Aspilanta argentifera (Braun, 1927) Nieukerken & Eiseman, 2020

Nieukerken, Erik J. van & Eiseman, Charles S., 2020, Splitting the leafmining shield-bearer moth genus Antispila Huebner (Lepidoptera, Heliozelidae): North American species with reduced venation placed in Aspilanta new genus, with a review of heliozelid morphology, ZooKeys 957, pp. 105-161 : 105

Aspilanta argentifera (Braun, 1927) comb. n. Figs 4 , 6 , 13 , 29 , 31 , 36 , 49 , 88-96

Antispila argentifera Braun, 1927a: Holotype ♀, Canada, Ontario, Sparrow Lake, 16.vii.1926, A. Braun, on young leaves of birch. (ANSP) [Photograph examined, Fig. 6 .]

Antispila argentifera ; Needham et al. 1928: 289; McDunnough 1939: 91; Davis 1983b: 4; van Nieukerken and Pohl 2018: 42; Milla et al. 2017: 140; Eiseman 2019: 189, 190, 976, 1082, 1085, 1090, 1093.

Antispila species on sweet fern; Forbes 1923: 227.

Antispila n. sp., Grehan et al. 1995: 46 [Vermont, from Comptonia peregrina , det. D.L. Wagner]

Differential diagnosis.

Wingspan ca. 4.0-5.2 mm, forewing length 1.8-2.4 mm. Externally separable from A. oinophylla and ampelopsifoliella by the darker brassy head scaling, the grey fringe and the indistinct fringe line; A. argentifera is also smaller. Relatively similar to A. voraginella which is only known from the Southwestern states. Male genitalia with tegumen distinctly bilobed, valvae with 9-12 pecten sensilla, phallus without strong appendices (only one slide examined). Mines on Morella distinguished from those of an unnamed Coptodisca species, which occurs especially in the Southeast, by the larger cut-out, and the overall larger mine.

Host plants.

Myricaceae : Comptonia peregrina , Morella caroliniensis (including M. pensylvanica , cf. Wilbur (2002)), M. cerifera , Myrica gale .

Leafmines.

(Figs 88-96 ) Egg in the examined mines inserted at the midrib. The mine starts with a linear portion, following the midrib towards the apex, sometimes difficult to see when it is very close to the midrib (Fig. 94 ); later becoming a small blotch extending from midrib to leaf margin. Frass blackish, varying from dispersed to concentrated near origin of mine; in linear portion a wide line in middle. Mines on Comptonia are usually very compact, on Morella and Myrica more elongate; on Myrica gale we observed several mines crossing the midrib, resulting in a wilting leaf tip that may drop off (Fig. 90 ). The larva cuts out an elliptic case ca. 2.5-3.5 mm long.

Larva.

Pale yellowish green, head and prothorax brown.

Life history.

Bivoltine. Larvae found in July and September to November, adults in June, July and August; specimens reared from fall mines emerged (indoors) in April to May, from July mines in August. Mines of the first generation seem to be very scarce.

Distribution.

Canada: Newfoundland*, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island*, Quebec*; USA: Connecticut*, Massachusetts*, New York*, North Carolina*, Vermont.

Barcode.

BIN: BOLD:ACG8654, average distance 0.66%, max. distance 2.25% (n = 15), distance to nearest neighbour 11.67% (BOLD:ACF9350, an unidentified Heliozelidae from Honduras).

Parasitoids.

Eulophidae : Pediobius ? albipes (Provancher, 1887) (NY), Pnigalio sp. (MA).

Remarks.

Annette Braun (1927a) believed that the moth that she collected at Sparrow Lake belonged to long leafmines that she found on Betula in the same spot. Her description of the mine actually matches very well that of Phylloporia bistrigella (Haworth, 1828) ( Incurvariidae ) ( Eiseman 2019; Ellis 2020), a Holarctic species, widespread in Canada, but in 1927 poorly known in North America as either Incurvaria labradorella Clemens, 1864 or I. aureovirens Dietz, 1905, which had not yet been associated with Betula and which were only later synonymised with P. bistrigella by Davis (1983a). On the basis of Braun’s record of these leafmines, P. bistrigella should also be listed for Ontario, a record missing from Pohl (2018). As we have never seen any heliozelid mine on Betula , and as the Holotype of A. argentifera externally matches the specimens reared from Myricaceae , we are convinced that argentifera is the correct name for this species (see also Milla et al. 2017: 140). According to Braun (1927a), the holotype was a male, but the photograph (Fig. 6 ), kindly made by Mike Palmer, clearly shows a female, with protruding oviscapt. We refrain for now from borrowing and dissecting the holotype, as the characters of female genitalia have not been sufficiently studied, and a future dissection could possibly be combined with newer techniques for obtaining DNA data. Already Forbes (1923) reported an Antispila species from sweet fern (= Comptonia ), which strange enough according to him "has not been distinguished from A. isabella ".

Specimens from Prince Edward Island were previously regarded as misidentifications (van Nieukerken and Pohl 2018) but are here re-identified as correct A. argentifera .

Material: Adults examined.

CANADA - Nova Scotia • 1 ♂; Barrington; 43.56N, 65.57W; G.G. Lewis leg.; Comptonia peregrina ; emerged 20 Aug. 1970; EventId: 70-28; CNCLEP00122407. - Ontario • 1 ♀ (Holotype, photograph examined, Fig. 6 ); Sparrow Lake; 44.81N, 79.4W; 16 Jul. 1926; A. F. Braun leg.; ANSP. - Prince Edward Island • 1 ♂; Dalvay House, Can. Nat. Park; 46.416N, 63.073W; 19 Jul. 1940; G.S.Walley leg.; Genitalia slide: MIC7517; CNCLEP00100470. • 1 ♂; same data as preceding; Genitalia slide: T.N.F. No. 405; CNCLEP00100469.

USA - Massachusetts • 1 ♀; Berkshire Co, Stockbridge, Kampoosa Bog; 42.294364N, 73.304347W; 16 Jul. 2017; C. S. Eiseman leg.; Myrica gale ; emerged 09 Aug. 2017; EventId: CSE4096; RMNH. • 1 ♀; Franklin Co., Erving; 42.618565N, 72.422256W; 27 Oct. 2014; C. S. Eiseman leg.; Comptonia peregrina ; emerged 18 May. 2015; EventId: CSE1557; Genitalia slide: EvN5019; RMNH.INS.25019. • 1 ♂; Franklin Co., Erving; 42.618565N, 72.422256W; 27 Oct. 2014; C. S. Eiseman leg.; Comptonia peregrina ; emerged 18 May. 2015; EventId: CSE1557; CNCLEP00142071. • 1 ♀; Nantucket Co., Nantucket, Radar Hill; 41.28390847N, 70.03875002W; 15 Nov. 2015; C. S. Eiseman leg.; Morella caroliniensis ; emerged 18 Apr. 2016; EventId: CSE2398; RMNH. • 1 ♂ 1 ♀ (in copula); Nantucket Co., Nantucket, State Forest; 41.26059N, 70.07991W; alt. 9 m; 10 Jun. 2013; C. Eiseman leg.; EventId: CSE564; Genitalia slide: EvN5193; RMNH.INS.25193. • 1; Nantucket Co., Nantucket, State Forest; 41.26059N, 70.07991W; alt. 9 m; 10 Jun. 2013; C. Eiseman leg.; EventId: CSE563; RMNH. • 1 ♀; Nantucket Co., UMass field station; 41.2942N, 70.0399W; 05 Nov. 2017; C.S. Eiseman leg.; Morella caroliniensis ; emerged 18 May. 2018; EventId: CSE4546; CSEC. - New York • 3; Orange Co., Cornwall, Black Rock Forest; 41.396209N, 74.025219W; 30 Aug. 2019; Charley Eiseman & Julia Blyth leg.; Comptonia peregrina ; emerged 07-30 Apr. 2020; EventId: CSE6145, CSE6169, CSE6188; CSEC.

Larvae and leafmines examined.

USA - Connecticut • 1 larva, leafmines; New London Co, Connecticut College Arboretum; 41.37929N, 72.11121W; alt. 60 m; 10 Sep. 2011; E.J. van Nieukerken leg.; Morella caroliniensis ; EventId: EvN no 2011194-2M; RMNH.INS.18566.P, RMNH.INS.43558, RMNH.INS.43559. - Massachusetts • vacated mines; Berkshire Co., Beartown State forest, Benedict Pond; 42.20288N, 73.28913W; alt. 485 m; 12 Sep. 2011; E.J. van Nieukerken leg.; Comptonia peregrina ; EventId: EvN no 2011211-H; RMNH.INS.43586. • Franklin Co., Northfield; 42.646851N, 72.4247W; 26 Oct. 2015; Charley Eiseman leg.; Comptonia peregrina ; CSEC. • Franklin Co., Erving; 42.618565N, 72.422256W; 27 Oct. 2014; Charley Eiseman & Julia Blyth leg.; Comptonia peregrina ; EventId: CSE1479; CSEC. • Nantucket Co., Nantucket, Pout Ponds; 41.277N, 70.046W; 03 Nov. 2013; Charley Eiseman & Julia Blyth leg.; Morella caroliniensis ; CSEC. • Nantucket Co., Nantucket, UMass field station; 41.295464N, 70.039325W; 05 Nov. 2017; Charley Eiseman & Julia Blyth leg.; Morella caroliniensis ; EventId: CSE4445; CSEC. - New York • vacated mines; Essex Co, S Wilmington, W branch Ausable river; 44.3662N, 73.84118W; alt. 340 m; 13 Sep. 2011; E.J. van Nieukerken leg.; Comptonia peregrina ; EventId: EvN no 2011223-3H; RMNH.INS.43610. - Vermont • 3 larvae (used for transcriptome studies), leafmines; Washington Co., North Montpelier, Chickering Bog; 44.3247N, 72.48089W; alt. 365 m; 06 Sep. 2015; E.J. van Nieukerken, C. Eiseman & J. Blyth leg.; Myrica gale ; EventId: EvN no 2015222-2M; RMNH.INS.30599, 30600, 30601, RMNH.INS.40367, RMNH.INS.40631.

BOLD data, material not examined.

CANADA - Newfoundland and Labrador • 1 ♀; Barachois Pond Provincial Park, Erin Mtn trail; 48.469N, 58.256W; alt. 240 m; 29 Jun. 2011; G.R.Pohl, D.W.Langor leg.; CCDB-23267-F01; NFC. • 1 ♂; J. T. Cheeseman Provincial Park; 47.633N, 59.255W; 27 Jun. 2011; G.R.Pohl, L.Lafosse leg.; CCDB-23267-E06; NFC. • 1 ♀; Hwy 1, 5 km N jct Rte 480; 48.561N, 58.264W; alt. 138 m; 25 Jun. 2011; G.R.Pohl, D.W.Langor leg.; CCDB-23267-F05; NFC. - Quebec • 3; Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quarry Island; 50.2135N, 63.7979W; 19-26 Jun. 2013; Park Staff leg.; EventId: GMP#01092; BIOUG12280-D02, BIOUG12281-E02, BIOUG12281-E06. • 3; same locality data as preceding; 02-09 Jul. 2013; Park Staff leg.; EventId: GMP#01096; BIOUG12352-A11, BIOUG12352-H01, BIOUG12398-F05. • 1; same locality data as preceding; 16-24 Jul. 2013; Park Staff leg.; EventId: GMP#01100; BIOUG12408-H03.

Observations.

USA - Massachusetts • Plymouth Co., Marshfield, Hoyt Hall Preserve; 42.066N, 70.678W; 29 Oct. 2016; Steven Whitebread leg.; Morella caroliniensis ; (photographs examined). - New York • Orange Co., Cornwall, Black Rock Forest; 41.39621N, 74.02522W; 30 Aug. 2019; Charley Eiseman & Julia Blyth leg.; Comptonia peregrina ; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/37506602. - North Carolina • Scotland Co., Laurinburg, St. Andrews University; 34.747N, 79.477W; 27 Sep. 2016; Tracy Feldman leg.; Morella cerifera ; https://bugguide.net/node/view/1298044/bgimage same locality as preceding; 08-09 Nov. 2016; Tracy Feldman leg.; Morella cerifera ; https://bugguide.net/node/view/1312510/bgimage, https://bugguide.net/node/view/1312770/bgimage • same locality as preceding; 16 Oct. 2017; Tracy Feldman leg.; Morella cerifera ; https://bugguide.net/node/view/1456019/bgimage.

Figures

Figures 1 - 8. Aspilanta species, mounted adult moths. 1 A. oinophylla, male, USA, VT, RMNH. INS. 24378 2 A. hydrangaeella, female, USA, NC, RMNH. INS. 25191 3 A. ampelopsifoliella, male, USA, CT, RMNH. INS. 24377 4 A argentifera, female, USA, MA, RMNH. INS. 25019 5 A. voraginella, male, USA, AZ, RMNH. INS. 23918 6 A. argentifera, female holotype 7 Undescribed species in unnamed genus 14 (" Neospila "), male, Chile, Osorno, 20 km W of Entre Lagos, 17. x. 1981, leg. Nielsen & Karsholt, genitalia slide EJvN 4632, ZMUC 8 A. viticordifoliella, female, Canada, Ottawa, from Parthenocissus, CNCLEP 00122404. Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 12 - 13. Aspilanta species, denuded wings, showing venation. 12 A. voraginella, male, RMNH. INS. 23917 13 A. argentifera, male, RMNH. INS. 23917. Scale bars: 500 μm.

Figures 29 - 33. Aspilanta species, female genitalia. 29 A. argentifera, RMNH. INS. 25019 30 A. oinophylla, RMNH. INS. 24211. 31 - 33 Tip of oviscapt: 31 A. argentifera, RMNH. INS. 25019 32 A. oinophylla, RMNH. INS. 24211 33 A. ampelopsifoliella, RMNH. INS. 15220. Scale bars: 200 μm (29, 30); 50 μm (31 - 33).

Figures 34 - 42. Aspilanta species, larval morphology, final feeding instar (4 th) and non-feeding instar (5 th, 36). 34 A. ampelopsifoliella, ventral aspect, ethanol preserved larva, RMNH. INS. 18672 P 35 A. viticordifoliella, ventral aspect, ethanol preserved larva, RMNH. INS. 18509 P 36 A. argentifera, head capsule, RMNH. INS. 18566 P 37 - 39 A. ampelopsifoliella, head and thorax, resp. focussed at mid levels (head only), dorsally and ventrally, RMNH. INS. 18672 P 40 A. oinophylla, head and thorax, RMNH. INS. 18394 P 41 A. ampelopsifoliella, last 3 abdominal segments, dorsal aspect, RMNH. INS. 18672 P 42 A. oinophylla, last 3 abdominal segments, ventral aspect, RMNH. INS. 18394 P. Scale bars: 1 mm (34, 35), 100 μm (36, 37, 41, 42), 200 μm (38 - 40).

Figures 45 - 50. Aspilanta species, live adult moths. 45 A. oinophylla, male, Italy, Suedtirol, Eisacktal, Klausen, 650 m, e. l. 1. viii. 2019, photograph Dieter Robrecht 46 A. hydrangaeella, female, dorsal view, NC, photograph EJvN 47 A. ampelopsifoliella, female, Pelham MA, photograph CSE 48 A. ampelopsifoliella, male, dorsal view, VT, photograph EJvN 49 A. argentifera, female, Stockbridge MA, photograph CSE 50 A. viticordifoliella, female, Pelham MA, photograph CSE.

Figures 88 - 96. Aspilanta argentifera, leafmines, larvae and shields. 88 NC, Laurinburg, 27. ix. 2016, Morella cerifera, CSE 89 MA, Northfield, 26. x. 2015, Comptonia peregrina, CSE 90 VT, Chickering Bog, 6. ix. 2015, Myrica gale, EvN 2015222, showing wilted leaf tip 91, 96 MA, Erving, 27. x. 2014, Comptonia peregrina, CSE 1557 92, 93 MA, Nantucket, Radar Hill, 15. xi. 2015, Morella caroliniensis, CSE 2398, same mine at different stages 94 MA, Stockbridge, 16. vii. 2017, Myrica gale CSE 4096, showing very long linear portion directly along midrib 95 MA, Nantucket, UMass field station, 5. xi. 2017, Morella caroliniensis, CSE 4546.