Tischeria relictana Ermolaev, 1986

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 : 133-136

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Tischeriidae

Tischeria relictana Ermolaev, 1986 Figs 2 H–L, 5

Tischeria relictana Ermolaev, 1986: 6-8, fig. 1

Tischeria sp.: Sato 2011: 127, 559, fig. II-14.2H.

Tischeria sp.: Hirowatari et al. 2015: 26.

Type locality.

Russia: the Russian Far East (Sakhalin).

Material examined.

6(3♂ 3♀)

Host Betula ermanii : 1♂ 1♀, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 1.v.1959, T. Kumata leg., HK387♂, SK487♀.

Host Betula grossa , N. Hirano leg.: 1♂, Oshirakawa, Azumi, Matsumoto, Nagano Pref., 25.iv.1990em., 23.x.1989(larva), SK565; 1♀, same locality, 20.v.2004em., 11.x.2003(larva), SK566.

Host unknown: 1♀, Mt. Wasamata, Nishihara, Kamikitayama, Nara Pref., 23.viii.2011(L.T.), T. Hirowatari, K. Ikeuchi, Y.-S. Bae & S. Kobayashi leg., SK569. 1♂, Kumosa-yama, Kamiyama, Tokushima Pref., 22.viii.2010(L.T.), K. Yamada, T. Hirowatari, K. Ikeuchi, S. Kobayashi and K. Akita leg., SK463, deposited in TKPM.

Diagnosis.

Tischeria relictana resembles Coptotriche species associated with Rosaceae in that the wings and thorax are covered with gray scales. However, this species can be regarded as a member of Tischeria by the presence of a developed juxta in the male genitalia. Although having divided valvae as well as some other congeneric species (e.g., Tischeria zestica Meyrick and Tischeria martinkrugeri Puplesis & Diškus), Tischeria relictana clearly differs from the others in the double juxta with anteriorly semicircular sclerotized diaphragma (Fig. 5A). A Far Eastern Russian species, Tischeria sichotensis Ermolaev, has female genitalia similar in shape to Tischeria relictana , but the former is separated from the latter by the presence of two acute lateral lobes of the antrum and the short spine-like pectinations in the caudal part of the corpus bursae ( Stonis et al. 2014, figs 42, 43).

Additional description.

Adult (Fig. 2 H–L). Male and female. Wing expanse 6.1-7.1 mm; forewing length 3.0-3.2 mm in Japanese specimens. Head: palpi blackish brown; face smooth, blackish brown; vertex tuft blackish brown; antenna blackish brown, equal to half of forewing in length. Thorax black. Forewing blackish brown to black. Cilia and hindwing blackish gray. Legs blackish brown. Abdomen blackish brown; anal tuft grayish ocherous.

Male genitalia (Fig. 5A, B) (2 preparations examined). Uncus with long and very slender lateral lobes. Socii membranous. Tegumen strongly sclerotized marginally with a pair of slightly inwardly curved frames. Valva (Fig. 5B) broad, covered distally with fine setae, and having a long, slender, dorsal process. Ventral plate of vinculum narrow, triangular. Juxta short, comprising two pairs of processes, one pair connecting to the middle of the phallus, half the length of the valva, narrow medially, broadened apically; the other pair needle-shaped, 1/4 length of valva, slightly broadened basally. Transtilla absent. Diaphragma anteriorly sclerotized, a semicircular plate, folding round the phallus and contacting the needle-shaped part of the juxta ventrally. Phallus (Fig. 5A) slender, distinctly broadened at basal end, forming a pale slender membranous structure from the middle to apex.

Female genitalia (Fig. 5C, D) (3 preparations examined). Similar to Tischeria sparmanniae and Tischeria zestica , but differs in having short apophyses anteriores and posteriores, a slender ductus bursae and the corpus bursae without spines.

Distribution.

Russia: the Russian Far East (Sakhalin) ( Ermolaev 1986); Japan: Hokkaido, Honshu (Nagano and Nara Prefectures), Shikoku (Tokushima Prefecture).

Host plants.

Betula ermanii Cham., Betula grossa Siebold & Zucc. ( Betulaceae ).

Biology.

The detailed biology of this species is unknown. The larvae mine leaves of Betula spp., according to label data of adult specimens.

Remarks.

We collected a female adult of this species at a light trap on Mt. Wasamata, Nara Prefecture, where we also collected tischeriid mines on Betula grossa (Fig. 12). The larvae formed an ocherous to dark gray oblong mine, similar to that of Coptotriche minuta , on the leaf edge or along the leaf vein. Unfortunately, adults did not emerge. We also collected a male adult of this species in a light trap in a deciduous broadleaf forest where Betula grossa grows, on Mt. Kumoso, Tokushima Prefecture. C. Doorenweerd (pers. comm. E.J. van Nieukerken) collected a pupa in Hokkaido from a folded leafmine at the leaf edge on Betula of which the DNA barcode groups with other species of Tischeria and not Coptotriche . Judging from these data, the mines on Betula can be considered to have been made by Tischeria relictana .