Xenolechia Meyrick, 1895

Lee, Sangmi & Brown, Richard L., 2008, Revision of Holarctic Teleiodini (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 1818, pp. 1-55 : 38-39

Xenolechia Meyrick

Xenolechia Meyrick, 1895: 583 .

Type species: Anacampsis aethiops Humphreys and Westwood, 1845 , by subsequent designation (Walsingham 1911).

Description. Imago (Fig. 65). Labial palpus with second and third segments subequal in length. Antenna simple in both sexes, longer than half forewing length. Posterior area of sitophore with four campaniform sensilla in symmetrical trapezoid, posterior pair closer together than anterior pair; anterior area with two, four, or seven campaniform sensilla. Forewing lanceolate to slender (length/width ratio 3.8) with tufts of raised scales; R5, M1, M2, and M3 separate, CuA1 and CuA2 present; median fascia absent or present, if present, transverse or directed from base of costa toward posterior margin. Hindwing (length/width ratio 3.3) with R5 and M1 connate, M2, M3, and CuA1 separate. Male abdominal sternum VIII broad, with posterior margin mesially emarginate; tergum VIII lingulate, with pair of anterolateral hair pencils. Female abdominal segment VIII without special modifications.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 32 ): uncus deeply bifid for ½ or more length, with two, broad lobes; gnathos absent; tegumen broad, stout, strongly widening ventrally, basal width/length ratio 3.0; valva absent; vinculum with a pair of processes; phallus broad, stout, without cornuti.

Female genitalia: apophyses anteriores about 1– 2 x length of abdominal segment VIII; ostium bursae near middle of abdominal segment VIII, margined laterally by sclerites; antrum membranous; ductus bursae, broad with numerous microtrichia, evenly widened toward corpus bursae; signum rhomboid, with serrate margins.

Larva. Length 6–11 mm; crochets unevenly biordinal; caudal fork present; D1 of abdomen about one-half length of D2; SD1 pinaculum on segments A2 to A7 closer to and dorsad of spiracle; SD2 pinaculum minute, on level with spiracle; SD1 on A8 dorsoanterior of and farther from spiracle than on A7; L1, L2, and L3 on A9 on common pinaculum ( Keifer 1928, 1933; Opler 1974).

Pupa. Length less than 6 mm; body orange brown, widest at metathorax, tapering to acute caudal end; maxillae ending at convergence of midlegs; caudal end of abdomen with hooked setae ( Keifer 1928).

Diagnosis. Xenolechia is similar to Argyrolacia and Altenia by having a bifid uncus in the male genitalia, but differs in lacking a valva and having veins M3 and CuA1 separated in the hindwing. Most species of Xenolechia have the forewing with non-contrasting colors and patterns.

Hosts. Ericaceae : Erica cinerea L. ( X. aethiops ), Va cc in i um sp. ( X. quinquecristatella ). Fagaceae : Quercus spp. ( X. querciphaga ). Rhamnaceae : Ceanothus spp. ( X. ceanothiella ). ( Bland 2002; Emmet 1988; Forbes 1923; Keifer 1928, 1930, 1933; Opler 1974; Robinson et al. 2002; Zhang 1994).

Diversity and distribution. The nine species of Xenolechia occur in Europe, Asia, and North America ( Busck 1907; Huemer and Karsholt 1999; Keifer 1933; Sattler 1960).

Notes. Recurvaria ceanothiella ( Braun 1921) is transferred here to Xenolechia based on the structure of the male genitalia.

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.