Phyllonorycter alnicolella ( Walsingham, 1889 )

Eiseman, Charles S. & Davis, Donald R., 2020, Wrong side of the leaf: assigning some Lithocolletinae species (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) to their proper genera, Zootaxa 4751 (2), pp. 201-237 : 209-211

Phyllonorycter alnicolella ( Walsingham, 1889) ( Figs. 25–26 )

Lithocolletis alnicolella Walsingham 1889: 80 .

Phyllonorycter alnicolella (Walsingham) — Davis 1983: 10.

Leaf mine. On the upper leaf surface; no further details recorded.

Host. Betulaceae : Alnus incana (L.) Moench.

Distribution. USA: CA; additional records given below require confirmation.

Review. Walsingham (1889) described this species from specimens reared from upper-surface mines on Alnus incana collected on Mt. Shasta, Siskiyou Co., California ( Fig. 25 ). Mines were collected in August and adults emerged in the same month. He noted that his chief reason for regarding this species as distinct from P. alni (Walsingham) , reared by Chambers (1875b, as Lithocolletis alnivorella Chambers ) in Colorado, was that the latter species feeds on the underside of the leaf. Braun (1908) never saw specimens of either species and stated that no type of P. alni is in existence. Brower (1984) reported Phyllonorycter alnicolella from Maine, based on caught specimens that may have been misidentified (he also listed one specimen of P. alni from New Hampshire). Pohl et al. (2015, 2018) tentatively listed it from British Columbia, noting that the identification requires confirmation. Pohl et al. (2018) also reported this species from Ontario and Quebec; these records are based on collection inventory from the Laurentian Forestry Centre collection in Quebec City and likewise have not been verified (G. Pohl, in litt.).

Comments. Phyllonorycter alnicolella and P. alni are possibly synonymous, but adults reared from both upper- and lower-surface mines (and from both California and Colorado) will need to be dissected and compared before a decision can be made about this.

Figures

FIGURES 25–26. Phyllonorycter alnicolella. 25: Male syntype reared from Alnus incana, Mt. Shasta, Siskiyou Co., CA (photo: David Lees, © 2019 Trustees of NHMUK). 26: Head and forewing illustration, based on a specimen collected by Walsingham at McLeod Creek, Siskiyou Co., CA.