A new species of Aristotelia Hübner (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Aristoteliinae) from northern Chile

<i>Aristotelia</i> Hübner, [1825] (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Aristoteliinae) is a widely distributed moth genus comprising 153 described species, many of which have striking forewings. The variation in genitalia morphology among some members suggests that, as currently circumscribed, the genus is probably not monophyletic. The only Chilean species of <i>Aristotelia</i> previously described inhabits the central region of the country. A second Chilean representative, <i>Aristotelia aguilensis</i> <b>sp. nov</b>., is described and illustrated based on adults reared from larvae collected on <i>Hoffmannseggia minor</i> (Phil.) Ulibarri (Fabaceae) in the Atacama Desert. The genetic divergence between DNA barcode sequences of the new species was 0.3% (K2P), while it ranged from 11% to 17.1% for other members of the genus. This study reveals a new piece of the <i>Aristotelia</i> puzzle, adds a new member to the poorly known gelechiid fauna of northern Chile, and highlights the need to continue fieldwork to reveal the moth diversity that remains overlooked in underexplored Neotropical environments.

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Publication Details

Journal
ZooKeys
Published
2026-02-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1269.182581
Primary Topic
Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

A new species of Aristotelia Hübner (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Aristoteliinae) from northern Chile

Hector Vargas
ZooKeys
Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
article

A new species of Aristotelia Hübner (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Aristoteliinae) from northern Chile

Hector Vargas
article en

Abstract

<i>Aristotelia</i> Hübner, [1825] (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Aristoteliinae) is a widely distributed moth genus comprising 153 described species, many of which have striking forewings. The variation in genitalia morphology among some members suggests that, as currently circumscribed, the genus is probably not monophyletic. The only Chilean species of <i>Aristotelia</i> previously described inhabits the central region of the country. A second Chilean representative, <i>Aristotelia aguilensis</i> <b>sp. nov</b>., is described and illustrated based on adults reared from larvae collected on <i>Hoffmannseggia minor</i> (Phil.) Ulibarri (Fabaceae) in the Atacama Desert. The genetic divergence between DNA barcode sequences of the new species was 0.3% (K2P), while it ranged from 11% to 17.1% for other members of the genus. This study reveals a new piece of the <i>Aristotelia</i> puzzle, adds a new member to the poorly known gelechiid fauna of northern Chile, and highlights the need to continue fieldwork to reveal the moth diversity that remains overlooked in underexplored Neotropical environments.

ZooKeysVol. 1269
University of Tarapacá (CL)
Life in Land
Openalex Percentile: Top 53%
Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
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A new species of Aristotelia Hübner (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Aristoteliinae) from northern Chile — Hector Vargas · ZooKeys (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS