Pleurota aragonella Chrétien, 1925 (Chretien, 1925)

Tabell, Jukka, Wikström, Bo, Mutanen, Marko, Bruckner, Harald & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2021, Subspecies of Pleurota bicostella (Clerck, 1759) revisited and descriptions of nine new species in the P. bicostella species group (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea Oecophoridae: Pleurotinae), Zootaxa 4941 (4), pp. 451-486 : 461-462

Pleurota aragonella Chrétien, 1925 stat. rev.

Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ADI1646

Table 1, Figs. 6–8 , 36 , 53 , 65

Pleurota aragonella Chrétien, 1925: 258 . Type locality: Spain: Sierra da Guadarrama, San Ildefonso [=La Granja]. Holotype ♂ (MNHNP; examined from photographs). Lowered to subspecies by Back (1973). Here elevated from subspecies to species, based on constant differential features in habitus, genitalia structure and DNA barcode (stat. rev.).

Material studied: 6 ♂ (GP 5692 J. Tabell), 2 ♀ (GP 5878 J. Tabell), Spain, Aragon, 4.5 km NE Albarracin , 20.V.2016, J. Tabell leg.; 13 ♂ (DNA sample 25579 Lepid. Phyl; DNA sample 25608 Lepid. Phyl; DNA sample 25609 Lepid. Phyl), 2 ♀ (GP 5702 J. Tabell, DNA sample 25595 Lepid. Phyl), same collecting data, but 21.V.2016 (all coll. TAB) .

Diagnosis. Externally P. aragonella can be distinguished from P. bicostella by its darker forewing with white longitudinal apical stripes and without distinct dark spots. In the male genitalia, the longer uncus, differently shaped gnathos (subtriangular in bicostella , funnel-shaped in aragonella ), broader sacculus and strongly sclerotized phallus are distinguishing characters. In the female genitalia, the long papillae anales, the shape of segment 8 (in bicostella quadrate, in aragonella obcordate, constricted proximally) and the absence of two posterior signa are distinguishing details.

Molecular data. Four specimens of aragonella were sequenced, resulting in 658 (n=3) and 622 bp (n=1) barcode sequences. The results revealed distinct, 8.78 %–13.07 % divergence between aragonella and the other barcoded taxa of the bicostella species group ( Table 1). The nearest neighbour to aragonella is P. lepigrei with an 8.78 % divergence. The divergence between aragonella and bicostella is 10.06 %. The barcodes of aragonella exhibit no intraspecific variation.

Description. Adult. Wingspan 21.0–24.0 mm, male larger than female. Labial palpus off-white, mixed with a few pale brown scales, ventrally brown, mixed with white, 7.2 x as long as diameter of eye (1 st and 2 nd palpomeres), 3 rd palpomere 0.28 x length of 1 st and 2 nd palpomeres.Antenna brown, laterally white. Head white, thorax and tegula mixed with white and pale brown. Forewing white, with scattered pale brown and pale grey scales, distinct dark spots absent, median area apically with several short, longitudinal white stripes; costal line white, from near base to apex, tapered towards apex; subcostal line brown, suffused with ochre, expanded towards apex. Fringe white, with pale brown median line. Hindwing grey; fringe paler, with a broad median line. Abdomen grey, slightly lustrous, each segment with a transverse row of ochre scales.

Male genitalia. Uncus bell-shaped from ventral view, elongate, distal half covered with several long bristles, apex with beak-shaped protuberance. Gnathos funnel-shaped from ventral view, as long as uncus, basally broad, medially strongly constricted, apical 0.4 oval and basally surfaced with scobination. Tegumen large, anterior dorsal margin slightly, ventral margin strongly concave. Valva broad, subtriangular, upwardly oblique, ventral margin medially slightly bulged, costa slightly bulged, almost horizontal; cucullus thimble-shaped; sacculus moderately broad and short, covered with several bristles; valval lobe well delineated, crescent-shaped, covered with several bristles. Anterior extension of juxta robust, median plate narrow; posterior lobe moderately broad, not reaching base of uncus. Phallus slightly arched, broad, well sclerotized, slightly tapered towards apex, with one small plate-shaped cornutus and a few small granules around cornutus.

Female genitalia. Papilla analis elongate, long, densely covered with short bristles. Apophysis posterioris 2.4 x as long as papilla analis and 1.4 x as long as apophysis anterioris, which is 1.2 x as long as segment 8. Segment 8 obcordate or cup-shaped, lateral and proximal margins shallowly more strongly sclerotized, proximal margin strongly convex, caudal margin indistinct, concave, lined with several bristles; ventral longitudinal sclerotization rectangular. Antrum short and moderately broad, sclerotized. Ductus bursae straight, expanded towards corpus bursae. Corpus bursae ovoid, with one medially constricted arched signum bearing two narrow and long protuberances, posterior signa absent.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Known from Central Spain, Sierra da Guadarrama and Sierra de Albarracín.

Results. P. aragonella was synonymized with bicostella by Back (1973). Both morphology and genetics suggest it is a valid species (stat. rev.).

Note. According to Back (1973) the female genitalia of aragonella are identical to those of bicostella . However, the specimens studied by us are markedly distinct from bicostella .

Figures

FIGURE 65. Neighbor-joining tree based on the barcoding fragment of the COI gene (p-distance model) of all available species of the Pleurota bicostella species group. “MM26262” etc. are BOLD sample IDs.

FIGURES 1–8. Adults and labels of Pleurota spp. 1–2. P. bicostella (Clerck). 1. ♂. 2. ♀. 3. P. andalusica Back, ♂. 4–5. P. asiatica Back. 4. ♂ holotype. 5. ♀ paratype. 6–8. P. aragonella Chrétien. 6. ♂ holotype. 7. ♂. 8. ♀.

FIGURES 35–36. Male genitalia of Pleurota spp. 35. P. andalusica Back, GP 5625 J. Tabell. 36. P. aragonella Chrétien, GP 5575 J. Tabell.

FIGURES 51–53. Female genitalia of Pleurota spp. 51. P. bicostella (Clerck), GP 6026 J. Tabell. 52. P. andalusica Back, GP 5879 J. Tabell. 53. P. aragonella Chrétien, GP 5878 J. Tabell.