life: their larvae are miners in green (photosynthetic) plant tissues. Sometimes they are referred to as plant pests or potential pests. On the other hand, being extremely small and living inside plant tissues, Nepticulidae, like other endobiotic organisms, are still under-sampled and under-st...

We, together with Andrius Remeikis and Akvilė Remeikienė, developed and provided for use the first electronic diagnostic system for mines and species of the Lithuanian Nepticulidae: “Diagnostics of mines of the Lithuanian Nepticulidae” (see the diagnostic tool at https://leafmines.info/). This identification tool is freely accessible and manageable...

Phylogenetically, primitive but ecologically specialized Nepticulidae are probably among the most interesting families of the order Lepidoptera (Navickaitė, 2014; Navickaitė et al., 2014). The family also includes the world’s smallest moths (Stonis et al., 2021) (Figs 1–9). Much useful information on the morphology, ecology, and distribution of Nep...

We describe a new genus, Neotischeria Diškus & Stonis, gen. nov., and four new species of trumpet moths. Three of them are trophically associated with Asteraceae plants: Neotischeria ochripennata Diškus & Remeikis, sp. nov. and N. longa Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., discovered from the western part of the equatorial Andes, N. conexa Diškus & Stonis, s...

Four new species of trumpet leaf-miner moths (Tischeriidae) are described from the Neotropics: Coptotriche serjaniphaga Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Serjania Mill. (Sapindaceae), Astrotischeria mystica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Verbesina L. (Asteraceae), A. yungasi Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Oyedaea DC. (Asteraceae...

We describe a new species, Ozadelpha rionegrella Remeikis & Dobrynina, sp. nov., a pygmy moth (Nepticulidae) from the southern Andes (Argentina). The new species is illustrated with photographs of the adult and male genitalia. We briefly discuss the issues of diagnostics of the new species and the related O. ovata (Puplesis & Robinson, 2000) and pr...

The world’s smallest moths in Lepidoptera (Insecta) and the complexity in making such a determination are examined and discussed. The forewing length and wingspan of 650 species were measured and the same data were retrieved from published papers to determine which species and family have the smallest moths in the world. The minimal recorded forewi...

We provide diagnostics for eight species groups of Oriental Pseudopostega Kozlov (Lepidoptera: Opostegidae) and a pictorial key for their identification. We designate three new species groups, P. frigida and P. strigulata groups, and the P. auritella group for two Palaearctic species, and rename the P. nigrimaculella group as the P. matrona group....

Members of the Lamiaceae, or mint family, are used worldwide for medicinal, culinary and/or magical-religious purposes, as well as in pesticides and as ornamental plants. Very little is known about nepticulids, or pygmy moths, as leaf miners of Lamiaceae, but they may be an important component of South American diversity and potential pests of econ...

We review eighteen species of Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera: Nepticuloidea) from Asia and describe eleven new species from Central Asia and the western Himalaya: Stigmella ziziphifolia Rocienė & Stonis, sp. nov., S. damocles Remeikis, sp. nov., S. pyramidata Diškus & Navickaitė, sp. nov., S. alilediella Diškus & Navickaitė, sp. nov., S. longa Remeikis...

We report on fourteen species and four genera of Tischeriidae recorded from Las Cuevas, a single tropical forest locality in Belize, Central America. This is the highest number of species of Tischeriidae recorded from a single locality worldwide, exceeding the species and generic diversity of the entire Tischeriidae fauna of Europe and accounting f...

We list 102 currently known Opostegidae species from the Americas, designate one new species group, and revise and provide pictorial diagnostics for the twelve Pseudopostega Kozlov species groups. Five new species are described: Neopostega dondavisi Stonis and Remeikis, new species, Pseudopostega cucullata Stonis and Vargas, new species, Pseudopost...

Seven new species of Tischeriidae are described from the Neotropics: Astrotischeria jociui Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. (feeding on Wissadula excelsior (Cav.) C. Presl., Malvaceae), A. atlantica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. (feeding on Baccharis spicata (Lam.) Baill., Asteraceae), A. cornuata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. (host plant unknown), Paratischeria...

We examine five Tischeriidae species from the collection of the National Museum of Natural History (USNM), Washington, D.C. We discovered among the holdings and describe two new species from Arizona, U.S.A: Astrotischeria bucera Remeikis and Stonis, new species and Astrotischeria tucsonica Remeikis and Stonis, new species. Host plants of both speci...

We describe a new species, Tischeria caucasica Klasiński & Stonis, sp. nov., a trumpet moth (Tischeridae) recently discovered from Georgia, the Caucasus. We briefly discuss the diagnostics of T. caucasica, an outstanding new species possessing an extremely long and distally bifurcated juxta. The new species is illustrated with photographs of the ad...

We list all 56 currently known Acalyptris Meyrick species from North and South America, designate five new species groups, and provide pictorial diagnostics for all nine revised species groups of the American fauna. We describe seven new species: A. marmor Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov., A. barbudo Stonis & Remeikis, sp. nov., A. jareki Stonis & Diškus,...

We describe a new species, Ozadelpha nigella Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., a leaf miner on Symplocos Jacq. (Ericales: Symplocaceae), from the Yungas biogeographical province, South America. We briefly discuss the issues of diagnostics of the recently erected genus Ozadelpha van Nieukerken. The genus is now comprised of four named species having shared...

We describe a new pest of guava ( Psidium guajava L.), Hesperolyra guajavifoliae Stonis & Vargas, sp. nov. , that was recently discovered in western Colombia. Hesperolyra van Nieukerken is a small, Neotropical genus of pygmy moths (Nepticulidae). We re-examine and document the complex morphology of the male genitalia of the generic type species, H....

We document a sample of Stigmella pruinosa Puplesis & Robinson, 2000, collected for the first time in Colombia in 2019. We also provide updated data on the biology and significantly wider distribution of the species, and describe outstanding sexual dimorphism of S. pruinosa. The males possess seven different androconia on both sides of the forewing...

We describe seven new Neotropical species of Tischeriidae: Astrotischeria dondavisi Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov., A. bacchariphaga Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., A. guatemalica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., A. sanjosei Stonis & Diškus, sp. nov., A. truncata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., Coptotriche parvisacculata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. and C. carmencita Ston...

We summarize the results of the fieldwork conducted in southwestern Colombia in 2019 and report on new taxa discovered in Colombia. We provide a description of Stigmella foreroi Stonis & Vargas, sp. nov., recently discovered in the Valle del Cauca region, and encourage further research into the Colombian fauna.

Pradėkime nuo klausimo: ar gali labai smulkūs vabzdžiai, pavyzdžiui, mažieji gaubtagalviai (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae), kurių lervos gyvena augalų lapuose ir minta asimiliaciniu audiniu, būti kuo nors įdomūs kalbant apie globalius Žemės raidos procesus? Šis straipsnis bando į tai atsakyti, pateikdamas vieną kitą pavyzdį.

The genus Simplimorpha Scoble is recognized for the first time from South America. We describe a subgenus, Myrtinepticula Stonis & Diškus, subgen. nov., for three new species from the southern Andes (Chile and Argentina): Simplimorpha (Myrtinepticula) cercaria Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., S. (M.) nielseni Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. (M.) sapphire...

We describe one new genus (Brachinepticula Stonis & Diškus, gen. nov.) with two new species (B. plurilobata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., B. elongata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov.), and one species with uncertain taxonomic position (Johanssoniella bina Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov.). We also provide diagnostic characters and an updated annotated catalogue...

In addition to numerous new species that can be placed to genera, our recent study of a large collection sample of Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) from Central and South America revealed a few odd-looking new species, the taxonomic position of which seems rather problematic and, therefore, preliminary. Here we describe three new species of pygmy moths (...

The paper deals with a description of a new leaf-mining Nepticulidae species, Stigmella lilliputica Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., from Argentina, the larvae of which feed on leaves of the Chilean peppertree Schinus polygama (Cav.) Cabrera. The species is illustrated with photographs of the adults and leaf mines, a distribution map as well as drawing...

We provide diagnostic characters for the genus Glaucolepis Braun, re-examine the type series of the type species of the North American G. saccharella Braun, describe two new species from Chile and Argentina (G. flagellata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. and G. pseudoflagellata Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov.), and provide the first photographic documentati...

We provide a report on Nepticulidae feeding on Lamiaceae plants in South America and describe two new species from the Andes: Stigmella lamiacifoliae Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Salvia palifolia in Colombia, and S. scutellariae Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., feeding on Scutellaria volubilis in Ecuador. The leaf mines, adults, genitalia, a...

The paper presents the first documentation of Urticaceae-feeding Nepticulidae species in South America and describes four new species: two species feeding on Phenax Wedd. (Stigmella singularia Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. and S. lata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.), one species on Boehmeria Jacq. (S. boehmeriphaga Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.), and one specie...

Pygmy moths (Nepticulidae) are a peculiar, specialized family of primitive (monotrysian) leaf-mining Lepidoptera (Figs 1–7) with worldwide distribution. For a long period of time, South America, though vast and with a hugely diverse biota, was comparatively unexplored regarding the collection and study of pygmy moths (for the history of research se...

The paper treats fifteen species of leaf-mining pygmy moths (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae) discovered in the Neotropics (British Virgin Islands, Belize, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Ecuador), and Ando-Patagonian region (Argentina and Chile). Except for two species, all belong to Stigmella Schrank. Twelve species are new, and are named and descr...

The goal of our study was a taxonomic and trophic assessment of the fauna of Middle and South America in the light of the latest taxonomic and trophic data. The current research possesses a very high degree of novelty.

We review forty-five species of Nepticulidae (Lepidoptera) based on an analysis of samples collected in the central Andean region of Peru and Bolivia. Thirteen of these species are new to science, and are named and described here: Stigmella paracosma Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. expressa Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov., S. acalyphae Diškus & Stonis,...

The paper reviews the most recent findings of the Rosaceae-feeding Nepticulidae species along with previous records of these tropically specialized leaf-miners in South America and describes three new species: one species on Hesperomeles obtusifolia (Pers.) Lindl (Stigmella circinata Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov.) and two species on Rubus spp. (S. rubi...

The paper briefly analyzes trophic relationships of Nepticulidae occurring in Middle and South America (the Neotropical and Ando-Patagonian regions) for the first time. The results show some peculiar features, including unexpectedly large percentage of taxa trophically associated with Asterales (Asteraceae) and Lamiales plants. However, because of...

On the basis of morphological studies of collection samples from the Andes (Ecuador, Peru and Argentina), we describe five new species of Stigmella Schrank (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae): S. varispinella Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. (Ecuador), S. olekarsholti Remeikis Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., S. magnispinella Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. (Peru), S. doli...

The monograph treats 29 species of leaf-mining pygmy moths (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae) discovered in the northern Andean bush and grass páramo and the central Andean puna at altitudes above 3700 m. They represent the world’s highest-altitudinal Nepticulidae fauna known. The height record belongs to Stigmella nivea sp. nov. from Peru collec...

Despite the fact that Polylepis forests constitute the natural but threatened vegetation in much of the high Andes and are very important for their ecological functions, no leaf-mining Nepticulidae (Insecta: Lepidoptera, Nepticuloidea) associated with Polylepis Ruiz & Pav. as a host-plant have been recorded previously. In this paper, for the first...

On the basis of morphological studies of a collection sample from the southern Andes of Argentina and Chile, we describe and name two new species of Stigmella Schrank (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae): S. sinuosa Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. and S. mevia Remeikis & Stonis, sp. nov. Other two new species are documented but left unnamed. All treated taxa be...

We record the first Nepticulidae species found to feed on Baccharis L. (Asteraceae). Despite the high species richness of Baccharis in the Western Hemisphere, no nepticulid has ever been recorded feeding on Baccharis. In this paper we describe six new Stigmella Schrank species feeding on Baccharis: S. emarginatae Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov., S. bipar...

Baccharis L. is among the largest, if not the largest, genus in the family Asteraceae with 354–500 species distributed throughout the Western Hemisphere (Stegelmeier et al. 2009; Heiden 2013; Malagarriga Heras 1977). Most Baccharis species occur mainly in the warm temperate and tropical regions of the New World, predominantly in South America, but...

Despite taxonomic and conservation interest in the Chilean endemic plant genus Podanthus Lag. (Asteraceae: subfamily Asteroideae, tribe Heliantheae), no Podanthus-feeding Nepticulidae or Tischeriidae have ever been recorded. Here, on the basis of material reared from Podanthus from central Mediterranean Chile, we present the description of Stigmell...

This paper summarizes the scant available data on Nepticuloidea (Nepticulidae and Opostegidae) from Colombia, and convenes systematists, particularly in Colombia, to study these peculiar tiny insects of great theoretical and practical importance.

First Liabum Adans. (Asteraceae) feeding Nepticulidae are reported. Two new new species from the Andes (Ecuador) are described: Stigmella serpantina Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. and S. pangorica Diškus & Stonis, sp. nov. The male genitalia of both species and the female genitalia, as well the leaf-mines of S. serpantina sp. nov. are illustrated.

Recently twenty-two species of Nepticulidae and Opostegidae were added to fauna of Central America and Mexico, including Stigmella nigriverticella (Chambers) and twenty-one new species: eighteen belonging to Nepticulidae and three belonging to Opostegidae.