Pelecystola nearctica S. Davis & D. Davis, 2009

Davis, Steve & Davis, Donald, 2009, First report of the old world genus Pelecystola in North America, with description of a new species (Lepidoptera, Tineidae), ZooKeys 25 (25), pp. 69-78 : 71-76

Pelecystola nearctica S. Davis & D. Davis , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:618FD1B6-A400-4D52-A4C4-6D77EC524DB7

Figs 1–12

Adult (Fig. 1) – Forewing length: ♁, 5.4–6.2 mm; ♀, 7.0– 8.5 mm.

Head: Mostly cream, with caudal most scales of occiput fuscous. Antenna dark brown to fuscous dorsally and ventrally; scape cream ventrally. Maxillary palpus mostly

Figures Ι–4. Pelecystola nearctica sp. n. Ι Holotype ♁, forewing length 7 mm. 2 Head, frontal view 3 Left maxilla 4 Wing venation.

cream basally, grayish-brown over segments 4–5. Labial palpus cream mesally, dark grayish brown laterally, with ̴ 2–5 long, fuscous bristles arising dorsolaterally on segment 2.

Thorax: Pro- and mesonota fuscous; tegulae fuscous, sometimes with a few grayish white scales caudally; metanotum partially naked, light grayish-brown to brown; venter of thorax mostly white, suffused with gray. Forewing predominantly fuscous, lightly marked with several small cream spots as follows: a very small spot at basal 1/3 of Cu – CuP; 1–2 spots at apex of discal cell and 3–5 small spots scattered beyond apex of cell between bases of Rs1–4; a variable series of 6–9 small subterminal spots between First report of the old world genus Pelecystola in North America, with description of a new species... 73

mm 0,5 5 mm 0,5 6 7 8 9 Ι0 0,Imm Imm, 0 ΙΙ

Figures 5–ΙΙ. Pelecystola nearctica sp. n. 5– 8 Male genitalia: 5 Genital capsule, ventral view 6 Lateral view of fig. 5 7 Valva, mesal-lateral view 8 Aedoeagus 9–ΙΙ Female genitalia: 9 Ventral view (scale 0.5mm) Ι0 Detail of signum in fig. 9 ΙΙ Detail of serrated edge of one of the paired arms of signum in fig. 10.

apices of Rs1 and CuA2; terminal fringe dark gray. Hindwing mostly dark grayish brown; fringe mostly light grayish brown, with dark brown basal band. Fore- and midlegs mostly fuscous dorsally, light brown to cream ventrally; hindlegs dark brown to steely-gray dorsally, light brown to cream ventrally; coxae of mid- and hindlegs mostly white; apices of all tibiae and tarsomeres cream to light brown.

Abdomen: Fuscous to steely-gray dorsally and laterally; light brown to cream ventrally.

Male genitalia (Figs 5–8): Uncus deeply lobed, with lobes widely separated a distance slightly greater than length of lobes. Tegumen and vinculum forming a moderately broad, mostly fused ring; saccus moderately developed, broadly rounded. Valva divided approximately half its length to form subacute cucullar lobe and broader, more rounded saccular lobe; saccular lobe with a small subapical spine; a pedunculate pectinifer ̴ half the length of valva arising on a slender stalk from costal margin at extreme base of valva; stalk gradually enlarging to a relatively broad apex bearing 18–20 reflexed spines. Aedoeagus a slender tube ̴0.6× length of genital capsule, with base slightly broader.

Female genitalia (Figs 9–11): Posterior apophysis elongate, ̴1.8× length of anterior apohysis. Ductus bursae slender, densely covered internally with numerous, minute, short spinules; junction with ductus seminalis near caudal 1/3. Corpus bursae membranous except for V-shaped signum; forked arms of signum slender with minutely but coarsely serrated mesal edges (Fig. 11); arms loosely enclosed in a pair of membranous pockets (Fig. 10); walls of corpus bursae finely wrinkled.

Distribution (Fig. 12). Th is species occurs widely across eastern North America from Quebec, Canada to northern Florida, and west to Arkansas.

Holotype: ♁; USA: North Carolina: Buncombe Co : 4 km SW Black Mountain: 21–27 Jun 1986, W. E. Steiner, ( USNM).

Paratypes (25 ♁, 27 ♀ total): CANADA: Quebec: Vercheres , 45.0683N, 73.0433W: 1 ♀, 20 Jun 2005, C. Chanta, CNCLEP00028697 ( CNC) . USA: ARKANSAS: Johnson Co: 8 mi N Clarksville, T10N R23 W Sect. 2: 4 ♁ 10–12 May 1987, R.L. Brown, ( MEM). Washington Co: Fayetteville : 1 ♀, 17–18 May 1975, H. N. Greenbaum, at blacklight, J. B. Heppner, wing slide 28587 ( USNM) ; 1 ♁, 5–7 June 1975, H. N. Greenbaum, malaise trap, J. B. Heppner, slide 30242 ( USNM) ; 1 ♀, 19–21 July 1975, H. N. Greenbaum, malaise trap, slide 20304 ( USNM) ; 1 ♁, 19/ 22 June 1975, H. N. Greenbaum, malaise trap ( FSCA) ; 1 ♀, 17–21 July 1975, H. N. Greenbaum, malaise trap ( FSCA) ; 1 ♀, 1–5 July 1975, H. N. Greenbaum, malaise trap ( FSCA). DELEwARE: Newark : 1 ♀, 25 August 1971, D. H. Funk ( USNM) ; 1 ♀, GF [Glen Farms]: 4 Jun 1974, D. F. Bray, ( USNM). FLORIDA: Escambia Co: Pensacola: 1 ♀, 15 May 1961, Shirley Hills ( USNM). MARYLAND: Allegany Co : Green Ridge St. Forest : 1 ♀, 15 June 1992, J. Glaser ( USNM). Charles Co : Myrtle Grove WMA: 1 ♀, 5 June 2001, J. Glaser ( USNM). Dorchester Co : 3 miles E. Hurlock: 1 ♀, 10 Sept. 2004, J. Glaser ( USNM). Montgomery Co: 4 mi southwest of Ashton , 39°06'30"N, 77°01'30"W: 1 ♁, 2 Jul 2007 ; 1 ♀, 24 Jul 2008, 1 ♀, 20 Aug 2009, G. Hevel ( USNM) ; Laytonsville: Hoover Farm Woods: 1 ♁, 24 Jun 2000, D. R. Davis, DNA sample DRD-06-1340 ( USNM). Plummers Island : 1 ♀, 17 July 1999, J. Brown, head slide 33978, ( USNM). Prince Georges Co: 1 ♀, Ft. Washington Park: 1 July 2002, J. Glaser, ( USNM) ; Pretty-

Figure Ι2. Distribution of Pelecystola nearctica sp. n.

boy Reservoir: 2 ♀, 13 August 1998, J. Glaser (USNM); Piscataway Nat. Park: 1 ♀, 30 August 2002, J. Glaser (USNM); 1 ♀, 13 July 2002, J. Glaser, slide 33095 (USNM); 1 ♀, 8 July 2002, J. Glaser (USNM); 1 ♀, 8 Sept. 2002, J. Glaser (USNM). Washington Co: 2 miles E. Smithsburg: 1 ♀, 3 July 1999, J. Glaser, (USNM). MISSISSIPPI: Franklin Co., Porter Creek, T5N R4E, Sec 8NW: 2 ♁, 8 Apr. 1992, J. MacGown & T. Schiefer (MEM). Lowndes Co: Crawford, T17N R16E, Sec. 34, Hickory Grove in Black Belt Prairie: 1 ♁, 20 May 1992, R.L. Brown (MEM). Oktibbeha Co: 5 mi SW Starkville: 1 ♀, 13 Sept. 1984, 1 ♁, 15 Sept. 1984, 1 ♀, 19 Sept. 1984, 2♁, 28 Apr. 1986, 1 ♁, 30 Apr. 1987, R.L. Brown (MEM). Winston Co: Tombigbee Natl. Forest, 33°10'20"N, 89°03'55"W: 1 ♁ 20 Apr. 1999, 1 ♀, 25 May 1999, R.L. Brown (MEM). NORTH CAROLINA: Buncombe Co: 4 km SE Black Mountain: 1 ♁, 21–27 June 1986, W. E. Steiner, (USNM); Craven Co: Croatan National Forest road 1111, Brier Ck. Site: 1 ♁, 30 Apr 1997, J. B. Sullivan, UV trap, (FSCA). Croatan National Forest road 3046, Gum Branch Road: 1 ♁, 25 Apr 1996, J. B. Sullivan, UV trap, (FSCA). Croatan National Forest, Island Walk: 1 ♁, 30 Apr 1997, J. B. Sullivan, UV trap, hardwoods (FSCA). Croatan National Forest Road, 169 Little Deep Creek Road: 1 ♀, 22 April 1999, J. Bolling Sullivan, (USNM). Jones Co: Oak Grove Air Station: 1 ♁, 12 Apr 2002, J. B. Sullivan, UV trap, Quercus , Vaccinium , xeric and Trent River bottomland (FSCA). TENNESSEE: Cooke Co: GSMNP, Foothills Pkwy, 2nd pullout, 300m, 35°48'63"N, 83°14'05"W: 1 ♁, 22 August 2001, D., M., and S. Davis, UV trap, (USNM); Cocke Co: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Albright Grove trailhead, 970m, 35°40'86"N, 83°16'77"W: 1 ♁, 24 Jun 2000, D. & M. Davis, UV trap (USNM). Blount Co: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 200m SW Cades Cove, ATBI house, 35°36'N, 83°50'W, 515m: 1 ♁, 19–20 Aug. 2001, D., M. & S. Davis, UV trap, slide 32411 (USNM). Sevier Co: Gatlinburg, Cobbly Nob, Greenbrier Resort, 35°07'63"N, 83°03'55"W: 1 ♁, 20 May 2005, JF. Landry, P. Herbert, DNA-ATBI-3196 (CNC); Great Smoky Mountains National Park, University of Tennessee Field Station, 35.0739N, 83.0424W: 1 ♀, 21 May 2005, JF. Landry, P. Herbert, DNA-ATBI-3295 (CNC).

Flight Period. Adults have been collected from April 8 to September 19 in Mississippi, with most records over much of its broad range occurring from May through August.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Greek neos (new) and arktos (north) in reference to the nearctic distribution of the species.

Discussion. Pelecystola nearctica is most similar in general wing pattern to the European P. fraudulentella Zeller 1852 , currently known from only the male holotype collected nearly 160 years ago in Slovenia and a recently discovered female from Sweden ( Lindeborg and Bengtsson 2008). Th e two species can be easily distinguished by male genital morphology: the valva of fraudulentella is distinct in possessing a more slender, greatly elongated saccular lobe which surpasses the apex of the cucullar lobe by nearly half its length, compared to being only slightly longer than the cucullar lobe in nearctica (Fig. 7).

The two bristles comprising the frenulum of female P. nearctica appear superficially to be fused as one. With slight pressure, however, these can be separated. Whether this peculiar condition of the frenulum is typical for all Pelecystola is not known.