Argyresthia (Argyresthia) conjugella Zeller, 1839

Liu, Tengteng, Wang, Shuxia & Li, Houhun, 2017, Review of the genus Argyresthia Hübner, [1825] (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea: Argyresthiidae) from China, with descriptions of forty-three new species, Zootaxa 4292 (1), pp. 1-135 : 28-29

14. Argyresthia (Argyresthia) conjugella Zeller, 1839

( Figs. 23 , 93, 94 , 150 , 206 , 259 )

Argyresthia conjugella Zeller, 1839: 204 . TL: Germany; Glogau (now Poland; Glogów ) and Bohemia ( Czech Republic). TD: BMNH.

Argyresthia conjugella var. maculosa Tengström, 1848: 136 .

Argyresthia aerariella Stainton, 1871: 100 . TL: England (Stalybridge, Tameside). TD: BMNH.

Laverna herellera Duponchel : Matsumura, 1896: 63.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 23 ) wingspan 12.0̄15.0 mm.

Male genitalia: As in Figs. 93, 94 , 150 , 206 .

Female genitalia: As in Fig. 259 .

Variation. Argyresthia (A.) conjugella has a unicolorous form ( aerariella Stainton ) and a paler form ( maculosa Tengström ) in Europe ( Agassiz 1996). We have not found these two forms in China so far. The male genitalia vary slightly in the shape of saccus: subtriangular with a narrowly rounded apex ( Fig. 93 ), or apparently narrowed to a line distally ( Fig. 94 ).

Material examined. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region: 2Ƌ, 1♀, Qiongbola Town (43.44°N, 81.03°E), Chabuchaer Autonomous County, 1871 m, 2.viii.2007, leg. Xinpu Wang, slide nos . LTT12139♂, LTT12082♂; 1♂, Baihaba Village (48.53°N, 86.71°E), Habahe County, 1264 m, 27.vii.2007, leg. Xinpu Wang ; 2♀, Kuerdening Town (43.25°N, 82.92°E), Kongliu County, 1480 m, 4.viii.2007, leg. Xinpu Wang, slide no . LTT12861; 5♂, 4♀, Hemu Village (47.71°N, 86.88°E), Buerjin County, 1114 m, 23̄ 24.vii.2007, leg. Xinpu Wang, slide nos. LTT12433Ƌ , LTT12434Ƌ, LTT12435Ƌ, LTT12859 ♀. Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region: 6Ƌ (1 ex. without abdomen) , 13♀, Xiaonanchuan plant garden (35.34°N, 106.31°E), Erlonghe Forest Farm, Mt. Liupan , 1900 m, 27, 28.vi.2008, leg. Shulian Hao and Zhiwei Zhang, slide nos . LTT12767♀, LTT12768Ƌ, LTT12824♀, LTT12827♀, LTT12840♀, LTT12860W; 3♂ (1 ex. without abdomen), Mt. Liupan plant garden (35.34°N, 106.31°E), 1900 m, 30.vi.2007, leg. Xinpu Wang ; 14♂ (2 exs. without abdomen), 11♀ (3 exs. without abdomen), Miaomiaotai Forest Station (35.50°N, 106.29°E), Xixia Forest Farm, Mt. Liupan , 2300 m, 23.vi.2008, leg. Shulian Hao and Zhiwei Zhang, slide nos . LTT12179♂ (Barcoded), LTT12765♂, LTT12766♂, LTT12821♂, LTT12837♂, LTT12844̄5♀; 4♂, 3♀, Liangdianxia (35.39°N, 106.29°E), Mt. Liupan , 2080 m, 28.vi.2007, leg. Xinpu Wang ; 3♂, 4♀, Rearing farm (35.50°N, 106.29°E), Conference center of Liupanshan Autonomous district , 2310 m, 24.vi.2008, leg. Shulian Hao and Zhiwei Zhang, slide nos . LTT12052♂, LTT12769♂, LTT12823♀, LTT12858♀; 1♀, Qiuqianjian Forest Station (35.56°N, 106.44°E), Qiuqianjia Forest Farm, Mt Liupan , 1700 m, 1-vii.2008, leg. Shulian Hao and Zhiwei Zhang ; 1♀, Qiuqianjia Forest Farm (35.56°N, 106.44°E), Mt Liupan , 1700 m, 1-vii.2008, leg. Shulian Hao and Zhiwei Zhang, slide no. LTT12820 ; 1♀, Dongshanpo Forest Farm (35.39°N, 106.35°E), Mt. Liupan , 2050 m, 7.vii.2008, leg. Shulian Hao and Zhiwei Zhang, slide no. LTT12819 . Shaanxi Province: 2♀, Yangling (34.27°N, 108.08°E), 450 m, 11, 18.vi.1993, leg. Houhun Li, slide nos. JQ07333, LTT12786 . Shanxi Province: 1Ƌ, Dongxia (35.82°N, 112.28°E), Xiachuan , Qinshui County, Jincheng City , 1620 m, 18.vii.2012, leg. Qiang Gao and Na Chen, slide no LTT12762; 1♂ , 1♀, Xiyao Village (38.67°N, 112.01°E), Ningwu County, 1475 m, 21-vii.2011, leg. Shulian Hao and Jiayu Liu, slide nos. LTT12742Ƌ , LTT12756♀. Henan Province: 1♀, Mt. Baotianman (33.52°N, 111.94°E), Neixiang County, 1200 m, 27.v.2006, leg. Jinmei Lv and Xu Zhang, slide no. LTT12321 . Hebei Province: 1♀, Shuangyuanfeng (40.61°N, 117.45°E), Mt. Wuling , Xinglong County, 800 m, 20.vii.2011, leg. Houhun Li and Yanpeng Cai, slide no. LTT12831 ; 1♂, Mt. Xiaowutai (39.97°N, 114.81°E), Wei County, 1200 m, 22.viii.2005, leg. Yunli Xiao, slide no. LTT12863 . Qinghai Province: 1♀, Mengda (35.84°N, 102.49°E), Xunhua County, 2240 m, 13.vii.1995, leg. Houhun Li and Shuxia Wang, slide no. LTT12472 . Gansu Province: 1♀, Yangba Forest Farm (33.02°N, 105.76°E), Kang County, 800 m, 8.vi.1995, leg. Aisihaer, slide no. LTT12331 . Yunnan Province: 1Ƌ, Wenfengsi (26.81°N, 100.19°E), Lijiang County, 2650 m, 18.vii.2001, leg. Houhun Li and Xinpu Wang, slide no. LTT12498 .

Host plants: Malus pumila Mill. , Sorbus commixta Held. , S. aucuparia Linn. ( Moriuti 1977) , M. spp. ( Agassiz 1996).

Distribution. China (Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Yunnan), Europe, America, Canada.

Diagnosis. Superficially, Argyresthia (A.) conjugella is similar to A. (A.) minutilepidota , sp. nov.; the European unicolorous form is similar to A. (A.) flavifusca , sp. nov. The diagnostic characters are stated under each of the latter two species.

Remarks. Argyresthia (A.) conjugella is an important apple pest, and its distribution apparently matches the main apple production areas in China ( Liu et al. 2013). Morphological variation in the forewing occur in European populations ( Agassiz 1996), and slight variation is found in the saccus of the male genitalia in Chinese populations. The shape of the saccus often varies to a small degree intraspecifically, and these slight variations cannot be used as reliable diagnostic characters in separating species.

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 27. Adults of Argyresthia spp. 20, A. (Blastotere) punctireticulata, sp. nov., ♀, paratype; 21, A. (B.) dolichocoremata, sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 22, A. (B.) longipenella, sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 23, A. (Argyresthia) conjugella Zeller, ♀; 24, A. (A.) biloba, sp. nov., ♀, holotype; 25, A. (A.) minutilepidota, sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 26, A. (A.) flavifusca, sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 27, A. (A.) flavifusca, sp. nov., ♀, paratype. (Scales = 2.0 mm)

FIGURES 90 – 95. Eighth sternite and male genitalia excluding phallus of Argyresthia spp. 90, A. (Blastotere) anthocephala Meyrick, slide no. LTT 12312; 91, A. (B.) dolichocoremata, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12336, holotype; 92, A. (B.) longipenella, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12430, holotype; 93, A. (A.) conjugella Zeller, slide no. LTT 12433; 94, A. (A.) conjugella Zeller, slide no. LTT 12768; 95, A. (A.) minutilepidota, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12455, paratype. (Scales = 0.2 mm)

FIGURES 150 – 153. Phallus of Argyresthia spp. 150, A. (Argyresthia) conjugella Zeller, slide no. LTT 12768; 151, A. (A.) minutilepidota, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12455, paratype; 152, A. (A.) flavifusca, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12880, holotype; 153, A. (A.) trigonophylla, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12816, paratype. (Scales = 0.2 mm)

FIGURES 197 – 208. Socii of Argyresthia spp. 197, A. (Blastotere) aureola, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12305, holotype; 198, A. (B.) sporadolepis, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12412, paratype; 199, A. (B.) cineretra, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12404, paratype; 200, A. (B.) affinicineretra, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12710, holotype; 201, A. (B.) albaureola, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12436, holotype; 202, A. (B.) densa, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12228, holotype; 203, A. (B.) anthocephala Meyrick, slide no. LTT 12312; 204, A. (B.) dolichocoremata, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12336, holotype; 205, A. (B.) longipenella, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12430, holotype; 206, A. (Argyresthia) conjugella Zeller, slide no. LTT 12433; 207, A. (A.) minutilepidota, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12455, paratype; 208, A. (A.) flavifusca, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12880, holotype. (Scales = 0.1 mm)

FIGURES 259 – 261. Female genitalia of Argyresthia spp. 259, A. (Argyresthia) conjugella Zeller, slide no. LTT 12827; 260, A. (A.) biloba, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12342, holotype; 261, A. (A.) flavifusca, sp. nov., slide no. LTT 12764, paratype. (Scales = 0.5 mm)