Argyrolacia Keifer, 1936

Lee, Sangmi & Brown, Richard L., 2008, Revision of Holarctic Teleiodini (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 1818, pp. 1-55 : 39-40

Argyrolacia Keifer

Argyrolacia Keifer, 1936: 243 , pl. 4, figs 1a–f.

Type species: Argyrolacia bifida Keifer, 1936 , by original designation.

Description. Imago (Fig. 66). Labial palpus third segment slender and acute apically, subequal in length with second. Antenna more than half forewing length. Clypeus with ventral margin rounded. Ocellus absent. Posterior area of sitophore with four campaniform sensilla in trapezoid pattern; posterior pair closer together than anterior pair; anterior area with four campaniform sensilla. Forewing (length/width ratio 4.9) with tufts of raised scales, without pterostigma; M1 and R5 stalked, M2 and M3 separate, CuA1 present, CuA2 absent; median fascia transverse or directed from base of costa toward posterior margin. Hindwing (length/width ratio 5.7) with R5, M1, M2 and M3 separate, CuA1 and M3 separate.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 33 ): uncus slender, deeply bifid to base; gnathos absent; costal part of valva well developed, with internal duct and bulbous base; saccular part of valva absent; tegumen basal width/length ratio 0.9; phallus attached to vinculum, curved at base and diagonally truncate apically, without cornuti.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 48 ): antrum funnel shaped posteriorly, not widened anteriorly; apophyses anteriores about 2 x length of abdominal segment VIII; signum roughly diamond shaped with serrate margins, with projecting flanges from obtuse corners.

Larva. Undescribed.

Pupa. Undescribed.

Diagnosis. Argyrolacia was established primarily on the presence of a deeply bifid uncus, a character state also shared with Xenolechia and Altenia . Argyrolacia differs from these two genera by lacking an ocellus and having the forewing with M1 stalked with R5 and CuA2 absent, the hindwing with M1 absent, and the female antrum sclerotized instead of membranous.

Hosts. Rhamnaceae : Ceanothus sp. ( Keifer 1936; Robinson et al. 2002).

Diversity and distribution. The one species of Argyrolacia occurs in the western United States.

Figures

FIGURES 30 – 33. Male genitalia, internal duct (id), costal part of valva (vc), and saccular part of valva (vs). 30, Exoteleia dodecella. a, tegumen. b, vinculum and valva. c, phallus. 31, Pseudotelphusa basifasciella. a, tegumen. b, vinculum, valva, and phallus. 32, Xenolechia ontariensis. 33, Argyrolacia bifida.

FIGURE 47 – 48. Female genitalia. 47, Sinoe robiniella. 48, Argyrolacia bifida.