| الملخص: | In instances of severe infestations, Nepticulidae larvae can inflict damage on cultivated plants. Previously, it was assumed that the <i>Prunus</i>-feeding Nepticulidae have continuous distribution from Europe to the neighboring Caucasus. During recent fieldwork in the Caucasus, leaf mines were found on plum trees that initially resembled those of <i>Stigmella plagicolella</i> (Stainton) in Europe. However, upon rearing the adults, significant differences emerged, leading to the hypothesis that a different <i>Prunus</i>-feeding species exists in the Caucasus; this challenges previous records in Western Asia. This paper presents the outcomes of our morphological, molecular, and statistical investigations, unveiling <i>S. colchica</i> sp. nov., a previously unknown potential plum-tree pest. Distinguished by male genitalia characteristics, the new species differs from <i>S. plagicolella</i>. The inter- and intraspecific divergences between <i>S. colchica</i> sp. nov. and <i>S. plagicolella</i> range from 3.5% to 6.02%. Moreover, the utilized delimitation algorithms reliably clustered two species separately, as does our mitotype network. A statistical analysis also shows a discernible trend between the leaf mines of <i>S. colchica</i> sp. nov. and <i>S. plagicolella</i>. This unexpected discovery not only documents a new potential pest, enhancing our understanding of the Caucasian fauna, but also contributes to the broader biological inventory.
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