Lyonetia (Lyonetia) clerkella ( Linnaeus, 1758 )

Liu, Shiyu, Liu, Tengteng, Yu, Jiazhi, Xu, Jiasheng & Teng, Kaijian, 2023, The leaf-mining genus Lyonetia Hübner from China, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea: Lyonetiidae), Zootaxa 5357 (1), pp. 100-120 : 107-112

Lyonetia (Lyonetia) clerkella ( Linnaeus, 1758)

( Figs 5–8 , 16a–b , 20, 20a )

Kdzḋ [Chinese name]

Phalaena clerkella Linnaeus, 1758: 542 .

Tinea cerasifoliella Hübner, 1796: p. 28 , f. 190, part 8, Tineae .

Tinea malifoliella Hübner, 1796: p. 28 , f. 195, part 8, Tineae .

Lyonetia clerkella: Hübner, [1825] : 423.

Heribeia unipunctella Stephens, 1829: 49 .

Elachista aereella Treitschke, 1833: 192 .

Diagnosis. This species is similar to Lyonetia (Lyonetia) yasudai Kuroko, 1964 , but can be distinguished by the following characters. In L. (Lyonetia) clerkella , the discal blotch is at the 3/4 of median area, not reaching dorsum ( Figs 5–8 ); in the male genitalia, the sclerotized ridge on 8 th tergite is roughly as long as the superuncus ( Fig. 16a ), the phallus has no cornutus ( Fig. 16b ); in the female genitalia, there is a thorn-shaped signum at the 1/3 of the anterior margin of corpus bursae ( Fig. 20a ). In L. (Lyonetia) yasudai , the discal blotch is obliquely at basal 1/2–3/4 of dorsum and close to costa ( Kuroko 1964: pl. 1, fig. 3); the sclerotized ridge is about 1/3 the length of the superuncus, and the cornutus is serrated ( Kuroko 1964: pl. 8, fig. 45); the corpus bursae has a pair of slender hornshaped signa ( Kuroko 1964: pl. 13, fig. 66).

Material examined (all China). In total, 18♁, 19♀, 5 exs, abdomen missing. 4♁, 3♀, Shandong, Jinan, Shanghe , 37.31°N, 117.15°E, el. 50 m, 15.x.2015, mine in leaf of Prunus persica , leg. Jiahe Yan, SDNU. Ent 003588– 94 ; 2♁, 4♀, 1 ex, abdomen missing, Shandong, Jinan, Shanghe Forestry Bureau , 37.314°N, 117.155°E, el. 50 m, 13.v.2022, leg. Xiaoping Geng and Zhongfeng Jiang, SDNU. Ent 033542 (genitalia slide no. LSY0079 ♁), SDNU. Ent 033545, SDNU. Ent 033547, SDNU. Ent 033555, SDNU. Ent 033558, SDNU. Ent 033571, SDNU. Ent 033589 ; 4♁, 2♀, Shandong, Jinan, Mt. Fohui , 36.633°N, 117.050°E, el. 260 m, 24.ix.2015, mine in leaf of Prunus davidiana , leg. Tengteng Liu, field no. SDNU_JN150962–65, SDNU. Ent 052230–34 ( LSY0076 ♁), SDNU. Ent 052235 ; 1♀, Shandong, Linyi, Mt. Meng , 35.527°N, 117.824°E, el. 500 m, 27.vii.2019, leg. Tengteng Liu, SDNU. Ent 008738 ; 5♁, 5♀, 2 exs abdomen missing, Shandong, Linyi, Mengyin ( Longfengyu ), 35.600°N, 117.869°E, el. 217 m, 10.vi.2022, leg. Tengteng Liu, Ming Lu and Xiaoping Geng, SDNU. Ent 050863–65 ( LSY0066 ♁), SDNU. Ent 050866 ( LSY0056 ♀), SDNU. Ent 050867, SDNU. Ent 050868 ( LSY0057 ♁), SDNU. Ent 050869–72, SDNU. Ent 050873 ( LSY0066 ♁), SDNU. Ent 050874 ; 1♀, Shandong, Yantai, Mt. Kunyu ( Xizhuang ), 37.196°N, 121.132°E, el. 40 m, 17.vi.2021, leg. Kaijian Teng, Ming Lu and Xiaoping Geng, SDNU. Ent 034848 ; 1♀, Shandong, Weihai, Chengshantou, 37.394°N, 122.704°E, el. 200 m, 3.viii.2020, mine in leaf of Prunus triloba , leg. Tengteng Liu, field no. LTT00886, SDNU. Ent 021065 ( LSY0075 ) ; 1♁, 1 ex abdomen missing, Shandong, Weihai, Mt. Kunyu (Haojiang), 37.255°N, 121.728°E, el. 300 m, 22.vii.2021, leg. Junjie Chen, Encui Wang, Ming Lu and Shiyu Liu, SDNU. Ent 029486, SDNU. Ent 029488 ; 2♁, 1♀, Guizhou, Leishan, Mt. Leigong , 26.39°N, 108.20°E, el. 2139 m, 28.vii.2021, leg. Hongxia Liu and Kaijian Teng, SDNU. Ent 024618, SDNU. Ent 024627, SDNU. Ent 024634 ; 1♀, 1 ex abdomen missing, Xizang (Tibet), Changdu, Niangxi town , 31.17°N, 98.38°E, el. 3650 m, 11.vii.2019, mine in leaf of Prunus pseudocerasus , emerged 27.vii.2019 (indoors), leg. Biao Zhu, field no. WEC00085, SDNU. Ent 005012 ( LSY0065 ), SDNU. Ent 005177 .

Remarks. Among the specimens examined, two collected in Xizang at 3650 m on July are quite special. Although they were collected in summer, both showed the autumnal forms. Furthermore, compared with the typical autumnal forms, the scales of these two specimens are darker, the apical blotch and the oblong dark fuscous patch at basal 1/3 of the forewing are blurred, and brown or dark-fuscous scales are scattered on the whole forewing ( Figs 7–8 ). This phenomenon is well known in high latitudes in Europe (Lepiforum e. V. 2022), but it was for the first time discovered in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, China. Lower temperature caused by the high altitude in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau may be the main reason for this phenomenon. According to the thermal melanism hypothesis, the dark body surface can quickly absorb and dissipate heat, which not only enables the moth to quickly raise its body temperature to escape the attack of predators ( Kettlewell 1973), but also enables the moth to adjust its body temperature to adapt to the environment ( Brakefield 1987), which is more conducive to its survival in high altitude areas ( Jiang & Luo 2007). Further investigation is needed to confirm if only autumnal form exists in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.

Host plants. Prunus persica L., P. davidiana (Carrière) Franch. , P. triloba Lindl. ( Fig. 27 ), P. pseudocerasus (Lindl.) G. Don , P. salicina Lindl. , P. armeniaca L., Malus pumila Mill. , Crataegus pinnatifida Bung and Pyrus spp. (Rosaceae) in China. Hosts recorded in other parts of the world: Prunus cerasus L., P. jamasakura (Siebold ex Koidz.) X.R.Wang & C.B.Shang , Malus sylvestris Mill. , Mespilus spp. , Cydonia spp. , Chaenomeles spp. , Amelanchier spp. , Cotoneaster spp. and Sorbus spp. (Rosaceae) ; Betula pendula Roth. (Betulaceae) ; Humulus spp. (Cannabaceae) ; Salix spp. (Salicaceae) ; Castanea spp. (Fagaceae) ; Eucalyptus spp. (Myrtaceae) ( Kuroko 1964, Maier 1995, Kong et al. 2007, Stoeckli et al. 2009, Rather & Buhroo 2015, Hellers 2019, Ellis 2022).

Distribution. China (Beijing, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guangxi, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Liaoning, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanghai, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Tianjin, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang) ( Shen et al. 2014, Sun et al. 2022, Cai et al. 2004, Zhu et al. 2002, Luo 2016, Shang 2000); Japan, India, Madagascar, North America ( Kuroko 1964), South Korea ( Yang et al. 2006), throughout Europe (except the northernmost part) ( Baryshnikova 2007, De Jong et al. 2014), Turkey, North Africa, Middle East ( Seven 2006).

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Adults of Lyonetia spp. 1–2, L. (Lyonetiola) blasta, sp. n.: 1, male, holotype, SDNU.Ent001192; 2, female, paratype, SDNU.Ent001194; 3–4, L. (Lyonetiola) duplistriata, sp. n.: 3, male, holotype, SDNU.Ent000851; 4, female, paratype, SDNU.Ent000847; 5–6, L. (Lyonetia) clerkella: 5, female, aestival form, SDNU.Ent050867; 6, male, autumnal form, SDNU. Ent052234. Scales = 1 mm.

FIGURES 7–11. Adults of Lyonetia spp. 7–8, L. (Lyonetia) clerkella: 7, female, autumnal form, Xizang, SDNU.Ent005012; 8, autumnal form, Xizang, SDNU.Ent005177; 9, L. (Lyonetia) ledi, female, SDNU.Ent001388; 10–11, L. (Lyonetia) prunifoliella: 10, female, aestival form, SDNU.Ent001251; 11, male, autumnal form, SDNU.Ent028198. Scales = 1 mm.

FIGURES 16–17. Male genitalia of Lyonetia spp. 16, L. (Lyonetia) clerkella: 16a, sclerotized ridge and superuncus on 8th tergite, slide no. LSY0079; 16b, lateral view, slide no. LSY0063; 17, L. (Lyonetia) prunifoliella, slide no. LSY0064: 17a, sclerotized ridge and superuncus on 8th tergite; 17b, lateral view. Scales = 200 μm.

FIGURES 20–21. Female genitalia of Lyonetia spp. 20, L. (Lyonetia) clerkella, slide no. LSY0056; 20a, thorn-shaped signum on corpus bursae; 21, L. (Lyonetia) ledi, slide no. LSY0059; 21a, weakly and reticulated sclerotization at ductus bursae.

FIGURES 23–30. Biology of Lyonetia spp. 23–26, L. (Lyonetiola) blasta, sp. n.: 23–25, irregular shrunken and brown leaf mines; 26, host plant Blastus pauciflorus; 27, L. (Lyonetia) clerkella, leaf mine in Prunus triloba; 28–30, L. (Lyonetia) prunifoliella: 28–29, irregular pale green and pale brown leaf mines in Prunus triloba; 30, leaf mines with alive larvae on Prunus triloba. Arrows showing the mines.