Conopomorpha flueggella Li, 2011

Jiang, Yurong, Zhao, Yang, Wang, Encui, Zhang, Tongyou & Liu, Tengteng, 2021, Taxonomic review on Acrocercopinae, Gracillariinae and Ornixolinae from Shandong, China, with new data on distribution and host associations (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Zoological Systematics 46 (3), pp. 240-257 : 254-255

Conopomorpha flueggella Li, 2011 ( Figs 2F , 4F , 5H )

Conopomorpha flueggella Li, 2011 , In: Hu et al., 2011: 46 . TL: China ( Tianjin). TD: NKU.

Diagnosis. This species mostly resembles C. litchiella Bradley, 1986 , but can be readily separated from the latter by the greyish brown to dark gray forewing ground color, the valva lacking any process on ventral margin in the male genitalia, and the corpus bursae shorter than twice the length of the ductus bursae in the female genitalia. In C. litchiella , the forewing is black but whitish yellow on distal part, the valva bears a prominent tusk-like prong distally on ventral margin and an adjacent small tooth proximally, and the corpus bursae is twice as long as the ductus bursae ( Bradley, 1986).

Description. Adult. Wingspan 9.0– 9.5 mm. Head light brown. Maxillary palpus and labial palpus brown, white inside, with upward tufted hair. Antennae brown, scape light brown ventrally, flagellum dark brown with white rings. Thorax and tegula grayish brown. Forewing grayish brown, four grayish white stripes on costal 1/3, 2/3, and on dorsal 1/3, 2/3 oblique outward, respectively, with first dorsal stripe longest and thickest; a silvery gray vertical fascia from near costa to before tornus, with metallic luster; a black spot on apex; cilia on termen light gray, part of them having blue gray metallic luster at base, with a median white line, gray on dorsum. Hindwing and cilia grayish brown.

Male genitalia. Tegumen narrow and long, nearly parallel-sided, with rounded apex. Tuba analis with basal half and distal part densely covered with micro spines. Valva slightly longer than tegumen, densely covered with setae on ventral half; dorsal margin almost straight and heavily sclerotized, ventral margin slightly concave at basal 1/4, rounded apically. Vinculum U-shaped. Saccus about half as long as valva. Phallus tubular, nearly straight, expanded at base, slightly shorter than valva, cornuti clusters of micro spines.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor broken and lost, not observed. Ostium bursae round. Antrum sclerotized, long and tubular. Ductus bursae with a cluster of micro teeth at conjunction of ductus bursae, membranous towards anterior. Corpus bursae membranous, oval; signum an oval plate densely covered with micro teeth. (posterior two abdominal segments absent on the slide)

Material examined. Shandong: 1♂, Mt. Laoshan , Qingdao, 36.211°N, 120.593°E, 390 m, 2017.VI.29−VII.07, leg. Tengteng Liu, Zhenquan Gao & Nan Wang, genitalia slide no. LIU0041, registration no. SDNU. Ent 170284 ; 2♀, Mt. Kunyu , Yantai, 37.300°N, 121.736°E, 80−300 m, 2016.VII.29−31, leg. Tengteng Liu, Ziyuan Li & Encui Wang, genitalia slide nos. WEC2016028, WEC2016033, registration nos. SDNU. Ent 161934, 161966 ; 2♀, Beijiushui , Qingdao, 36.091°N, 120.423°E, 70−300 m, 2018.VII.01, leg. Tengteng Liu, registration no. SDNU. Ent 000304, 313 .

Host plant. Flueggea suffruticosa (Pall.) Baill. ( Hu et al., 2011) (Euphorbiaceae) .

Distribution. China (Shandong, Tianjin) ( Hu et al., 2011 for the record of Tianjin).

Funding The study is partially supported by the National Specimen Information Infrastructure (2005DKA21400) and the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation , China (ZR2017BC051) .

Acknowledgements We are greatly indebted to the individuals that participated in the field work, to the administrators of Mt. Kunyu National Nature Reserve, Mt. Laoshan Nature Reserve, for their various help during the field work. We thank

Jurate de Prins and the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their insightful comments.

Figures

Figure 2. Adult habitus. A. Spulerina parthenocissi, male, registration no. SDNU.QD160704. B. Telamoptilia grewiae, male, registration no. SDNU.JN160818. C. Eteoryctis picrasmae, female, registration no. SDNU.YT170704.3. D. Liocrobyla lobata, male, registration no. SDNU.YT170702.6. E. Epicephala relictella, male, registration no. SDNU.Ent150763. F. Conopomorpha flueggella, female, registration no. SDNU.Ent161934. Scale bars=2.0mm.

Figure 4. Male genitalia. A. Spulerina parthenocissi, slide no. LIU16009. B. Telamoptilia grewiae, slide no. LIU0033. C. Eteoryctis picrasmae, slide no. LIU0034. D. Liocrobyla lobata, slide no. LIU0028. E. Epicephala relictella, slide no. JYR17055. F. Conopomorpha flueggella, slide no. LIU0041. Scale bars=0.2mm.

Figure 5. Female genitalia. A. Calybites phasianipennella, slide no. JYR17048. B. Caloptilia (Caloptilia) chrysolampra, slide no. JYR17054. C. Acrocercops transecta, slide no. LIU0027. D. Spulerina parthenocissi, slide no. LIU16010. E. Telamoptilia grewiae, slide no. JYR17052. F. Eteoryctis picrasmae, slide no. JYR17053. G. Epicephala relictella, slide no. JYR17046. H. Conopomorpha flueggella, slide no. LIU0041. Scale bars=0.5mm.