Coptotriche symplocosella Kobayashi & Hirowatari

Kobayashi, Shigeki, Sato, Hiroaki, Hirano, Nagao, Yamada, Kazutaka & Hirowatari, Toshiya, 2016, A review of the Japanese species of the family Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera), ZooKeys 601, pp. 127-151 : 131-133

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Tischeriidae

Coptotriche symplocosella Kobayashi & Hirowatari sp. n. Figs 2 D–E, 3 E–H, 9, 10, 11

Material examined.

47(11♂ 9♀ 27 exs)

Type material.

Holotype ♂, JAPAN: Kyushu: Adachi Park, Kokura, Fukuoka Pref., 9.iv.2012em., host Symplocos lucida , 20.iii.2012(larva), S. Kobayashi leg. Paratypes 10♂ 9♀, Mikata, Mitsushima, Tsushima, Nagasaki Pref., 25.iv.-6.v.2012em., S. Kobayashi leg., host Symplocos lucida , 27.iii.2012 (larva), SK402-405.

Other material.

20 exs, same data as paratypes.

Pupae. 7 exs, Mikata, Mitsushima, Tsushima, Nagasaki Pref., 27.iv.2012, S. Kobayashi leg., host Symplocos lucida , 27.iii.2012(larva).

Diagnosis.

The color of the scaling is very similar to that of many other Coptotriche species; the new species differs from other members of the genus in the combination of the rather long uncus (Fig. 3F), and the gently curved slender valva (Fig. 3G) in the male genitalia, and the very small corpus bursae (Fig. 3H) in the female genitalia.

Adult (Fig. 2 D–E). Wing expanse 8.7 mm; forewing length 4.0 mm in holotype, 7.3-9.2 mm in paratypes (8.0 mm on average for 21 specimens). Head: palpi cream white to ocherous; frons smooth, blackish brown; vertex tuft blackish brown centrally, frontal and lateral tufts brown; collar brown to grayish black apically, comprised of slender lamellar scales; antenna minimally 2/3 length of forewing, brown to golden. Thorax: anterior part black, posterior part grayish black. Forewing brown to ocherous with blackish scales densely covering apex, and tipping termen and tornus; termen with brown scales. Cilia and hindwing blackish gray. Legs pale ocherous. Abdomen: black; anal tuft grayish ocherous.

Male genitalia (Fig. 3 E–G) (2 preparations examined). Uncus with oblong claw-shaped lateral lobes. Socii membranous. Tegumen broad and rather long. Valva slender, gently curved inwards (Fig. 3G). Transtilla present. Anellus membranous, indistinct. Vinculum with rather short triangular ventral plate, with rounded anterior part. Phallus tulip-shaped, slender with broad ended apical part (Fig. 3E).

Female genitalia (Fig. 3H) (2 preparations examined). Similar to Coptotriche japoniella and Coptotriche bifurcula , except corpus bursae very small, slender, with two narrow signa with minute spines, and a short slender ductus spermathecae.

Pupa. (Fig. 11) (3 preparations examined). Brown to dark brown, 4.4-5.1 mm in length. Vertex (Fig. 11 A–B) smooth, with a pair of short setae laterally (Fig. 11C). Dorsum A2-A7 with a pair of long setae, and a concentration of very small spines (Fig. 11E). Dorsum A8-A10 (Fig. 11G, H) with a pair of long dorsal spines and a pair of long lateral spines; A10 (Fig. 11 F–H) furcated with a pair of short acute processes from caudal apex, rolled on the dorsal side.

Distribution.

Japan: Kyushu (Fukuoka and Nagasaki (Tsushima Is.) Prefectures).

Host plants.

Symplocos lucida (Thunb.) Siebold & Zucc. ( Symplocaceae ).

Etymology.

The specific epithet, symplocosella , refers to the genus of the hostplant, Symplocos .

Biology

(Figs 9-10). Because many young larvae were observed in leaf mines in March, the species seems to overwinter in the larval stage. The larvae mine leaves of an evergreen tree, Symplocos lucida , forming an elongate full-depth blotch mine beginning with a slender, linear shape (Fig. 9A, E), and gradually expanding as they feed and grow (Fig. 9B, F, G); about ~3 cm in length, white to dark yellow; the older mines turn brown in coloration (Fig. 9C). There were usually 1-3 mines per leaf (Fig. 9G). The larva ejects frass through circular holes (Fig. 10). From shed larval head capsules in the mine, we estimate that the species has six larval instars (Figs 9I, 10). The semifinal and final instar larvae are 6.0-7.0 mm long and pale green in coloration. Head capsule widths are 1st instar: 0.21 mm, 2nd: 0.25 mm, 3rd: 0.30 mm, 4th: 0.40 mm. The mature larva lines the mine with silk, so that the upper surface of the mine shows a few folds (Fig. 9C); a pupal cocoon is situated at the end of the mine.

Remarks.

The pupal characters of the new species are similar to those of other Coptotriche species, but the new species has rather short caudal processes.