Mesophleps silacella ( Hübner, 1796 )

Li, Houhun & Sattler, Klaus, 2012, A taxonomic revision of the genus Mesophleps Hübner, 1825 (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) 3373, Zootaxa 3373, pp. 1-82 : 33-34

Mesophleps silacella ( Hübner, 1796)

( Figs 2, 36, 68, 97, 127)

Tinea silacella Hübner, 1796 , Samml. eur. Schmett. 8: 63 [as Tinea luteella ], pl. 17, fig. 117. Syntypes unspecified, [not traced].

Tinea pyropella Hübner, 1793 , Samml. auserles. Vögel Schmett.: 15, pl. 95. Syntypes unspecified [not traced], junior primary homonym of Tinea pyropella [Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775 ( Pleurota , Oecophoridae ). [Synonymized by Zeller 1876: 332.]

Recurvaria silacea Haworth, 1828 , Insecta Br. (4): 555, unjustified emendation of Tinea silacella Hübner, 1796 .

Mesophleps pudicellus var. apicellus Caradja, 1920 , Dt. ent. Z. Iris 34: 113. Lectotype ♀, SPAIN: Granada, Sierra Nevada (Ribbe) (MINGA, Bucharest), designated by Park 1996: 65, 70, legend to fig. 40; illustrated in error in fig. 43 as Aristotelia impunctella (Caradja) . [examined]. Syn. nov.

Mesophleps silacellus subsp. calaritanus Amsel, 1939 , Memorie Soc. ent. ital. 17: 73. Syntypes, 29 ♂♂, ♀♀, ITALY: Sardinia, Cagliari , 15.vi–10.viii.1936 (Amsel) (LN, Karlsruhe; BMNH and other collections) [some syntypes examined]. Syn. nov.

♂, ♀. Wingspan 9.0–17.0 mm. Labial palpus segment 2 shoe-shaped, ventral margin arched, ochreous brown, dorsally with white scale tuft, 3 very short, about one-fifth length of 2, white. Antenna with scape white, flagellum greyish brown. Wings relatively wide, forewing pale yellow, distal half of costa with brown, sometimes black edge; dark brown discocellular, discal and plical spots small, large shadow from tornus extending along termen towards apex, termen with white-tipped dark brown scales.

Genitalia ♂ ( Fig. 68). Uncus with basal half constricted, gently rounded distally, almost truncate; gnathos hooks widely separated at base, slender, more than one-half length of uncus; valva narrow, apical portion slightly widened; tegumen relatively narrow; downturned distal part of vinculum about one-third its total length, distal margin straight, sclerotized posterior margin more or less straight, medially sometimes weakly notched and with pair of small teeth; phallus with basal two-thirds bulbous, distal third straight.

Genitalia ♀ ( Figs 97, 127). Dorso-posterior margin of segment VIII straight, not medially extended; ovipositor including apophyses posteriores and anteriores long, anteriores barely shorter than posteriores; subostial plate small, posteriorly rounded; sclerotized antrum tubular, about one-seventh length of apophyses anteriores; ductus bursae longer than apophyses posteriores, posterior three-fifths thin, anterior two-fifths gradually widening towards corpus bursae; corpus bursae ovoid, shorter than ductus bursae; ductus seminalis thin, arising from corpus bursae very close to entrance of ductus bursae.

Remarks. T. silacella was originally illustrated by Hübner under that name but in the simultaneously published accompanying text it was named T. luteella . The latter name was never applied to this species; it is here considered as an incorrect multiple original spelling and consequently as an unavailable name. The type-locality is unknown.

T. pyropella was illustrated by Hübner without accompanying text; the name is a junior primary homonym.

M. pudicellus var. apicellus was described from three females with identical data. A lectotype was selected by the late A. Popescu-Gorj (MINGA, Bucharest) and given the catalogue number 176424; it was formally designated by Park (1996: 65, 70, legend to fig. 40) who, however, transposed two illustrations. His fig. 40 represents Agonochaetia impunctella ( Caradja, 1920) ( Gelechiinae , Gnorimoschemini ), whilst the genitalia of the apicellus lectotype are those depicted in fig. 43 under the name Aristotelia impunctella (Caradja) .

M. silacellus subsp. calaritanus was described from Sardinia from 29 specimens of both sexes. Syntypes are found in several European collections, including BMNH, but a lectotype should be designated from the Amsel collection (LN, Karlsruhe). M. silacellus calaritanus is a local form on the island of Sardinia, on average smaller and possibly paler than the nominate form but not worth retaining as a subspecies as small specimens also occur elsewhere.

In the female genitalia M. silacellus is characterized by the ovipositor that is unusually long for the genus Mesophleps . This is also reflected in the length of the apophyses anteriores and posteriores.

Biology. Host-plants: Helianthemum nummularium , H. tuberosum , H. species; Fumana procumbens ( Elsner et al. 1999: 53) (Cistaceae) .

Considering that silacella is a widespread European species it is surprising how little reliable detail is published on its biology. Information in the literature is rather sketchy and sometimes ambiguous. Meess (1910: 371) described the larva as pale reddish, anterior margins of the segments brownish red; head honey yellow, on 1. segment posteriorly a narrow yellowish shield; however, he stated that it lives on Helianthemum . As in other Mesophleps species he specifically referred to seeds the omission in silacella could mean that he believed that species to feed on the foliage rather than the seeds. Foliage feeding would be most unusual in Mesophleps as all other species are seed feeders in the fruits, capsules or pods of their host-plants. Therefore there remains some uncertainty whether the larva described really is that of silacella . There are also discrepancies with regard to the larval period that is given as April/May ( Elsner et al. 1999: 53) and June (Meess loc. cit.) but also August ( Meyrick 1928: 645).

Distribution. Europe, Turkey, Algeria. Recorded from almost all European countries. In the British Isles formerly known from only one locality in East Sussex but last recorded there in 1906 and now probably extinct ( Langmaid 2002: 219).

Material examined (71 ♂♂, 60 ♀♀, including 9 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀ genitalia preparations)

British Isles: 5 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀, England, East Sussex, Brighton, Falmer , 24.vi–15.vii.1905, vii.1906 (Vine) .

France: 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Essone (‘ Seine-et-Oise’), Lardy , 18.vi.1890, 2.v, 24.vi.1891 (Lhotte) ; 24 ♂♂, 24 ♀♀, Alpes- Maritimes, Cannes , ex Helianthemum tuberosum, 1883 , 25.iv, 15–31.v, 4–27.vi, 6–31.vii.1889 (Millière; Walsingham) ; 1 ♂, Alpes-Maritimes, Peira Cava , 4800 ft, 26.vii.1911 (Walsingham) ; 2 ♂♂, Alpes-Maritimes , La Turbie, 1500 ft, 8.vi.1911 (Walsingham) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Alpes-Maritimes , Golfe Juan (Constant) ; 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Basses Alpes, Digne , 15–23.viii.1939 (Fassnidge) . Monaco: 3 ♂♂, Monte Carlo, 1, 2.vi.1899 (Walsingham) . Italy: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Sardinia, Cagliari, Poetto , 17.vii.1936 (Amsel) (paratypes of M. silacella calaritanus Amsel ) . Spain: 1 ♂, Cuenca, Paracuellos , 24.v.1979 (Hull) ; 1 ♀, Granada, Sierra Nevada, road to Veleta , 1500 m, 20.vi.1962 (Sattler) ; 3 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, Granada , 5.v–6.vi.1901 (Walsingham) ; 1 ♂, Granada, Valley of Rio Fardes , W of Diezma, 1250 m, 22.vi.1968 (Sattler & Carter) ; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Granada, Sierra de Alfacar , 1500 m, 16.vi.1968, 29.vi.1969 (Sattler & Carter) . Germany: 2 ♂♂ (unspecified) ; 2 ♀♀, Hessen, Frankfurt am Main (Mühlig) , 1 ♂, Mombach (Frey) ; 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Bayern, Regensburg (Herrich-Schäffer; Hofmann; Frey) , 2 ♀♀, Ettertshausen near Regensburg , 6.vi.1868 (unspecified) .

Austria: 1 ♂ (unspecified) , 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Vienna (Mann) , 1 ♀, Mödling , vii.1858 (Zeller) . Sweden: 1 ♂, Suecia, Gotland, Hejnum Hallar , 28.vii.1985 (Karsholt) ( NKUM) ; 1 ♀, Suecia, Öland, Tocknekärr , 28.vii.1975 (Karsholt) ( NKUM) . Estonia: 5 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Saaremaa (‘ Oesel Island’), 1867 (Nolcken) . Poland: 1 ♂, Kraków, Podgórki , 19.v.1946 (Błeszy ń ski) . Hungary: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀ (unspecified) , 1 ♂, Pest C., Puszta Peszer , 6.vi.1912 (unspecified) .

Turkey: 1 ♂, Bursa (‘Brussa’) 1863 (Mann) ; 1 ♀, Kizilcahamam, 925 m, 19.vi–6.vii.1965 (Glaser). Algeria: 2 ♀♀, Sebdou (Pech) .