Liocrobyla lobata Kuroko, 1960

Liu, Tengteng, Wang, Encui & Wang, Shuxia, 2018, Taxonomic study of the leafmining genus Liocrobyla Meyrick, 1916 from China (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae, Ornixolinae) with a description of one new species, Zoosystematics and Evolution 94 (2), pp. 305-314 : 305-307

Liocrobyla lobata Kuroko, 1960 Figures 2, 6, 9and 18-20, 21-22

Liocrobyla lobata Kuroko, 1960: 5; Kuroko 1982: 184; Park 1983: 62. TL: Japan (Kyushu). TD: ELKU.

Diagnosis.

See Liocrobyla desmodiella for detail.

Material examined.

China: Shandong Province: 4♂, Mt. Kunyu National Nature Reserve, 37.292°N, 121.740°E, 400 m, Yantai City, 2017.vii.18, leaf mines collected on Pueraria montana var. lobata , emerged vii.29, leg. Tengteng Liu & Zhenquan Gao, genitalia slide nos. LIU0028, registered nos. SDNU.YT17170702.3-6 (SDNU).

Adult (Fig. 2). Head white on frons and face, tinged blackish fuscous on base of antennae, vertex white with a brownish-grey median line. Maxillary palpus black mixed with white, about 1/4 length of labial palpus. Labial palpus white, black on distal part of second segment, with a mid-lateral black spot on third segment. Antennae with scape white on front and black dorsally, other segments brownish grey with darker rings. Thorax yellowish fuscous, tegula brownish grey. Forewing ground colour brownish grey, darker towards costa, a white stripe from costal 1/3 to before 1/2, then curved downwards to near tornus; two white stripes beyond distal 1/3 and 2/5 on costa obliquely to middle of wing; two longitudinal striae near apex, with the costal one indistinct, one white spot on tornus; a white stripe along dorsum from base to tornus, partially edged with black scales and largely covered by brownish-fuscous scales on dorsum; cilia white with two black lines around apex, grey on dorsum. Abdomen: light fuscous dorsally, white ventrally.

Male genitalia (Figs 6 and 9). Tegumen slender, almost same in width. Vinculum narrowly triangular. Valva almost identical in width, bears some 15 minute teeth along dorsal margin and two longer ventro-apical spines. Phallus shorter than valva. Paired clusters of slender scales and black short scales on membrane between seventh and eighth terga. Ninth segment with tergite heart-shaped, a line of slender scales along lateral side (Fig. 9).

Biology (Figs 18-22). Mines not restricted to a fixed placement, with apparent digital galleries. A white tunnel made of silk only from upper to lower side of leaflet. Often more than one mine per leaf (Fig. 19).

Host plants.

Fabaceae : Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Sanjappa & Pradeep.

Distribution.

China: Shandong (new record), Japan ( Kuroko 1960), Korea ( Park 1983).

Remarks.

Pueraria lobata has been treated as a synonym of Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Sanjappa & Pradeep in The Plant List (2013).