Ancylis pacificana (Walsingham, 1879)

Gilligan, Todd, Huemer, Peter & Wiesmair, Benjamin, 2016, Different continents, same species? Resolving the taxonomy of some Holarctic Ancylis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Zootaxa 4178 (3), pp. 347-370 : 355-356

Ancylis pacificana (Walsingham, 1879)

Figs. 7–10, 61–62, 76

Phoxopteryx pacificana Walsingham 1879 , Illust. typical Specimens Lepid. Heterocera Colln. Br . Mus. 4: 73.

Diagnosis. Ancylis pacificana is identical in wing pattern to A. unguicella , and the two species cannot be separated without dissection. In the male, the cucullus of A. pacificana is more elongate with a rounded apex versus the shorter, blunt cucullus in A. unguicella , and the phallus (and caulis) is shorter in A. pacificana . In the female, the antrum of A. pacificana is narrower posteriorly and the signa are larger than in A. unguicella .

Redescription. Forewing. FWL Ƌ 7.5–10 mm (n=18), ♀ 8.3 mm (n=1). Forewing description as in A.

unguicella . Male genitalia. Uncus bifid to approximately half its length. Valva with shallow basal excavation extending to just beyond sacculus; saccular angle weakly to moderately developed with variable triangular terminal projection; neck of uniform width or slightly narrowed from sacculus to cucullus; cucullus elongate, densely setose, outer margin convex with several rows of short setae near the anal angle, apex rounded; caulis 0.5 as long as phallus; phallus 0.5–0.6 as long as valva, with small triangular tooth just proximal to apex; vesica with ca. 40–60 deciduous lanceolate cornuti. The length of the cucullus, the width of the valval neck, and the saccular terminal projections all vary between individuals; we have attempted to illustrate the range of variation in Figs. 58–59. Female genitalia. Antrum sclerotized to 0.4 length of ductus bursae, widened at ostium to 0.5 distance between apophyses anteriores. Corpus bursae oval, expanding gradually from ductus bursae; signa large, blade- or hornshaped, unequal in size.

Distribution. Because of its similarity with A. unguicella , the distribution of A. pacificana is difficult to determine from undissected museum specimens. Heinrich (1923) reported specimens from California, British Columbia, and Colorado, whereas Powell and Opler (2009) reported a distribution limited to montane habitats in Oregon and northern California. The specimens that we determined as A. pacificana were from California, Oregon, and British Columbia, although we discovered one male in the EME from San Bernardo, Sonora, Mexico. This suggests that the distribution of A. pacificana is more extensive than assumed by previous authors, although we have not confirmed A. pacificana from any other locations (including Colorado). In any event, undissected museum specimens identified as A. pacificana should be treated as suspect until verified using genitalic characters.

Molecular data. Unknown.

Biology. Adults are present May to July. The larval host is unknown, although Powell and Opler (2009) report adults associated with Ceanothus .

Remarks. Heinrich (1923) stated that A. pacificana was larger and less darkly marked than A. unguicella . We found that, whereas some specimens of A. pacificana are slightly larger, both species overlap in size. We also found smaller specimens of A. pacificana with dark markings (e.g., Fig. 9) that were incorrectly identified as A. unguicella . Species-level determinations of either species from the Pacific Northwest should rely on male genitalia.