Leaf-mining Lepidoptera (Nepticulidae, Bucculatricidae, Gracillariidae) from Ulmus in northern Caspiya (Kaspia)

5 Pages·1991·2.3 MB·English

by  R Puplesis

R. PUPLESIS',S. SEKSJAEVA2 ^ y SRUOGA'
'Zoologijoskatedra VPl, Vilnius
^Zoologicalinstitute, AcademyofSciences, Leningrad
LEAF-MINING LEPIDOPTERA (NEPTICULIDAE,
BUCCULATRICIDAE, GRACILLARIIDAE) FROM
VLMVS IN NORTHERN CASPIYA (KASPIA)
Puplesis, R., Seksjaeva, S. & V. Sruoga, 1991. Leaf-mining Lepidoptera (Nepticulidae,
Bucculatricidae,Gracillariidae) from Ulmus in northernCaspiya (Kaspia). - Tijdschrift
voorEntomologie 134: 69-73,figs. 1-9. [ISSN0040-7496]. Published 1July 1991.
Three leaf-mining species from elm {Ulmus carpinifolia Rupp. ex Suckow): Stigmella
kazakhstanica Puplesis sp. n. (Nepticulidae), Bucculatrix caspica Puplesis & Sruoga sp.
n. (Bucculatricidae) and Phyllonorycter schreberella (F.) (Gracillariidae) are recorded
fromthenorthernCaspiyanregion(USSR).Thenewspeciesaredescribed,genitaliaand
minesareillustrated. Phyllonorycterschreberella (F.) isdiagnosedanditsmalegenitalia
arefigured.
Correspondence; Dr. R. Puplesis, Zoologijos katedra VPI, g. Studentu 39, Vilnius 34,
Lithuania.
Keywords. - Nepticulidae; Bucculatricidae; Gracillariidae; leaf-mining Lepidoptera;
northernCaspiya.
ThelargenorthernCaspiyan(=Kaspian) region (Kara-Kalpakskaya ASSR), mines of three leaf-
is generally characterized by a strong continental mining Lepidoptera were discovered. Bucculatrix
climateandbyaridlandscapes.Exceptoasesbythe caspica Puplesis & Sruoga sp. n. was found in the
rare rivers and settlements, there are only dry largest numbers. Numerous cocoons and empty
steppes,semidesertsanddeserts.Theabundanceof mineswerecollectedfrom Ulmuscarpinifoliainall
salt lakes, saline soils (solanchaks and solonetzes) investigated localities, Gurjew and Kungrad. Our
is very characteristic. The vegetation of most of later study of 1988 in neighboring Turkmeniya
these biotopes is extremely poor, usually without showeditsabsencefromtheCentralAsiaticpartof
woody plants. Grass cover is thin, the vegetation the USSR. Abundant mines of Phyllonorycter
consists mainly of different worms-woods schreberella (F.), containing larvae or pupae were
{Artemisia spp.) and cereals, with worm-woods collectedon UlmuscarpinifoliainBaskuntschak.In
dominating. Thesumofactivetemperatureequals other places of the Caspiyan region, this species
2800-3400 °C with a wetting coefficient of 0.15- remains yetunrecorded. OneemptymineofNep-
0.10 (Tushinskij & Davydova 1976). ticulidae was found on Ulmus carpinifolia in Bas-
In oases near the settlements the elm {Ulmus kuntschak, i. e. about 140 kmSouthofDzhanibek,
carpinifolia Rupp. ex Suckow) is the dominating wheretheabovementionedStigmellaspecimenon
tree. In a few cases it is the only tree present. Ulmussp. wascollectedbyLindemanin 1966. Itis
Hardly any publisheddataon leaf-mining Lepi- thereforeconsideredtobelongtothesamespecies.
doptera were available from these regions. Only Ulmus spp. (including U. carpinifolia Rupp. ex
one Stigm-ella (Nepticulidae) specimen deposited Suckow) are known to be hostplants forGracilla-
in the Zoological institute (Leningrad), reared by riidae (Kuznetzov 1981), Bucculatricidae (Seks-
G. Lindeman from Ulmus sp., from Dzhanibek jaeva 1981) and Nepticulidae (Johansson &
(WesternKazakhstan),wasknown. Itbelongstoa Nielsen 1990).
new species. No other lepidopterous miners on otherplants
During investigations in early August 1988 in have been found in this region.
the localities (fig. 1) Baskunschak (Astrakhan Re- The type specimens aredeposited in thecollec-
gion), Gurjew (Gurjew Region), Beyneu (Man- tion of the Minological research laboratory at the
gyschlak Region), Kara-Kalpakiya and Kungrad Department of Zoology of the Pedagogical insti-
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TijdschriftvoorEntomologie,volume 134, i99i
Fig. 1. Distribution map ofleaf-mining Lepidoptera in
northern Caspiya: Stigmella kazakhstanica (rectangles),
Bucculatrix caspica (dots), Phyllonorycter schreherella
(triangle).
tute,Vilnius,Lithuania (mrl) andinthecollection
of the Zoological institute of the USSR Academy
ofSciences in Leningrad (ZIAS). Fig. 2. Male genitalia ofStigmella kazakhstanica, holo-
type (scale0.1 mm).
Taxonomicpart
Nepticulidae
Stigmella kazakhstanica Puplesis sp. n.
(figs. 1-3)
Typematerial.-Holotype$:USSR,westernKazakh-
stan(KazakhSSR),Dzhanibek,larvaonleafofUlmussp.
(probably U. carpini/olia), vi.1966, leg. G. Lindeman
(ziAS). Leaf-mine (no type material): USSR, Astrakhan
Region, Baskuntschak, on Ulmus carpini/olia, fresh
mine,4.viii.l988,leg. R. PuplesisetV.Sruoga (mrl). Fig. 3. Mine of Stigmella kazakhstanica on Ulmus sp.,
fromwhichtheholotypewas reared.
Diagnosis. - Belongs to the Stigmella ulmivora
group. It is very similar to S. ulmiphaga (Preis-
secker) and S. ulmivora (Pologne). In the male Female unknown.
genitalia it is easily distinguished by the valvae, Malegenitalia (fig. 2). - Valva narrow medially
which are abruptlybroadened at thebase. Cornuti andapically,stronglybroadenedbasally. Transtilla
not numerous, lateral lobes of vinculum broad in with short sublateral processes.Juxta present, its
contrast to S. ulmivora (Johansson & Nielsen form resembles a triangle apically. Uncus approx-
1990). imatelywithtrapeziumshape,withslightly taper-
ingangles. Gnathoswith twothinandlongposte-
Description rior processus. Transverse barofgnathos narrow.
Male. -Frontaltuftpaleorange. Antennaepale Aedeagus narrowing in middle (in lateral view).
brown. Eye-caps and collar cream. Palpi cream. Vesicawith twogroupsofcornuti;oneofwhich is
Thoraxandforewingsuniform,greyishbrown.Ci- largerandsituatedinmiddle,asmallergroupissi-
lia and hindwings approximately as forewings in tuatedapically.Cornutimoreorlessinformofscle-
colour. rotized spines, some cornuti have different forms.
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PUPLESISETAL.: Leaf-miningLepidoptera
Biology. - Larvae in June and August, mining setosae lobes. Vinculum ventrally a large, moreor
leaves of Ulmus carpinifolia Rupp. ex Suckow. less triangular lobe, rounded anteriorly. Aedeagus
Mine acontortedgallery (fig. 3). Early minecom- long and slightly bent basally.
pletely filled with brownish frass; later gradually Female genitalia (fig. 6). - Apophyses posteri-
wideningwith frasscoiled,leavingwideclearmar- ores long. Ductus bursae narrow and very long.
gins; finally frass in a dark narrow line. Bursacopulatrix moreor less oval with numerous
Distribution (fig. 1). - Only known from the small spines.
lower Volga valley. Egg. - Laid on the underside of a leafof Ulmus
carpinifoliaRupp.exSuckow,generallyclosetothe
Bucculatricidae midriboralateralvein.Insomecases,eggsarelaid
away from veins.
Mine(fig.8).-Galleryverynarrowandcompar-
Bucculatrixcaspica Pupiesis & Sruoga sp. n. atively long (18-20 mm) with black linear frass,
(figs. 1,4-8) leavingclearmarginsthroughoutitswholecourse.
Cocoon (fig. 7). - Whitish cream with blackish
Type material. - Holotype $: USSR, Astrakhan Re- perpendicular patterns.
gion, Baskuntschak, N 4170, cocoon on leaf Ulmus car- Distribution (fig. 1). - Probably widespread in
pÇi,nisfaolmiea,da4t.vaiiais.lh9o8l8o,tyepxe,p.ex7.pv.ii7i-.l1958.8v.iiiP.a1r9a8t8y;pe1s:(5,1s5a,me1 northern Caspiya, but possibly absent from the
locality,caughton leafof Ulmuscarpinifolia,4.viii.1988, Amudar'ya oases andTurkmeniya.
leg.R.PupiesisandV.Sruoga(MRL).Leaf-mines(notype
material): Mangyschlak Region,Beyneu; Kara-Kalpaks- Gracillariidae
kayaASSR,Kara-Kalpakiya.
Phyllonorycterschreberella (Fabricius)
Diagnosis. -This species is similartotheEuro-
peanB. ulmellaZeiler (Seksjaeva 1981) (onQuer- (fig. 9)
cus) and the neartic B. electa Braun which also Diagnosis. - It belongs to the Phyllonorycter
feeds on Ulmus leaves (Braun 1963). B. caspica is ulmifoliella group, which larvae are usually leaf-
easily recognized by its male genitalia with a long miners of Ulmus (Kuznetzov 1981). It is easily
vinculum,thepresenceofatranstillaandtheform recognized from all other species in thatgroup by
of the valvae. the silvery shining frons, thorax and base of the
forewings. Tufton headblack. Forewing with two
Description silverfasciaebasally andmedially,twosilverspots
Male (fig. 4). - Forewing length 2.9-3.1 mm. apically. There is ablackspotonbaseofforewing,
Facecreamywhite,tuftbrownorbrownish incen- near costal margin. Male genitalia (fig. 9) differs
tral part, with creamy white piliform scales later- from all other species of thegenus by the narrow
ally. Eye-caps creamy white. Antennal flagellum andbentvalvae.
with alternating white and brown rings of equal Distribution (fig. 1).-P.schreberellaisfoundin
width. Thorax creamy white, slightly mottled, as Europe from England andScandinavia to the Bal-
some scales have brownish tips. Forewing with kans and the European part of the USSR, also in
same colour as thorax, but some brown spots are Asia Minor, the Caucasus and the mountains of
present. Three or four of these spots are situated Turkmeniya (Kopet-Dag ridge) (Kuznetzov
on the costal margin, the two below the fold, in 1981). The species is here recorded for the first
apical part of forewing are smaller and usually time from the northern Caspiyan region.
darker. They include patches of blackish-brown
scales. Dark-tipped scales form a line on the pale Material examined. - 2 (5, 1 $, USSR, Astrakhan re-
creamycilia. Hindwings andciliagreyishcreamto gion, Baskuntschak, mines 4.viii.l988, ex p. 7.viii.l988,
palebrownish.Legscreamwithlittlefuscousshad- leg. R. PupiesisandV. Sruoga (mrl).
ing.
Female. - Forewing length about 3.3 mm. Sim- Acknowledgement
ilar to male,but facecream, tuft slightly brownish
centrally.Thespotsontheforewingmaybelarger We thank Zigmantas Gudzinskas (Vilnius) for
than in male. the identification of Ulmus carpinifolia.
Malegenitalia (fig. 5).-Valvawithconvexmar-
gin medially, suddenly tapering apically. Many
large and some short setae on apical and medial
part ofvalva. Transtilla present. Anellus forming
an asymmetric ring. Uncus with two large lateral
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TijdschriftvoorEntomologie,volume iï4, 1991
Fig. 4-7. Bucculatrixcaspica.-4,forewing(scale1mm);5,malegenitalia,holotype(scale0.1mm);6,femalegenitalia,
paratype (scale0.1 mm);7,cocoon,fromtypelocality.
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PUPLESISETAL.: Leaf-miningLepidoptera
Fig. 9. MalegenitaliaofPhyllonorycterschreberella(F.)
(scale0.1 mm).
Fig. 8. MineofBucculatrixcaspicaon Ulmuscarpinifo-
lia.
References
Braun,A., 1963-ThegenusBucculatrixinAmericanorth Seksjaeva,S. V., 1981. Bucculatricidae - Krivousiyekro-
ofMexico.-MemoirsoftheAmericanEntomological hotki-moli. - Opredelitel nasekomyh Evropeyskoy
Society 18: 1-207. castiSSSR,Leningrad4(2): 136-148.
Johansson,R. &E. S. Nielsen, 1990.Tribus Nepticulini. Tushinskij, G. K. & Davydova, M. I., 1976. Fiziceskaya
-In: R.Johanssonetal.,TheNepticulidaeandOpos- geografiyaSSSR. -Prosvesceniye,Moscow: 179.
tegidae(Lepidoptera)ofNorthWestEurope.-Fauna
EntomologicaScandinavica23: 111-238,plates.
Kuznetzov,V. I., 1981. Gracillariidae (Lithocolletidae) -
Moli-pestrianski.-OpredelitelnasekomyhEvropeys- Received: 5 January 1990
koycastiSSSR,Leningrad4(2): 274,277-278. Revisedversionaccepted: 22 November 1990
73