Nieukerken 1982 : 19
Nieukerken 1986b : 141
Klimesch 1978 : 256
Gustafsson 1981 : 463
Amsel & Hering 1931 : 137
Acalyptris Meyrick: revision of the platani and staticis groups in Europe and the Mediterranean (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae)
Van, Erik J.
Zootaxa
2007
1436
1
48
64BC9
[151,385,151,177]
Insecta
Nepticulidae
Acalyptris
Animalia
Lepidoptera
13
14
Arthropoda
species
pistaciae
sp. nov.
Niepeltianear minimella; van Nieukerken 1982: 19[ Greece] Acalyptris sp. n.; van Nieukerken 1986b: 141[listed] Misidentifications: Trifurcula (Weberina) minimella; Klimesch 1978: 256, figs. 36, 38–39 [partim, Greek records] Trifurcula (Niepeltia) minimella; Gustafsson 1981: 463[partim, Cyprusrecords, larval description]; Arenberger & Wim- mer 1996: 211 [ Cyprus]. Nepticula promissa; Amsel & Hering 1931: 137[mines, Israel, possibly this species]
Typematerial. Holotypeɗ: GREECE: Fókis, 3 kmE Dhelfoi (UTM: 34S FH3460), 700m, 27.ix.1980, leafmines, Pistacia terebinthus, e.l. 14.iv–11.v.1981, Menken & van Nieukerken, Genitalia slide EvN1269 (RMNH-INS no 21269) ( RMNH). — Paratypes: 33ɗ, 15Ψ, 5 larvae. CYPRUS: 1ɗ: Agios Theodores (27), P. lentiscus, e.l. 25.iii.1980, genitalia slide EvN1270, B. Gustafsson ( NHRS); 2ɗ, 2Ψ: Limassol, 13– 26.v.1984, R. Johansson ( RJ); 4ɗ, 3Ψ: Limassol, Yermasoya, 2–3.iv.1980, P. lentiscus, genitalia slide EvN1268, B. Gustafsson ( NHRS, RMNH); 1Ψ: Platies, 27.iii.1980, P. lentiscus, B. Gustafsson( NHRS). — GREECE: 1ɗ, Argolis, Porto Kheli, Cap d’Or (Porto Heli, Cape d’Or), 4–9.vi.1980, L. Kohonen, genitalia slide EvN2684 ( RMNH); 1ɗ, Arkadia: 10 kmS of Leonídhion, 800m, 10.vii.1991, R.T.A. Schouten ( RMNH); 1ɗ, Attika: I.[nsel] Aegina, Marathonas, 10m, 09.vi.1995, R. Sutter ( RS); 1ɗ: Parnís Oros, 8 kmN Dhekélia, 700m, 29.ix.1980, leafmines, P. terebinthus, e.l. 22.iv.1981, genitalia slide EvN0487, Menken & van Nieukerken; 1 larva on slide, Evvoia: 2 kmSE Gouvés, 200m, 14.ix.1980, Menken & van Nieukerken; 4ɗ, 3Ψ: Fokis: same data as holotype, genitalia and wing slides EvN0959 & 1266; 3 larvaeon slides, same data as holotype, slide numbers RMNH12395–12397 ( RMNH); 1ɗ, Lakonia: 5 kmS Monemvasia, 1.viii.1978, G. Christensen; 1Ψ: 5 kmS Monemvasia, 30m, 1–8.vii.1982, B. Skule & S. Langemark ( ZMUC). — GREECE, CRETE: 2ɗ, Iráklion: 2 kmS Khersonisos, road to Kastelion, 200 m, 14.vi.1998, H. W. van der Wolf ( RMNH); 6ɗ, 1Ψ, Lasíthi: Makrygialos, 12, 13, 14, 21.vi.1988, R. Johansson, genitalia slide RJ1733; 2ɗ, 2Ψ: Makrygialos, 22, 24, 30, 31.v.1993, R. Johansson ( RJ, RMNH); 2ɗ, Rethímnon: Agia Galini, 20m, 19–20.v.1994, R. Sutter ( RS). — GREECE, KOS: 4ɗ, Kos, Asfendiou, 6, 12.x.1988, R. Johansson, genitalia slide RJ1732 ( RMNH, RJ). — GREECE, R Ỏ DHOS: 1Ψ, Ródhos: Jalyssos, 5 kmSW Rhódos, 10.viii.1982( ZMUC); 1ɗ, 1Ψ: Rodini, 22.ix.1972, P. lentiscus, e.l. 27.x–7.xi.1972, J. Klimesch, Genitalia slides KL1311, 1312 ( ZSM). — TURKEY: 1 larva on slide, Antalya: Selimiye (ancient Side), near beach, 4.iii.2005, P. lentiscus, E.J. van Nieukerken, slide number RMNH11892 ( RMNH). Other material.Leafmines on Pistacia lentiscus: CYPRUS: Limassol, 10–25.v.1984, R. Johansson; Limassol, Yermasoyia, 2–3.iv.1980, B. Gustafsson; Plates, 27.iii.1980, B. Gustafsson. GREECE: Evvoia, Néa Artáki, 100m, 11.ix.1980. TURKEY: Antalya: Phaselis ruins, 3kmNE Tekirova, 4.iii.2005; Antalya: Selimiye (ancient Side), near beach, 4.iii.2005. — Leafmines on P. terebinthus: GREECE: Argolis: 1.5 km NE Toló: ancient Asine, rocky headland, 50m, 7.ii.1990; Attika: Athínai: ancient Agora, 30.ix.1980; Parnís Oros, 8 kmN Dhekélia, 700m, 10+ 29.ix.1980; Evvoia: 2 kmSE Gouvés, 200m, 14.ix.1980; Fókis: 3 kmE Dhelfoi, 700m, 27.ix.1980; Kerkyra: Pandokraton, 24.x.1987, J.H. Donner; Khios: Anavatos, 3.viii.1999, C. van den Berg; Vrondadhes, Daskalopetra, 7.viii.1999, C. van den Berg; Lakonia: Mistrás, 400m, 21.vi.984. (collected by E. J. van Nieukerken and coworkers, unless noted differently, all (at least partly) in RMNH). Additional records. GREECE: 14ɗ, 8Ψ, Lakonia, Apidia, 15.vi.1997; 7ɗ, 5Ψ, Messinia, Pirgos, 13.vi.1998; 8ɗ, 7Ψ, Préveza, Thesprotiko, 11.vi.1997, A. & Z. Laštůvka ( AL).
Diagnosis. A. pistaciaeis very similar to A. minimella, male differs by the absence of a central yellow spot on the forewing underside and absence of costal bristles; also the hairpencil is more distinct in pistaciae. Malegenitalia characterized by medial toothed lobe of valva in contrast to the basal lobe in minimella, and by the U-shaped ventral process; the female genitalia are distinguished by the elaborate vaginal sclerotisation with three processes and the 2½ convolutions in the ductus spermathecae ( 3 in minimella).
Description. Male( Fig. 4). Forewing length 1.8–2.4 mm, wingspan 4.0–5.3 mm. Frontal tuft ochreous white to yellowish white, occasionally with few fuscous scales. Scape white, antenna with 27–33 segments. Thorax and forewing ochreous, irrorate with few light brown scales, cilia white, cilia line indistinct; underside without yellow spot; basalmost dorsal cilia forming long hairpencil. Hindwing grey, costal bristles absent; distinct, yellowish brown hairpencil arising near frenulum ( Figs. 96, 97); mixing with forewing hairpencil; underside yellow basally. Abdomen yellow with darker middorsal line; anal tufts grey. Female. Forewing length 1.6–2.2 mm, wingspan 3.7–4.9 mm. Antenna with 20–30 segments. Hairpencils absent. Abdomen dorsally brown, abdominal tip broadly rounded. Malegenitalia ( Figs. 25–27, 64, 74, 75). Measurements: see Table 3. Vinculum anteriorly concave, ventral plate not large. Tegumen small, triangular; uncus band-shaped, with indistinct central process, in lateral view split distally; gnathos with long narrow central element. Valva narrow, with medial inner lobe, with variably toothed margin and a smaller lobe dorsally, hidden by ventral lobe. Transtilla without transverse bar, sublateral process distinct. Aedeagus with bifurcate ventral carina or with 4–5 lobes, ventrally tightly fused to Ushaped ventral process; a pair of curved dorsal carinae present; vesica with large curved cornutus and basal sclerotisation associated with cathrema; many smaller cornuti. Female genitalia ( Fig. 47). T8 narrow, with produced lateral corners, two small groups of scales and some setae. Anal papillae conspicuous, with 15–20 setae; apophyses straight, of approximately same length. Total length of bursa ca. 530–760 μm. Vestibulum with elaborate sclerotisations, more or less forming ring and three apophyses, partly serrate. Ductus bursae with many pectinations; corpus bursae without pectinations; with reticulate signa, shortest ca. 285–325 μm, longest 310–420 μm long, margin crenate and narrow, 2–3 cells wide. Ductus spermathecae with 2½ convolutions. Final instar larva ( Fig. 86). Head capsule ca. 315–380 μm wide. Mandibular cusps blunt. A9 with 3 pairs of setae. Integument covered with extremely short microtrichia (ca 1μm long) on all segments. No obvious differences with A. minimella.
Biology.Host plants: Pistacia terebinthusand P. lentiscus(Anacardiaceae), frequently found on both hosts. Egg on leaf upperside, usually close to a vein. Leafmine ( Figs. 104, 108–110) on P. lentiscusindistinguishable from that of minimella,starting as an extremely narrow gallery filled with frass; the thin part is more than half the total length of the mine; later, mine widening gradually and becoming more contorted, less often in a zigzag course than minimella, with blackish or brownish frass coiled or in loose pellets filling about two thirds of mine width; exit hole on leaf upperside. Mines in the thinner leaves of P. terebinthusa narrow gallery throughout, gradually widening, frass leaving clear margins, occasionally frass line becoming wider. The mine on both hosts may be confused with that of Simplimorpha promissa; see under A. minimella.
Distribution( Fig. 124). Eastern Mediterranean region: Widespread in Greece, including its islands, and in Cyprusand Turkey. To be expected in Syriaand Lebanon. Mines collected in Israelby Amsel & Hering (1931)and identified as Simplimorpha promissa(Staudinger)are tentatively regarded to be this species, although no adults were seen. The distribution of A. pistaciaeis apparently completely vicariant with that of A. minimella, the contact zone (if any) may be found between Montenegroand northern Greece.
Etymology. A noun in genitive case, named after the host genus Pistacia.
Remarks.When treating the Pistacia-feeding A. minimella(Rebel), Klimesch (1978)recognized two forms, but considered this as intraspecific variation. It has now become clear that they are two different allopatric species, as was assumed before ( Scoble 1980; van Nieukerken 1986b). In Irannepticulid mines have been commonly found on Pistacia khinjukand the cultivated Pistachio nut P. vera(Reza Mehrnejad, pers. comm.), and a cocoon with a dried pupa has been examined by me. The material was insufficient for further identification, but it almost certainly represents an Acalyptrisspecies; also photographs of leafmines studied by me resemble those of A. pistaciae. It is thus possible that A. pistaciaeoccurs in Iranas well, or another species. The previous records for Simplimorpha promissafrom Iran( Davatchi 1958, Mehrnejad 2001) also are likely to belong to this Acalyptris.