Collita griseola (Hübner, [1803])

Macià, Ramon, Ylla, Josep, Gastón, Javier, Huertas, Manuel & Bau, Josep, 2022, The species of Eilema Hübner, [1819] sensu lato present in Europe and North Africa (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Zootaxa 5191 (1), pp. 1-87 : 41-43

Collita griseola (Hübner, [1803])

Original combination: Bombyx griseola Hübner, [1803] . Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge Bomb.: 126 [`Ziefer´-text]. pl. 23, fig. 97.

T. L.: [ Germany].

Mterial examined. SPAIN: BARCELONA: 10 ♂ and 8 ♀, Vespella, Gurb , 620 m, 31TDG34, 25.viii.2011, 29 viii.2014, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 10 ♂ and 7 ♀, Riera del Surreig, St. Bartomeu del Grau , 823 m, 2.viii.1997, 21.iii.2008, 22.vii.2009, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 5 ♂ and 3 ♀, Parc Natural Castell de Montesquiu, Montesquiu , 637 m, 31TDG36, 11.viii.2007, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 2 ♂ and 3 ♀, Santuari dels Munts, St. Agustí de Lluçanès , 1060 m, 17.vii.2000, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. BIZKAIA: 8 ♂ and 5 ♀, Lanbreabe, Ceánuri , 250 m, 9.vii.1999, J. Gastón leg. ; 5 ♂ and 4 ♀, Gallartu, Orozko , 300 m, 17.vii.2010, J. Gastón leg. CANTABRIA: 1 ♀, Rucyio , 2.viii.2016, J. Gastón leg. GIRONA: 4 ♂ and 5 ♀ Font del Home Mort, Queralps , 1780 m, 6.viii.2004, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 11 ♂ and 6 ♀, Vilamanya, Queralbs , 1050 m, 31TDG38, 5.viii.2010, 27.viii.2011, 8.viii.2012, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 3 ♂, Ribes de Fresser , 912 m, 22.vii.2019, A. Weiss leg. in coll. MCNB.; 2 ♂ and 1 ♀, Susqueda , 800 m, 25.vii.1985, JJ. Pérez leg. in coll. MCNB.; 3 ♂ and 1 ♀, Sant Privat d´en Bas , 541 m, 3.viii.1985, JJ. Pérez leg. in coll. MCNB.; LLEIDA: Les, Val d´Aran, 631 m, 30.vii.1993, R. Macià leg.

FRANCE: 2 ♂ and 1 ♀, Albertville , Savoie, 980 m, 1.vii.2018, J. Ylla leg. ; 1 ♀, Saint Martin Bellevue , 700 m, 6.vii.2018, J. Gastón leg.

CZECH REPUBLIC: 3 ♂ and 2 ♀, Cernǐs , Bohemia, 17.vii.1999, E. Lehečka leg.

Diagnosis. Typical specimens of Collita griseola are easily distinguished from other Eilema sensu lato species by their broad wings and a more convex costa, bright straw-grey and fine ochreous in colour; short and ochreous costal stripe. Hindwings wide, pale grey with or without a marginal diffusion. The yellowish form flava differs from the ochreous female Katha depressa in the glossy, wider wings, apex of forewings more rounded.

Re-description. Imago ( Figs. 39–40 ). Average wingspan males 32.10 mm (n=10; 26–36 mm); average wingspan females 32.80 mm (n=10; 29–34 mm). There are small differences between the sexes.

Genitalia ( Fig. 68 ). Male genitalia: Uncus elongated, cylindrical, with slightly bulging apex; valvae with a very pointed cucullus; saccular process very robust, strongly sclerotised, with a straight, pointed tip; juxta strongly sclerotised, with a long upper process; vinculum long, wide and trapezoid. Aedeagus cylindrical and thick; vesica with a mass of small spines, and at the distal end, a series of medium-sized cornuti grouped together and topped by another large cornutus, very robust, short and hook-shaped. Female genitalia:Anal papillae sclerotised with mediumsized processes; lamella postvaginalis broad and strongly sclerotised; ostium bursae wide and membranous; ductus bursae broad, short and strongly sclerotised; corpus bursa spherical, with two small and strongly sclerotised ovoid signa; in the upper part, in contact with the ductus, there is a thick membranous process covered internally with numerous micro-spines, whence the ductus seminalis begins.

Immature stages ( Fig. 89 ). The final instar larva is 15 to 20 mm long. Cephalic capsule flat, black, with angular vertex and short epicranial suture. Body with long setae and dark brown verrucae; dorsal line broad, dark grey to black, bordered by a yellowish or light orange band, and between D2 and SD 1 verrucae a black band. Pupa robust, with two rough excrecences on each side of the anal scar; clypeus indistinct. In the male pupa, the antennae and proboscis reach the apex of the wings; in the females, the antennae are shorter. The cocoon woven among lichens.

Molecular data. The Collita griseola samples cluster in a well-supported clade (PP=1). The RESL clusterisation algorithm places the analysed sequences in a single group that coincides with an existing BIN (BOLD: AAC1074), which contains 30 sequences attrituted to Eilema griseola and 4 sequences apparently misidentified as Eilema ussuricum . The extended analysis including all published sequences shows closer relation of this species with samples identified as Eilema japonica and Eilema ussuricum , both appearing distantly related to the nominotypical Eilema species. At the same time, the distance of this species from the other species studied is significantly large (average TN-dist = 9.54%) compared to the distances among species within Indalia (average TN-dist = 5.80%) or Manulea (average TN-dist = 4.14%) genera, thus adding evidence to the morphological differences which justify its placement in a separate genus ( Collita ).

Biology. Univoltine, with a long generation which extends from the end of May to September. Typical of relatively humid and warm biotopes in mixed and deciduous forests at elevations between 300 and 1500 m or more. The imagos are attracted both to bait and to artificial light, and they are sometimes seen visiting flowers in shady areas at nightfall. The larvae develop on Peltigera canina (L.) and other species of lichen typical of the trunks of trees, and may even consume the leaves of these trees. In captivity they accept willow ( Salix ), dandelion ( Taraxacum ) and lettuce ( Lactuca ) leaves ( Ylla et al. 2010) and also artificial diet.

Distribution ( Fig. 114 ). Eurasiatic. Throughout most of Europe, and widespread in the southern half of England. Absent from much of Italy, the Balkans and Scandinavia, and north Britain. In the Iberian Peninsula, it is restricted to a narrow northern strip.

Observations. Outside Europe, there are several subspecies of Collita griseola in Asia Minor, central and western Siberia, Mongolia and Transbaikalia, Russia (Amur region), northern China, Korea and Japan.

Figures

FIGURE 68. Collita griseola male and female genitalia, gen. prep. 7340JG, Riera del Surreig, Gurb, Barcelona (Spain); 7319JG, Vespella, Gurb, Barcelona (Spain).

FIGURE 89. Immature stages Collita griseola (picture MH).

FIGURES 33–40. 33. Setema cereola (Hübner, [1803]. Male: Pralognan, Alpes (Savoie), Francia, 1500 m, 2.vii.2000, J.P. Herzet leg.; 34. Female: Esthland (Estonian), 1920, Cl.Hörhammer Sammlung.; 35. Nyea lurideola Zincken, 1817. Male: Banhs de Tredós, Val d´Aran (Lleida) Spain, 1780 m, 31TCK32, 20.vii.2017, R. Macià leg.; 36. Female: Banhs de Tredós, Val d´Aran (Lleida) Spain, 1780 m, 31TCK32, 20.vii.2017, R. Macià leg.; 37. Muscula muscula (Staudinger, 1899). Male: Kemer, Antalya Reg., Turquia, 700 m, 19.x.2011, A. Saldaitis leg.; 38. Female: Kemer, Antalya Reg., Turquia, 700 m, 19.x.2011, A. Saldaitis leg.; 39. Collita griseola (Hübner, [1803]). Male: Font del Home Mort, Queralps (Girona) Spain, 1780 m, 6.viii.2004, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg.; 40. Female: Font del Home Mort, Queralps (Girona) Spain, 1780 m, 6.viii.2004, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg.

FIGURES 110–118. 110. Indalia pygmaeola pallifrons; 111. Setema cereola; 112. Nyea lurideola; 113. Muscula muscula; 114. Collita griseola; 115. Katha depressa; 116. Wittia sororcula; 117. Pseudokatha rungsi; 118. Zobida bipuncta.