Mesophleps trinotella Herrich-Schäffer, 1856

Li, Houhun & Sattler, Klaus, 2012, A taxonomic revision of the genus Mesophleps Hübner, 1825 (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) 3373, Zootaxa 3373, pp. 1-82 : 37-39

Mesophleps trinotella Herrich-Schäffer, 1856

( Figs 6, 42, 72, 100, 130)

Mesophleps trinotella Herrich-Schäffer, 1856 , Neue Schmett. eur. angrenzenden Ländern (1): 6, fig. 46. Syntypes, unspecified number and sex, FRANCE: Corsica (Zeller) [not traced]. Mesophleps trinotellus Herrich-Schäffer ; Constant 1883: 18. Xystophora aurantiella Rebel, 1915 , Rovart. Lap. 22: 188. Holotype ♂, HUNGARY, Bács-Kiskun, Kecskemét, Nagy-Nyír,

6.vi.1914 (Predota) (NM, Vienna) [examined] [Synonymized by Rebel 1917: (144)]. Crossobela barysphena Meyrick, 1923 , Exot. Microlepid. 3: 34. Lectotype ♂, CYPRUS: Limassol, 3.ii.1921 (Mavromoustakis)

(abdomen missing) (BMNH), designated by Clarke 1969a: 517 (as ‘Type’) [examined]. Syn. nov.

Batrachedra subtilipennis Turati, 1924 , Atti Soc. ital. Sci. nat. 63: 180, pl. 6, fig. 18. Lectotype ♂, LIBYA: Cyrenaica , Banghāsi

(‘Bengasi’), 20.v.1922 (Krüger) (slide no. 1144, Riedl; BMNH), designated by Riedl 1978: 506 (as ‘holotype’) [adult examined, genitalia slide missing]. [Synonymized by Piskunov 1990: 96.] Uncustriodonta trinotella (Herrich-Schäffer) ; Agenjo 1952: 87. Crossobela barysphena Meyrick ; Clarke 1969a: 517, pl. 257, fig. 2. Crossobela trinotella (Herrich-Schäffer) Karsholt & Riedl 1996: 120 .

♂, ♀. Wingspan 8.0–14.5 mm. Head greyish brown; labial palpus segment 2 dark brown, scales white-tipped, segment 3 about one-half length of 2, light to dark brown, sometimes extreme apex white. Antenna alternating whitish grey and dark brown. Forewing ochre, costal and dorsal margin and apex dark brown, mixed with white-tipped scales, brown area on both margins up to about one-third width of wing but basal two-fifths of costa dark-edged, rarely brown area absent; black discocellular spot and short plical dash relatively small, sometimes indistinct or absent.

Genitalia ♂ ( Fig. 72). Uncus small, elliptical, basally constricted; gnathos hooks well separate at base, robust, with very broad base, pointed, apex level with or exceeding end of uncus; tegumen and valva narrow; downturned distal part of vinculum almost one-half its total length, sclerotized posterior margin weakly concave; basal twothirds of phallus bulbous, distal third tapered.

Genitalia ♀ ( Figs 100, 130). Segment VIII very short, broad, dorso-posterior margin straight, medially not extended, apophyses posteriores almost twice length of apophyses anteriores; subostial plate short, broad, posterior margin slightly concave medially; sclerotized antrum very short, ductus bursae thin, about twice length of apophyses anteriores; corpus bursae oval, slightly longer than ductus bursae; ductus seminalis from cervix bursae quite close to entrance of ductus bursae.

Biology. Host-plants: Erysimum (‘ Cheiranthus ’) cheiri , E. marschallianum (‘ E. durum ’), E. hieraciifolium , Moricandia arvensis and possibly further species of Cruciferae. The ovum is deposited on the flowers or fruits of the host-plant; the larva lives in the fruit and feeds on the seeds; pupation takes place in the seed capsule after the larva has prepared an exit hole that it closes with silk. Larva in August, adult from late May till September in one or two generations. ( Constant 1883: 16; Gregor & Povolný 1955: 120, 124, pl. 7, figs 1–6).

Remarks. M. trinotella and ochracella are closely related and are externally easier to distinguish than in the genitalia. M. trinotella is on average smaller with narrower forewings that lack the thick, dark, shadowy patch in the tornus present in many specimens of ochracella . However, the best difference is found in the labial palpi: in trinotella segment 2 is thickened with semi-erect scales whereas in ochracella it bears a distinct ventral brush reminiscent of the genera Nothris Hübner, [1825] , and Anarsia Zeller, 1839 , and it is therefore no coincidence that Turati described this species in Nothris . In the male genitalia the valva is slightly but distinctly broader in ochracella and the pedunculi are slightly longer and more robust than in trinotella . No convincing differences in the female genitalia can be given. Externally trinotella is variable in the extent of the dark costal and dorsal wing margins; we have seen specimens with almost no brown along the margins.

M. trinotella was described from an unspecified number of specimens, sex not stated, from Corsica. Herrich- Schäffer received the type-material from ‘H.[errn] Zeller in Balgrist bei Zürich’ to whom it may have reverted after description. The collector, Rudolf Zeller (1821–1897), is not to be confused with P.C. Zeller, the renowned German 19 th century lepidopterist. His collection of Macro- and Microlepidoptera came after his death to ETH, Zürich, and was there incorporated (W. Sauter, pers. comm.) but no potential type of trinotella could now be found (F. Schmid, pers. comm.). (See also M. corsicella ).

Crossobela barysphena was described from two males, according to Meyrick ‘unfortunately much damaged in transit, but determinable’. The lectotype is composed of the thorax and partly damaged head with right labial palpus (antennae lost) and right hind wing (apex missing), with a fragment of the forewing glued across the thorax and hind wing base (see Clarke 1969a, pl. 257, fig. 2, image reversed!). The paralectotype, a female, not male, comprises the badly denuded head, with right labial palpus and a short section of the right antenna, and the thorax with the left hind wing. The specimens lack ocelli; Meyrick’s description ‘ocelli posterior’ is incorrect. The poor condition of the type specimens makes recognition of barysphena rather difficult, although the impression is that of a small, narrow-winged Mesophleps . Meyrick described the forewing veins 2–6 (CuA 2 –M 1) as separate (in trinotella M 1 is usually stalked with R 3-5, but this character may be variable). The forewing pattern with ‘dark fuscous … costal streak from ¼ to apex ...’ appears to fit corsicella better than trinotella . Either species is possible in Cyprus as collecting by E. and M. Arenberger, Vienna, has shown the presence of four Mesophleps species ( silacella , corsicella , oxycedrella and trinotella ) ( Arenberger 1994: 285, 286); according to Karsholt (pers. comm.) a fifth, M. ochraceella , also occurs in Cyprus. Despite some discrepancy in the forewing pattern as described by Meyrick we believe barysphena to be a synonym of trinotella ; the labial palpus agrees perfectly with the latter and disagrees with that of corsicella .

B. subtilipennis was described from two specimens (sex not stated) from Bengasi, 18 and 20 May, which are both preserved in BMNH. No holotype was designated in the original description; however, Turati had labelled the specimen illustrated in his colour figure as ‘Typus’. That specimen was subsequently examined by Riedl (1978: 506), who published it as the ‘Holotype’; this action is here accepted as a valid lectotype designation. Turati’s second specimen is a male of Bedellia somnulentella (Zeller) (Bedelliidae) .

Distribution. Portugal, Spain (including Balearic Islands), France (including Corsica), Monaco, Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily), Czech Republic, Hungary, Turkey, Cyprus; Morocco, Algeria, Libya.

Material examined (42 ♂♂, 22 ♀♀, including 9 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀ genitalia preparations)

Portugal: 1 ♂, Algarve, Ilha da Culatra , 18.viii.2008 (Pires) (coll. Corley) . Spain: 2 ♂♂, Malaga , 6.v.1901 (Walsingham) ; 2 ♀♀, Granada , 22.v.1901 (Walsingham) ; 1 ♀, Andalucia, Sierra Nevada , 17.vi.1925 (Romei) ; 1 ♂, Mallorca, Sa Roca, S’Albufera , 25.v.2000 (Honey) . France: 9 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Alpes-Maritimes, Menton (‘ Mentone’ ), ex Moricandia [ arvensis ], em. 22, 23, 27, 29.v.1868 (Moggridge) ; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, ditto, em. 31.v, 4.vi, 1.vii.1870 (Moggridge) ; 1 ♂, Menton (‘ Mentone’ ), bred (Stainton, Frey) ; 2 ♂♂, Corsica, Ajaccio , 6.v.1896 (Walsingham) , 3 ♂♂, Corte , 21.v.1896, 13.vi.1898, 15.vi.1899 (Walsingham) , 1 ♂, Pozzo di Borgo nr Ajaccio , 3.vi.1899 (Walsingham) .

Monaco: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Monte Carlo, 1.vi.1899, 27.vi.1911 (Walsingham) . Italy: 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Imperia, Dolceacqua (‘ Dolce aqua’), ex Cheiranthus cheiri , em. 30.vi, 2, 15.vii.1867 (Moggridge) ; 4 ♀♀, Sardinia, Prov. Nuoro, Siniscola , 23.viii, 1, 5.ix.1979 (Speidel) ; 2 ♂♂, Sicily, Siracusa (‘ Syracus’ ), 29.iv, 19.v.1844 (Zeller) . Czech Republic: 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Prague (‘ Prag’), 1867, 1885 (Nickerl; Pokorny) . Hungary: 1 ♂, holotype of X. aurantiella (as above) .

Turkey: 1 ♂, Bursa (‘ Brussa’), 1869 (Mann) . Cyprus: 1 ♂, lectotype of C. barysphena (as above) ; 1 ♀ paralectotype of C. barysphena , same data ; 2 ♀♀, salt lake W of Larnaca , 3–7.viii.1981 (Speidel) . Morocco: 2 ♂♂, Tangier , 1, 2–v.1902 (Walsingham). Algeria : 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Skikda (‘ Philippeville’ ), 3.v.1904 (Walsingham) ; 1 ♂, Khenchela (‘ Krenchela’ ), 30.iv.1902 (Walsingham) . Libya: 1 ♂, lectotype of Batrachedra subtilipennis (as above) . 3 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, without data (Christoph; Frey; Hofmann; Stainton; Zeller).