Agonopterix conterminella ( Zeller, 1839 ) (Depressariidae)

Landry, Jean-François, Nazari, Vazrick, Dewaard, Jeremy R., Mutanen, Marko, Lopez-Vaamonde, Carlos, Huemer, Peter & Hebert, Paul D. N., 2013, Shared but overlooked: 30 species of Holarctic Microlepidoptera revealed by DNA barcodes and morphology, Zootaxa 3749 (1), pp. 1-93 : 33-34

17. Agonopterix conterminella ( Zeller, 1839) (Depressariidae)

Depressaria conterminella Zeller, 1839: 196 . Type locality: [ Germany], Augsburg .

BOLD:AAE7213

Palearctic distribution. Europe to Japan.

New North American records. Canada: British Columbia, Mount Revelstoke National Park , 26 Jul 2005, 1 ♀ ( CNC) ; Sheridan Lake , 29 Jul 2006, 1 ♂ ( CNC) ; Ontario, Thunder Bay area , 24 Jul 1981, 1 ♀ ( CNC) .

Diagnosis. North American specimens have brownish grey forewings with a discal black chevron-like mark and a distally adjacent dirty white spot. They are very similar both in maculation and genitalia to the Nearctic gelidella (Busck) , which is also reported to feed primarily on willow ( Hodges 1974). The similarity in pattern between the two was noted by Clarke (1941). The male genitalia of both species has the digitiform process of the sacculus straight, relatively thick, apically rounded and extended to about three-quarters the height of the valva, and the cucullus of the valva is broadly rounded; differences between the two species appear subtle and have not been studied. In the female genitalia of conterminella , the signum is near the posterior third of the corpus bursae or near the constriction of the ductus bursae, whereas in gelidella it is in the anterior third of the corpus bursae; as in male genitalia, differences are subtle and have not been studied in relation to individual variation. The two species are more than 5% barcode divergent.

Larval host. Willows ( Salix spp. , Salicaceae ).

Note. The three North American records were collected in relatively remote locations and probably indicate that the species is native, hence Holarctic in distribution. The very close similarity in morphology with the North American gelidella means that the two species would be very difficult to distinguish without the help of barcodes, and there could be unrecognized specimens of conterminella among gelidella material in collections.