Coleophora vitisella Gregson, 1856 (Coleophoridae)

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 : 38

23. Coleophora vitisella Gregson, 1856 (Coleophoridae)

Coleophora vitisella Gregson, 1856: 5167 . Type locality: Great Britain: Lancashire.

BOLD:AAE1198

Palearctic distribution. Western, Central and Northern Europe to Russian Far East.

New North American records. Canada: Yukon, Whitehorse , 11 Jul 2006, 1 ♀ ( CNC) ; 60 km east of Dawson , 5 Jul 1994, 1 ♂ ( MZH) ; Manitoba, Churchill , 30 Jul 2009, 1 ♂ ( CNC) .

Diagnosis. Males have the forewings greyish fuscous, whereas females have them ochreous with a slight grey tinge (males have a darker, greyer appearance than females). Superficially they can be confused with several other Coleophora with little or no forewing variegation and annulated antennae, like glitzella (see above). Specimens in less than mint condition (such as the new records here reported) are virtually impossible to recognize on external appearance and genitalia examination is necessary for identification. Male genitalia resemble those of ledi Stainton (cf. Landry & Wright 1993), but are distinguished by the sacculus with an angular ventral margin and a terminal process extended to the apex of the cucullus, and phallus with a single small cornutus; in ledi , the ventral margin of the sacculus is evenly rounded and the terminal process shorter than the cucullus, and there is a row of multiple, very small cornuti. In female genitalia, vitisella has a heavily sclerotized sterigma with a rough and concave surface and a posterior margin entire, and the spinulate section of the ductus bursae is at least twice the length of S8; in ledi , the sterigma has a smooth surface and a notched posterior margin, and the spinulate section of the ductus bursae is no more than about 1.5 times the length of S8. Specimens of ledi have a lustrous, metallic dark purplish sheen whereas vitisella specimens are dull.

Larval host. Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Ericaceae) .

Note. This is likely a Holarctic species, but it may be restricted to northern regions of North America where collecting is deficient. The Yukon specimens derive from an area that was part of Beringia. The Manitoba record is from a tundra habitat.