Teleiopsis albifemorella ( Hofmann, 1867 )

Huemer, Peter & Mutanen, Marko, 2012, Taxonomy of spatially disjunct alpine Teleiopsis albifemorella s. lat. (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) revealed by molecular data and morphology — how many species are there?, Zootaxa 3580, pp. 1-23 : 6-8

Teleiopsis albifemorella ( Hofmann, 1867)

( Figs 1–6 , 11–14 , 19–21 , 25–28 , 33–35 )

Gelechia albifemorella Hofmann, 1867: 204 .

Diagnosis. Species of the Teleiopsis diffinis -group are very similar in phenotypic appearance and in genitalia morphology. T. albifemorella differs from the sibling T. paulheberti sp. nov. in several somewhat weak characters (see below), from T. rosalbella by less contrasting white bands and the absence of a salmon-pink tinge of the forewing and from T. diffinis , T. bagriotella , T. laetitiae and T. lunariella (Walsingham, 1908) by the cream-white ground colour of the forewing. In male genitalia it differs from all other species of the group (except the newly described) by the apically pointed uncus and in female genitalia by a combination of characters such as the entrance and pouch of the antrum (see i.e. Pitkin 1988).

Description. Adult ( Figs 1–6 ). Head cream-white; second segment of labial palpus cream-white, brown at base and apex, and tinged brown medially; thorax and tegula mottled cream and light brown, or rarely plain cream. Forewing length 3, 9.2–11.6 mm, Ƥ, 7.8–10.1 mm; forewing ground colour whitish to whitish-cream, with more or less extensive greyish mottling; oblique fascia of raised black scales from basal part of costa to dorsum; three black dots of raised scales edged with ochreous in middle of forewing; further two spots before whitish subapical fascia; apical part greyish with black spots along termen; fringes grey. Hind wing light grey, nacreous.

Male genitalia (including pregenital abdomen) ( Figs 11–14 , 19–21 ). Eighth tergite with tongue-shaped posterior lobe, distinct lateral brush of strong coremata and a single stiff spine with small apical hook arising from a small lateral protuberance and extending slightly beyond apex of posterior lobe; anterior part of tergite with deep U-shaped emargination, lateral lobes with brush of long coremata; eighth sternite about half length and two times width of medial part of tergite, posterior margin broadly convex, densely covered with coremata, anterior margin with lateral sclerotized ridges connected to tergite. Uncus narrow, gradually tapered to distinct apical tip, extending to about apex of gnathos; gnathos about same width as uncus, apex broadly rounded; tegumen anteriorly widened, with broad pedunculi, separated by sinusoid emargination with medial sclerite; costa needle-shaped, distinctly shorter than sacculus, base of costa about level with sclerotized medial teguminal margin; sacculus basally broad, distal half more or less abruptly narrowing, apical part weakly curved with dentate apex; phallus long and slender, weakly curved, anteriorly fused with broad and long tube connected to anterior edge of vinculum; ductus ejaculatorius with long, sclerotized lamina.

Female genitalia ( Figs 25–28 , 33–35 ). Apophysis posterior about three times length of apophysis anterior; eighth segment smooth, without pouches or other particular structures; antrum tubular with cylindrical posterior half, about length of eighth segment including apophysis anterior, entrance with elongated sub-rectangular emargination dorsally, anteriorly a small though distinct sclerotized patch, longitudinal sclerotized fold from about one-third to anterior end of antrum; ductus about length of antrum, slender; corpus bursae round; signum variable, pair of serrated-edged lobes of different width separated by broad medial ridge.

Bionomics. T. albifemorella is a characteristic species of alpine scree on limestone substrate. The adults are on the wing from late May to early October, but the majority of records dates from June to August. Late records of freshly emerged specimens from October have been found only at low altitudes and indicate a partial second generation. The moths are attracted to artificial light at night. The peculiar habitats of the species are obviously related to the only known larval host-plant, Rumex scutatus , a species of Polygonaceae exclusively restricted to alpine scree, preferably on limestone with sparse vegetation. The larva has been reported to feed from tubes spun between the basal parts of the food-plant and the soil ( Burmann 1977). According to this author it hibernates and is fully grown in May or June but considering the prolonged flight period these data may vary from year to year depending on the snow cover and from region to region. The vertical distribution ranges exceptionally from as low as 400 m to about 2300 m.

Distribution (Map 1). T. albifemorella is widely distributed in the Eastern Alps ( Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Italy) though absent in the Central part of these mountains, an area where limestone as suitable substrate is extremely scattered and rare. Material from the area of Monte Baldo ( Italy: Verona) is attributed to this species and not to the south-western form sensu Pitkin (1988). A unique record from the Western Alps ( Switzerland: Wallis) ( Sauter 1983) is doubtful, whereas specimens from the Jura mountains, examined by P.H. in 1996, most probably belong to nominotypical T. albifemorella . The only published record from the Balkan Peninsula is based on two specimens collected in Montenegro ( Huemer & Jakšic 1996).

Remarks. Gelechia albifemorella was described from four allegedly male specimens collected between 1863 and 1865 in the northern limestone Alps of Tyrol ( Austria) and Bavaria ( Germany) ( Hofmann 1867). Pitkin (1988) designated a female specimen from Kaisergebirge in north-eastern Tyrol as the lectotype. Though we have not examined the lectotype, the identity of the species is without any doubts and we have been able to study a considerable topotypical series from Tyrol.

The description and figures of T. albifemorella in Huemer & Karsholt (1999) partially refer to T. paulheberti sp. nov. Adult figures 50a and 50c in this book depict the new species, whereas figures of the genitalia are correct for T. albifemorella .

MAP 1. The distribution of Teleiopsis albifemorella and T. paulheberti sp. nov. in Europe (exclusively based on examined material). Major COI-haplogroups figured with extra symbols.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Adults of Teleiopsis albifemorella, males. 1 – 2, Austria (North Tyrol); 3, Austria (Upper Austria); 4, Italy (Udine); 5, Italy (South Tyrol); 6, Italy (Verona).

FIGURES 11 – 14. Male genitalia of Teleiopsis albifemorella. 11, Austria (North Tyrol), slide GEL 1166; 12, Austria (Upper Austria), slide GEL 1167; 13, Slovenia, slide GEL 1163; 14, as 13, diagnostic details of uncus-gnathos region.

FIGURES 19 – 24. Segment VIII of male Teleiopsis. 19 – 21, T. albifemorella: 19, Austria (North Tyrol), slide GEL 1166; 20, Austria (Upper Austria), slide GEL 1167; 21, Slovenia, slide GEL 1163. 22 – 24, T. paulheberti sp. nov.: 22, holotype, Italy (Cuneo), slide GEL 1159; 23, paratype, Italy (L´Aquila), slide GEL 1169; 24, paratype, France (Hautes-Alpes), slide GEL 1172.

FIGURES 25 – 28. Female genitalia of Teleiopsis albifemorella, segment VIII and antrum. 25, Austria (North Tyrol), slide GEL 1165; 26, Austria (Upper Austria), slide GEL 1168; 27, Slovenia, slide GEL 1164; 28, as 25, diagnostic details of antrum.

FIGURES 33 – 38. Female genitalia of Teleiopsis albifemorella, details of signum. 33 – 35, T. albifemorella: 33, Austria (North Tyrol), slide GEL 1165; 34, Austria (Upper Austria), slide GEL 1168; 35, Slovenia, slide GEL 1164. 36 – 38, T. paulheberti sp. nov.: 36, paratype, Italy (Cuneo), slide GEL 1162; 37, paratype, France (Alpes-Maritimes), slide GEL 1161; 38, paratype, France (Hautes-Alpes), slide GEL 1171.