Trifurcula (Glaucolepis) bleonella ( Chrétien, 1904 )

van Nieukerken, Erik J., Laštůvka, Aleš & Laštůvka, Zdenĕk, 2006, The Nepticulidae and Opostegidae of mainland France and Corsica: an annotated catalogue (Lepidoptera: Nepticuloidea), Zootaxa 1216 (1216), pp. 1-114 : 63-65

Trifurcula (Glaucolepis) bleonella ( Chrétien, 1904)

F: Nepticula bleonella Chrétien 1904: 164 — 04 [types]

Stigmella bleonella ; Lhomme [1963]: 1206 — 04

Ectoedemia (Dechtiria) bleonella ; Klimesch 1975b: 861 — 04

Misidentifications: Trifurcula immundella ; Lhomme [1963]: 1209— 04 (partim),

Material. 04: 9♂, Digne, vii.1903, P. Chrétien [misidentified as Trifurcula immundella ] ( MNHN, RMNH); 04: 1♂, Lectotype, Digne, e.l. 12.ix.1903, Linum narbonense, P. Chrétien ( MNHN); 05: TM, Prunières, 25.ix.1996, Linum tenuifolium, AL & ZL.

Remarks. Although Trifurcula bleonella has been taken at light in several other Mediterranean countries, there are no recent French records of adults. The junior authors found mines of this species the first in almost a century.

Trifurcula (Glaucolepis) magna A. & Z. Lašt ů vka, 1997 — New for France Fig. 23–27.

F: Misidentifications: Stigmella cryptella ; Lhomme [1963]: 1206— 07 (Celles­les­Bains)

Material. 07: 1♀, Celles, 20.iv.1896, Thymus , [reared?] Chrétien, gen. EvN3507 ( MNHN) ; 1♂, Mirabel, 8.v.2001, KJH , gen. EvN 3389 ( RMNH); 34: 1♂, Fonclare [ 2 km NE St. Pons­de­Thomières ], 10.ix.1900, Thymus , [reared?] Chrétien ( MNHN); 84 : 1♂, Viens, 18.v.1975, RB ( RB) .

Remarks. This species was, up to now, known from two male specimens from Slovakia (Laštůvka & Laštůvka 1997; Tokár et al. 2002). We report three more males and one female from France (figs.). The adult and male and female genitalia are illustrated in Figs 23–27. The adult resembles Trifurcula (Levarchama) cryptella externally, and at least one was misidentified as that species by Chrétien (and so published by Lhomme). Other species with a distinct tornal spot may also be confused (i.e., T. bupleurella ). The discal spot in Fig. 23 is an artefact: it represents a scale­free spot, caused by rubbing during setting.

Description of female genitalia: Abdominal tip slightly acute, T9 (anal papillae) with 13­14 setae each; T8 with lateral groups of scales and ca. 4 setae each; anterior and posterior apophyses of equal length. Bursa copulatrix ca. 480 ìm long, signa ca. 235ìm long, about 3x as long as wide, in widest part ca. 6­7 cells wide. Ductus spermathecae basally with uncoiled part as long as coiled part, with 3.5 convolutions and distinct vesicle.

Chrétien indicated ‘thym’ on the labels of two specimens, but it is not clear if he reared the specimens or collected them on the plant. Because the two records are from different places with this same annotation, we conclude that Thymus is the host of T. magna . T. magna is considerably larger than T. thymi , so the mine is likely to be larger and thus the larva either requires more leaves, or is a stem­miner.