Aspilanta viticordifoliella (Clemens, 1860), comb n.

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 viticordifoliella (Clemens, 1860), comb n. Figs 8 , 35 , 50 , 97-106

Antispila viticordifoliella Clemens, 1860: 209. Syntype mines, larva [USA: Pennsylvania, Easton], larvae on "wild grapes" [ Vitis vulpina ], August-September, Brackenridge Clemens (ANSP if extant).

Antispila viticordifoliella ; Chambers 1874a: 168; Frey and Boll 1878: 253; Chambers 1880: 65; Edwards 1889: 125; Dyar et al. 1903: 539; Barnes and McDunnough 1917: 181; Forbes 1923: 226; Needham et al. 1928: 20, 153, 290; McDunnough 1939: 91; Davis 1983b: 4; Brower 1984: 29; McGiffen and Neunzig 1985: 55; van Nieukerken and Pohl 2018: 41; Eiseman 2019: 189, 190, 729, 733.

Antispila cf. viticordifoliella van Nieukerken et al. 2012: 58; Eiseman 2019: 729.

Differential diagnosis.

Wingspan ca. 5.5 mm, forewing length 2.2-2.5 mm. Externally different from all other Aspilanta species by the absence of the apical spot in the forewings. Differs from most Antispila species, which have a similar wing pattern, by the antennae with distinct white tips, the complete absence of androconial scales in the males and the smaller size. Genitalia not yet examined. Leafmines differ from other Aspilanta on Vitaceae by the absence of a linear portion and by the larva that is yellow-green (vs. whitish/colourless in A. ampelopsifoliella and oinophylla ); from Antispila species by the black dispersed frass rather than brown and the markedly smaller cut-out. The record of an Antispila sp. from similar mines (see Remarks) complicates this, though.

Host plants.

Vitaceae : Parthenocissus quinquefolia , P. vitacea , Vitis vulpina .

Leafmines.

(Figs 97-106 ) Egg in the majority of examined mines in leaf margin, occasionally anywhere in the leaf, usually not associated with veins. The mine starts almost immediately as a blotch, occasionally with a minute linear portion along leaf margin; blotch rather compact, often along leaf margin or slightly extending towards middle, in narrow leaflets until midrib. Frass black, a thick clump near origin, more dispersed in centre of mine. The larva cuts out an elliptic case ca. 3.5-4 mm long.

Larva.

Yellow-green except for green gut contents, in contrast with colourless or whitish larva of A. ampelopsifoliella on the same host plant (compare Figs 69 , 70 with 97-100); head and prothorax dark brown.

Life history.

Larvae found from August to September through most of the range, but in Florida in April. Field caught adults found in July; larvae collected in fall resulted in emerging adults in April-May, the adult from the April larva emerged in May.

Distribution.

Canada: Ontario, Québec *; USA: Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky,? Maine, Massachusetts*, New York, Pennsylvania,? Texas, Vermont. The previous record from Vermont by Grehan et al. (1995) was incorrect, as the cited material in the collection of D.L. Wagner belongs to an Antispila species. Records from Maine ( Brower 1984) and Texas ( Frey and Boll 1878) are uncertain; the last authors give a description but did not mention the white-tipped antenna.

Barcode.

BIN: BOLD:ABA2832 (CT, FL), average distance 0.32%, max. distance 0.8% (n = 5), distance to NN 3.53% (next BIN), BIN: BOLD:AAZ5646 (NY, VT), average distance 0.25%, max. distance 0.46% (n = 4), distance to NN 2.89% (BOLD:ACA6487). The single specimen in a Malaise trap with that BIN: BOLD:ACA6487, most likely also belongs to A. viticordifoliella , to be confirmed by morphological examination.

Remarks.

Antispila viticordifoliella was described on the basis of larvae and leafmines on Vitis vulpina (as V. cordifolia ), with insufficient detail to recognise the species. The first adults were described by Chambers (1874a), again as new species. He clearly described a moth, reared from the same host, without an apical spot and antennae "with about six terminal joints silvery white". His description has later served as basis for the identity of this species, and one of the specimens in MCZ from his collection, incorrectly termed “types” might probably be the best to serve as Neotype, after a male has been dissected and DNA been extracted. Unfortunately the specimens are rather worn, and antennae are missing. The name has also several times been incorrectly used for one of the true Antispila species on Vitis , A. isabella Clemens, 1860 or a related species (see van Nieukerken et al. 2012).

Earlier we excluded the specimens reared from Parthenocissus from this species (van Nieukerken et al. 2012), but we are now more convinced that they are conspecific. Since then it has become clear that Vitaceae -feeding Heliozelidae frequently use more than one plant genus as host (eg van Nieukerken and Geertsema 2015), as we also observe in A. oinophylla . Still we urge that a species level revision using more material should be carried out.

From very similar mines in Parthenocissus collected in North Carolina, CSE and Tracy Feldman have reared an unidentified species of Antispila ; we have thus omitted possible records of Aspilanta viticordifoliella from Iowa, Kansas and Ohio that are based only on photographed mines. In photographs of the North Carolina mines taken in the field, the larvae appear to be paler than those of A. viticordifoliella , but this requires confirmation; the Antispila mines are otherwise only recognisable when the typical keeled case is formed. The reared adults in fact also resemble A. viticordifoliella because of the white-tipped antennae; only checking wing venation and/or the genitalia will separate the two.

Material: Adults examined.

CANADA - Ontario • 1 ♀; Ottawa; 45.41N, 75.69W; G.G. Lewis leg.; emerged 02 Apr. 1971; EventId: 70-48; Genitalia slide: MIC1876; CNCLEP00100475.

USA - Massachusetts • 1 ♀; Hampshire Co., Pelham, 88 Arnold Rd.; 42.3629N, 72.4598W; 30 Aug. 2013; C.S. Eiseman leg.; Parthenocissus quinquefolia ; emerged 13 May. 2014; EventId: CSE1109; CSEC.

Larvae and leafmines examined.

CANADA - Québec • 1 vacated mine; Gatineau, Aylmer E, near Ottawa river; 45.39023N, 75.79139W; alt. 56 m; 23 Aug. 2015; E.J. van Nieukerken leg.; Parthenocissus vitacea ; EventId: EvN no 2015160-1H; RMNH.INS.40247.

USA - Massachusetts • Hampshire, Northampton Co., Northampton Bikeway west of King St.; 42.329151N, 72.637529W; 13 Sep. 2013; Charley Eiseman leg.; Parthenocissus quinquefolia ; CSEC. - Vermont • Chittenden Co., Williston, Mud Pond; 44.413625N, 73.075697W; 28 Aug. 2016; Charley Eiseman leg.; Parthenocissus quinquefolia ; CSEC.

BOLD data, material not examined.

CANADA - Ontario • 1; Point Pelee National Park, Cactus Field; 41.939N, 82.516W; alt. 168 m; 27 Jun.-04 Jul. 2012; Tyler Peters leg.; EventId: GMP#00175; BIOUG03514-A11. • 1; Wellington County, Puslinch Township, Concession 11/Hume Rd; 43.537N, 80.134W; alt. 320 m; 18-25 Jul. 2010; Paul Hebert leg.; EventId: L#PHPUS-017; BIOUG01146-B07.

USA - Tennessee • 1 ♀; Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Twin Creeks Science and Education Center; 35.6859N, 83.4986W; alt. 559 m; 10-17 Jul. 2012; Becky Nichols leg.; EventId: GMP#00037; BIOUG02919-H02.

Observations.

CANADA - Ontario • Renfrew, Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards; 45.60491N, 77.59134W; 05 Sep. 2019; Jason J. Dombroskie leg.; Parthenocissus ; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/32173691. • Renfrew, Wilno; 45.60508N, 77.59131W; 05 Sep. 2019; Jason J. Dombroskie leg.; Parthenocissus ; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/32173324.

USA - Massachusetts • Berkshire Co., Great Barrington; 42.197001N, 73.335001W; 16 Sep. 2017; Charley Eiseman & Julia Blyth leg.; Parthenocissus quinquefolia ; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44823345.

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 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 97 - 106. Aspilanta viticordifoliella, leafmines, larvae and shields on Parthenocissus quinquefolia and P. vitacea (104). 97, 99, 100, 105, 106 MA, Northampton, 13. ix. 2013, CSE, 105 shows the left mine of 100, 106 showing flat shield to distinguish it from Antispila species 98 VT, Williston, 28. viii. 2016, CSE 101 MA, Great Barrington, 16. ix. 2017, CSE 102, 103 VT, Button Bay SP, 16. ix. 2011, EvN 2011254 - 2 104 QC, Aylmer, 23. viii. 2015, EvN 2015160.

Figures 69 - 79. Aspilanta ampelopsifoliella, leafmines, larvae and shields, on Parthenocissus quinquefolia. 69, 74 VT, Williston, 28. viii. 2016, CSE 3764 (same mine) 70, 76 - 78 MA, Pelham, 30. viii, 4. ix. 2013, CSE 1102, 1108 71 MA, Nantucket, Squam Swamp, 7. ix. 2011, CSE-C 4 72 MA, Northfield, 16. ix. 2016, CSE 73 MA, Nantucket, Stump Pond, 5. ix. 2019, CSE 75 VT, Button Bay SP, 16. ix. 2011, EvN 2011254 79 MA, Bridgewater, 16. viii. 2013, CSE 983.