Stigmella thibaulti Varenne & Nel, 2019

Huemer, Peter & Van Nieukerken, Erik J., 2021, Identity of some recently described Lepidoptera from France-re-assessed with DNA barcodes and morphology, Zootaxa 4941 (3), pp. 301-337 : 303

Stigmella thibaulti Varenne & Nel, 2019

Stigmella thibaulti Varenne & Nel 2019: 85 , figs. 1–3.

Examined material. Holotype Ƌ: France, Bouches-du-Rhône , Arles, Tourtoulen, 3 m, uv, 21.VI.2018, Th. Varenne leg., genitalia slide TV n°6721 ( RCTV).

BOLD Specimen ID TLMF 27071; BOLD Sequence ID LEASV319-19.

BIN: not barcode compliant, but identical to BOLD:AAV7002

Identity: Stigmella nivenburgensis (Preissecker, 1942) , syn. nov. ( Fig. 2 )

Remarks. Stigmella thibaulti was described from a male holotype and compared with S. betulicola (Stainton, 1856) and S. nivenburgensis (Preissecker, 1942) (Varenne & Nel 2019) . The successfully sequenced specimen fully matches S. nivenburgensis in DNA barcode, and although this sequence is not considered barcode compliant, it falls within the BIN that all European specimens share. The alleged diagnostic characters are due to different preparation techniques (i.e. pressure on coverslip); the triangular “flap” on the valval tip is present in all species in the betulicola species group, but usually invisible as it is positioned ventrally, but pressure moves it laterally (see figures in Johansson & Nielsen 1990). Stigmella nivenburgensis was recorded recently as new for France (van Nieukerken et al. 2012b). Stigmella thibaulti is considered to be a junior synonym of S. nivenburgensis .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Neighbor-joining tree of Stigmella nivenburgensis incl. S. thibaulti and the closest European species S. sakhalinella Puplesis, 1984 and S. betulicola (Stainton, 1856) in BOLD.