Stigmella catharticella (Stainton, 1853)

van Nieukerken, Erik J., Laštůvka, Aleš & Laštůvka, Zdenĕk, 2006, The Nepticulidae and Opostegidae of mainland France and Corsica: an annotated catalogue (Lepidoptera: Nepticuloidea), Zootaxa 1216 (1216), pp. 1-114 : 27-28

Stigmella catharticella (Stainton, 1853)

F: Nepticula catharticella ; Peyerimhoff 1872a: 140 —[67+68]; Peyerimhoff 1879: 563 — 03; Sand 1879: 202— 36; Gélin & Lucas 1915: 137— 33; Brown & Gouin 1917: 407— 33

Stigmella catharticella ; Lhomme [1963]: 1199 — 03, 33, 36, 75, 76, 78, 91, 92; Courtois 2002: 50— 57

Misidentifications: Stigmella rhamnella ; Lhomme [1963]: 1168— 78, 92; Leraut 2003: 17— 77

Excluded records [all S. alaternella ]: Nepticula catharticella ; Stainton 1869: 228 — 06; Millière 1876a: 373 — 06

Stigmella catharticella ; Lhomme [1963]: 1199 — 06

Material. 46: 1♂, Bagat, 13.x.1916, Chrétien ( MNHN) [misidentified as S. rhamnella ]; 57: TM, Apach: Hammersberg, 220­280 m, 1.x.2004, EvN; 62: VM, 1.5 km NE Licques, 100 m, 17.vii.1997, EvN (observation); 68: larvae, Soultzmatt, Zinnkoepfle, 450 m, 25.ix.2002, CvdB & EvN; 1 VM, Wolfgantz, Le Kastenwald, 3 km WNW Neuf –Brisach, 200 m, 26.ix.2002, CvdB & EvN; 92 : 1♂, 1♀, Meudon, 15.iii, Joannis ( MNHN) [misidentified as S. rhamnella ]. All on Rhamnus cathartica .

Remarks. Frequently misidentified as S. rhamnella , although the mines are easily recognisable and the adult has a distinct dorsal spot, which is absent in S. rhamnella . Old records from the Alpes Maritimes all refer to S. alaternella .