A new species of the Phyllonorycter nipponicella complex (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), with a note about the evolutionary history of the complex

Abstract

We describe a new leafminer, Phyllonorycter quintinipponicella Sato sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae: Lithocolletinae), of an evergreen oak, Quercus phillyreoides A. Gray (Fagaceae), from Japan. This species is tetravoltine, overwintering as larvae in mines without diapause. It belongs to the P. nipponicella complex associated with oaks. As a result, this complex consists of five species (the others are P. acutissimae (Kumata), P. nipponicella (Issiki), P. similis Kumata, and P. persimilis Fujihara, Sato & Kumata), which are almost indistinguishable from each other in appearance. Nevertheless, the new species can be sharply distinguished from the others by the pupal cremaster as well as male genitalia, but not by the female genitalia. In addition, P. quintinipponicella larvae, unlike those of the other species, do not form the frass into a pile but leave it loose in the mine. Molecular analysis based on sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I showed that the new species is genetically distinct from the others. Their host-plant ranges indicated that evolutionary divergence in the complex should be linked to that of host oaks. Further genetic and ecological studies are needed to clarify the evolutionary history of the P. nipponicella complex in combination with oak divergence.

Keywords

• leafminer
• life history
• Phyllonorycter quintinipponicella
• pupal cremaster
• Quercus phillyreoides