Wittia sororcula ( Hufnagel, 1766 )

Macià, Ramon, Ylla, Josep, Gastón, Javier, Huertas, Manuel & Bau, Josep, 2022, The species of Eilema Hübner, [1819] sensu lato present in Europe and North Africa (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Zootaxa 5191 (1), pp. 1-87 : 46-47

Wittia sororcula ( Hufnagel, 1766)

Original combination: Phalaena Noctua sororcula Hufnagel, 1766 Berlinisches Magazin 3: 398–399.

T. L.: Berlín, Germany .

Material examined. SPAIN: ARABA: 1 ♂ and 1 ♀, Berganzo, 500 m, 16.v.1998, J. Gastón leg.: 1 ♂, Zárate, 700 m, 29.v.1983, J. Gastón leg. ; 1 ♂, Markínez, 790 m, 18.v.2018, J. Gastón leg. ; 4 ♂ and 5 ♀, Pto. de Herrera , 1000 m, 13.vi.1981, J. Gastón leg. BARCELONA: 6 ♂ and 5 ♀, Els Munts , Sant Agustí de Lluçanès, 958 m, 31 TDG25 , 5.v.2000, 12.v.2001, 15.viii.2009, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 15 ♂ and 10 ♀, El Surreig, St. Bartomeu del Grau , 650 m, 3.v.1997, 30.iv.2007, 24.iv.2009, 1.v.2011, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 6 ♂ and 4 ♀, Ermita de Sant Jaume , St. Bartomeu del Grau, 750 m, 1.vii.2014, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 8 ♂ and 5 ♀, Molí del Llopart , Sta. Eugènia de Berga, 538 m, 14.vi.2003, 18.vi.2005, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 7 ♂ and 4 ♀, St. Julià de Cabrera , 1008 m, 2.vii.2003, 1.vii.2005, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 3 ♂, Urb. La Roca , Taradell, 650 m, 25.v.1991, R. Macià leg. ; 5 ♂, 4 ♀, Vespella , Gurb, 650 m, 5.v.2000, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 9 ♂ and 6 ♀, Coll d´Hueres, Collsuspina, 980 m, 31 TDG36 , 15.vi.2013, R. Macià leg. ; 4 ♂ and 2 ♀, Mas El Bruguer, Sau , 650 m, 20.v.2006, 5.v.2007, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 1 ♂, Urb. Urbisol , Calders, 650 m, 15.v.1994, T. Mira leg. ; 14 ♂ and 10 ♀, Vallvidrera, 362 m, 31.vii.1921, 15.v.1922, I. Sagarra leg. in coll. MCNB. ; 1 ♂, Santa Susanna , Montseny, 630 m, 9.v.1914, I. Sagarra leg. in coll. MCNB. ; 6 ♂ and 5 ♀, Sant Pere de Vilamajor, 305 m, 10.viii.2014, 4.ix.2014, I. Sagarra leg. in coll. MCNB. BIZKAIA: 1 ♀, Lendoño Goikoa, 460 m, 14.vi.1991, J. Gastón leg. ZAMORA: 5 ♂ and 3 ♀, Sierra de la Culebra, Ferreras , 890 m, 23.vi.2001, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. BURGOS: 5 ♂ and 6 ♀, San Martín de Don, 850 m, 16.vi.1984, J. Gastón leg. ; 5 ♂ and 6 ♀, Loma del Rey , Quintanilla Sobresierra, 1050 m, 30 TVN41 , 28.v.2008, R. Macià leg. CASTELLÓN: 3 ♂ and 2 ♀, Serra del Turmell , Vallibona, 1080 m, 2.viii.2007, R. Macià & J.Ylla leg. ; 2 ♂, Corral de Gracià , Barracas, 1029 m, 16.vi.2009, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; GIRONA: 3 ♂, Tamariu, 63 m, 19.viii.2006, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 6 ♂ and 4 ♀, Urb. Vall Repós , Romanyà de la Selva, 325 m, 29.iv.2006, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 4 ♂ and 1 ♀, Coll de Jou , Ogassa, 1650 m, 24.v.1996, R. Macià leg. ; 1 ♂ and 2 ♀, Sant Pere Pescador, 15 m, 9.viii.1996, R. Macià leg. ; 3 ♂, Fontclara , Palau-Sator, 70 m, 30.iv.2006, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 3 ♂, Montgrony , Gombren, 1350 m, 29.v.1993, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg.

FRANCE: 8 ♂ and 5 ♀, Nohèdes , Prades, Pirineus Orientals, 1080 m, 18.v.2002, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 7 ♂ and 9 ♀, Mont Ventoux , Provenza, 1020 m, 29.vii.1994, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg.

HUNGARY: 5 ♂ and 3 ♀, Örsèg , Kétvölgy, 1020 m, 31.vii.2005, A. Azabó leg.

ITALY: 4 ♂ and 1 ♀, Sovicille, Siena , Toscana, 265 m, 23.vii.1996, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg.

Diagnosis. The bright orange yellow colour and the shape of the forewing, very wide and rounded, make it easily distinguishable from any other Eilema sensu lato.

Re-description. Imago ( Figs. 43–44 ). Average wingspan males 28.0 mm (n=10; 25–30 mm); average wingspan females 28.7 mm (n=10; 25–31 mm). Small morphological differences between males and females.

Genitalia ( Fig. 70 ). Male genitalia: Uncus very long, thin, tubular, and curved, topped with a small hook; narrow and poorly sclerotised tegumen; valvae oval, elongated with rounded cucullus; the distal process of the sacculus very powerful, large, strongly sclerotised and curved towards the cucullus, ending with a small spine; the rest of the sacculus is strongly sclerotised; juxta trapezoidal, weakly sclerotised and topped on its upper part by two very sclerotised finger-like processes covered with small spines; vinculum short, triangular and bilobed; short cylindrical aedeagus with one apical spine and four cornuti comparable in size. Female genitalia: Anal papillae slightly sclerotised with fine, medium-sized posterior processes; 8th segment narrow with medium-sized, thin anterior processes; bell-shaped ostium with raised edge and strongly sclerotised; lamella antevaginalis large, elliptical with the long axis in a horizontal position, narrow and elongated, provided (generally) with two strongly sclerotised hooks next to the ostium; ductus bursae short, thin arched with a sclerotised base; an elongated pear-shaped corpus bursae with sclerotised plates (signum) inside. In its upper part it has a membranous wart of appreciable proportions from where the ductus seminalis arises.

Immature stages ( Fig. 91 ). The last instar larva is 20 to 25 mm long. Cephalic capsule dark, well-developed, rounded, prothoracic and anal shield with undefined verrucae. Body with dark grey verrucae, all with long, translucent setae mixed with black ones; numerous black spots mixed with grey give it a dark appearance; broad black dorsal line touching D1, then a light grey one between D1 and D2, and then a dark one below D2, with an orange or reddish spot attached to D1 and D2 on the lateral border; sides greywith black spots. The pupa with 2 spines curved to the sides at tip of the abdomen. Pupae of both sexes very similar. The cocoon woven among lichens.

Molecular data. The Wittia sororcula samples cluster in a well-supported clade (PP=1). The distance from other species under study (average TN-dist = 8.59) is also large enough to justify its inclusion in a separate genus ( Wittia ). The published samples available in BOLD form two different BIN clusters (BOLD: AAC1077, n=40; BOLD: AAL5773; n=6). The samples we analysed coincide with the main cluster BOLD: AAC1077 which includes samples from 10 different countries including Austria and Italy, being the second one BOLD: AAL5773 comprised of six samples from Austria and Italy. Because of the inclusion of these two BIN clusters, the internal distance for the Wittia sororcula BOLD dataset is considerably large (dist=0.85%) but does not relate to any groups of specimens with morphological, or geographical differences.

Biology. Univoltine in the northern European regions and bivoltine in the south, where it is on the wing from April to June, and then from August to October. Frequent and abundant, it is found in very diverse biotopes, but always with a moderate level of humidity, showing a preference for mixed and deciduous forests at elevations between sea level and 1000–1200 m. Adults are active by day and both sexes are attracted to bait and artificial light. The larvae feed on lichens on trunks of conifers and Quercus , as well as on beech leaves, conifer needles and certain species of algae ( Ylla et al. 2010). In captivity it accepts artificial diet. W. sororcula is the only species of Eilema sensu lato that overwinters as a pupa, unlike the other species in which the larva is the overwintering stage ( Ylla et al. 2010).

Distribution ( Fig. 116 ). Mediterranean-Asiatic. Its range extends throughout southern and central Europe to the Near East, northern and central Asia. In the Iberian Peninsula it is found in a northern strip of variable width, which extends from Catalonia to Galicia and northern of Portugal, south to mountainous areas of Castellón and Teruel; present in Mallorca.

Figures

FIGURE 70. Wittia sororcula male and female genitalia, gen. prep. 7296JG, El Surreig, Sant Bartomeu del Grau, Barcelona (Spain); 7488JG, El Surreig, Sant Bartomeu del Grau, Barcelona (Spain).

FIGURE 91. Immature stages Wittia sororcula (picture MH).

FIGURES. 41–48. 41. Katha depressa (Esper, [1787]). Male: Riera del Surreig, Osona (Barcelona), 26.vi.2002, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg.; 42. Female: Santuari de Puiglagulla, Vilalleons, Osona (Barcelona), 7.viii.2006, R. Macià leg.; 43. Wittia sororcula (Hufnagel, 1766). Male: Loma del Rey, Quintanilla Sobresierra (Burgos) Spain, 1050 m, 30TVN41, 28.v.2008, R. Macià leg.; 44. Female: Serra del Turmell, Vallibona (Castellò) Spain, 1080 m, 2.viii.2007, R. Macià & J.Ylla leg.; 45. Pseudokatha rungsi Toulgoët, 1960. Male: Camino de Murguis, Las Entinas, Almerimar (Almería), 4 m, 12.vi.2014, R. Macià leg.; 46. Female: Platja Cuartel Vell, Torre la Sal (Castellón), 3 m, 31TBE54, 5.v.2011, R. Macià leg.; 47. Zobida bipuncta (Hübner, [1824]).Male: P.N de Doñana (Huelva) Spain, 10 m, 2.x.2019 R. Macià leg., 48. Female: P. N. de Doñana (Huelva) Spain, 10 m, 2.x.2019 R. Macià leg.

FIGURES 110–118. 110. Indalia pygmaeola pallifrons; 111. Setema cereola; 112. Nyea lurideola; 113. Muscula muscula; 114. Collita griseola; 115. Katha depressa; 116. Wittia sororcula; 117. Pseudokatha rungsi; 118. Zobida bipuncta.