Antispila voraginella Braun

Nieukerken, Erik J. van, Wagner, David L., Baldessari, Mario, Mazzon, Luca, Angeli, Gino, Girolami, Vicenzo, Duso, Carlo & Doorenweerd, Camiel, 2012, Antispila oinophylla new species (Lepidoptera, Heliozelidae), a new North American grapevine leafminer invading Italian vineyards: taxonomy, DNA barcodes and life cycle, ZooKeys 170, pp. 29-77 : 45

Antispila voraginella Braun Figs 3444, 45

Antispila voraginella Braun, 1927: 191. Holotype male: USA: [Utah: Washington County] "B1206/Zion Canyon/Utah i.iv.9 [1926]- Antispila / voraginella / Type Braun.", Genitalia slide EJvN 3916 [reared from mines on Vitis arizonica ] (ANSP) [examined].

Differential diagnosis.

Adult (Fig. 34) very similar to and about same size as Antispila oinophylla , but head and thorax covered with brassy shining scales rather than silver. In male genitalia (Figs 44-45) uncus clearly bilobed, valva with fewer pecten spines: 8-10, triangular lobe absent; transtilla with narrower central plate and phallus with rather different set of spines: the long one of oinophylla absent, and row along phallotrema less comb-like, whereas there is a row of many spines along both sides. Female genitalia not examined.

Biology.

Hostplant: Vitis arizonica . Seems to be univoltine, larvae found in June–July northward; through September in monsoonal areas to south; adults emerging the following spring April to June.

Leafmines.

Mine illustrated by Powell and Opler (2009: plate 59:7). Mines rather different from those of Antispila oinophylla : larvae usually gregarious with mines forming large pale blotches.

Distribution.

Evidently allopatric to Antispila oinophylla and only recorded from the Rocky Mountains: Utah, Arizona and West Texas.