Parachronistis Meyrick

Lee, Sangmi & Brown, Richard L., 2008, Revision of Holarctic Teleiodini (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 1818, pp. 1-55 : 26-27

Parachronistis Meyrick

Parachronistis Meyrick, 1925: 14 [key], 52.

Type species: Gelechia (Brachmia) albiceps Zeller, 1839 , by original designation.

Description. Imago. Labial palpus with second and third segments subequal in length. Antenna simple in female, laterally flattened in male. Clypeus with ventral margin rounded. Ocellus present. Posterior area of sitophore with four campaniform sensilla, in an asymmetrical trapezoidal pattern, posterior pair closer together than anterior pair; anterior area with four campaniform sensilla. Forewing (length/width ratio 4.7) with tufts of slightly raised scales; R4 and R5 stalked, R4+5 and M1 separate, M2 and M3 separate, CuA1 present, CuA2 absent ( Fig. 13 ); median fascia transverse or directed from base of costa toward posterior margin. Hindwing (length/width ratio 5.4) with R5 and M1 connate, M3 and CuA1 separate. Male with pair of hair pencil between abdominal terga II and III; sternum VIII with two broad lateral lobes; tergum VIII small, lingulate, with anterolateral hair pencil. Female abdominal segment VIII without special modifications

Male genitalia ( Figs. 34, 39 ): uncus rounded apically, shorter than gnathos; gnathos present, cushionlike with dentate apical projections; valva divided into strongly spatulate costa with a cucullus and digitate sacculus; tegumen basal width/length ratio 0.5; saccus strongly fused with ventrobasal part of phallus; phallus without cornuti.

Female genitalia: apophyses anteriores about 3 x length of abdominal segment VIII; antrum strongly sclerotized, cylindrical, distally conical to funnel shaped; ductus bursae not covered with microtrichia; signum a subhexagonal, serrate plate with two transverse ridges.

Larva. Body relatively compact, reddish brown; head, prothoracic shield, and anal shield brownish black; similar to Parastenolechia nigronotella except prothorax has L3 present, meso- and metathorax with L2 and L3 on common pinaculum, A9 with L3 more or less on separate pinaculum, prolegs with biordinal crochets, and anal fork fully developed with stout, central teeth ( Patoèka 1977).

Pupa. Maxillary palpi separated from genae; maxillary palpi adjacent to mesothoracic legs for nearly same distance as to prothoracic legs; frons lacking a tubercle; frontoclypeal suture bowlike, front convex; prothoracic legs adjacent to oculi; abdominal segment VII not edged caudally by setae ( Patoèka and Turcáni 2005).

Diagnosis. Parachronistis species are superficially similar to those of Coleotechnites and Chorivalva , especially in the forewing pattern. However, Parachronistis can be easily differentiated by the valva that is divided into a strongly spatulate costa with a cucullus and digitate sacculus.

Hosts. Corylaceae : Corylus avellana L. ( P. albiceps ). Rosaceae : Prunus persica (L.) ( P. albiceps ). Ulmaceae : Ulmus sp. ( P. albiceps ). ( Bradford and Sokoloff 1988; Disqué 1908; Emmet 1988; Huemer and Karsholt 1999; Patoèka 1977).

Diversity and distribution. The five species of Parachronistis occur in Asia and throughout Europe ( Huemer and Karsholt 1999; Huisman and Koster 2000; Park 1985 1989; Patoèka 1987).

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 18. Wing venation. 7 – 14, Forewing. 7, Sinoe robiniella. ps = pterostigma. 8, Carpatolechia sp. 1. 9, Arogalea cristifasciella. 10, Agnippe sp. 1. 11, Stenolechia gemmella. 12, Parastenolechia nigrinotella. 13, Parachronistis albiceps. 14, Arcutelphusa talladega, sp. nov., 15 – 18, Hindwing. 15, Agnippe sp. 1. 16, Sinoe robiniella. 17, Arogalea cristifasciella. 18, Arcutelphusa talladega, sp. nov.

FIGURES 34 – 39. Male genitalia, cucullus (c), phallus (p), ventral part of gnathos (vg), saccus (s), and uncus (u). 34, Parachronistis albiceps (modified from Huemer and Karsholt, 1999). 35, Stenolechia bathrodyas (modified from Huemer and Karsholt, 1999). 36, Istrianis myricariella. 37, Schistophila laurocistella. 38, Coleotechnites florae. 39, Parachronistis albiceps (modified from Huemer and Karsholt, 1999).