Stenoptilia mariaeluisae Bigot & Picard, 2002

Urso, Marchese, Giovanni & Nel, Jacques, 2008, A survey of Pterophoridae (Lepidoptera) of North-Eastern Sicily with new distributional records, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 48 (1), pp. 197-208 : 203

Stenoptilia mariaeluisae Bigot & Picard, 2002

( Figs. 10-11 )

Material examined. DISTRICT OF MT. ETNA: Catania city, 30 m a.s.l., WB0572 , 26.vi.2006, 1 ♀ ; Mount S. Leo (Belpasso), 1,000 m a.s.l., VB9687, 21.vi.2004, 1 J 3 ♀♀; 22.vii.2004, 1 J 1 ♀; 27.vii.2005, 1 J 3 ♀♀; 17.viii.2004, 1 ♀. DISTRICT OF NEBRODI MTS.: Stream Pellera (Roccella Valdemone), 740 m a.s.l., WC0010, 13.ix.2004, 1 ♀; Floresta, 1,230 m a.s.l., VC9024, 25.v.2006, 1 ♀ ( GMCI) .

Biology. Adults: wingspan 18-19 mm. In north-eastern Sicily the species flies from June to September and can be observed up to ca. 1,200 m a.s.l. It flies at dusk, together with S. grisescens , hiding in grass if disturbed; some specimens were collected at a light trap. Larval host plant: probably monophagous on Kickxia spuria (L.) Dumort. ( Scrophulariaceae ).

Range in Italy. Friuli Venezia Giulia ; Latium; Sicily (new record).

Distribution. Holo-Mediterranean.

Remark. NEL (2003) and ARENBERGER (2005) considered S. mariaeluisae a valid species and ARENBERGER (2005) found it in Friuli Venezia Giulia and Latium. On the other hand, GIELIS (2003) considers it a synonym of S. arida . As stated above, all records of S. arida from Italy should be checked. Our findings confirm the presence of S. mariaeluisae in Sicily; the characters of male and female genitalia are identical to those described by BIGOT & PICARD (2002) for the holotype and the allotype; see also NEL (2003) and ARENBERGER (2005).

Figures

Figs. 8-13. Stenoptilia grisescens Schawerda, 1933, male. 8 – body, dorsal view; 9 – genitalia. Stenoptilia mariaeluisae Bigot & Picard, 2002, male. 10 – body, dorsal view; 11 – genitalia. Stenoptilia pelidnodactyla (Stein, 1837), male. 12 – body, dorsal view; 13 – genitalia. Abbreviations: a – anellus; u – uncus; v – valve.