Comprehensive Description
provided by Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology
Phyllonorycter erugatus
ADULT (Figures 35, 36).—Length of forewing: 3.7–4.8 mm. Small moths with slender, golden brown forewings usually with a large basal-dorsal white spot, 4 or 5 slender white costal strigulae, and 3 or 4 relatively broad, white dorsal strigulae. Male genitalia with symmetrical valvae and smooth apical processes. Antrum of female genitalia 0.36–0.5 mm in length. Larva on Populus.
Head: Vertex rough, with an almost equal mixture of brown and white piliform scales but mostly brown between antennal bases; frons smooth, lustrous white. Antenna with segments darker at their apex dorsally and usually entirely white ventrally. Labial palpus varying from entirely white to brownish ventrally.
Thorax: Dorsum whitish, heavily irrorated with brown. Venter white. Forewing light golden brown, almost equally marked with white as follow: a large basal white spot on dorsal margin, sometimes heavily suffused with brown; 4 or 5 narrow, white costal strigulae with basal-most slanted toward apex; 3 or 4 broader, white dorsal stigulae; strigulae usually margined basally with dark brown, sometimes with obscure or irregular margins; a usually distinct dark spot present at apex of cell and at subapex of wing; fringe pale gray. Hindwing uniformly gray. Legs uniformly white ventrally, mostly dark grayish brown dorsally, becoming progressively paler on mid- and hindlegs, with white banding dorsally on tibia and at apices of tarsal segments.
Abdomen: Grayish brown dorsally, white to cream ventrally; conspicuous sex-scaling absent. Seventh sternum of female relatively smooth (Figures 448, 449). Eighth sternum of male (Figure 255) elongate, triangular, tapering to a broadly rounded to slightly bilobed apex.
Male Genitalia (Figures 254, 256, 313–328): Vinculum approximately V-shaped, tapering to rounded apex. Transtilla moderately robust, quadrate. Valvae symmetrical, variable in form, usually moderately long, broadest near apex then abruptly tapering to slender, smooth apical process (Figures 316, 320, 324, 328); subapical brush consisting of a tight bundle of ~12–55 setae arising halfway up lobe bearing apical process. Anellus membranous. Aedoeagus slender, elongate, 2.1–2.7× the length of eighth sternum, with a short, subapical lobe (Figures 256, 353–356).
Female Genitalia (Figures 435, 436): Antrum tubular, sclerotized, greatly elongated, ~1.5–2× the length of posterior apophyses, ranging 0.36–0.5 mm in length. Accessory bursa ~1.5× the diameter of corpus bursae; ductus 0.5× the length of ductus bursae, both arising from anterior end of antrum. Signum a circular plate near caudal end of corpus with a pair of widely spaced minute spines and a slightly larger, less sclerotized, oval plate near opposite end.
LARVA.—Not examined.
LARVAL MINE (Figure 24).—As illustrated.
PUPA (Figures 204–214).—Maximum length 4.3 mm, width 0.9 mm. Vertex with relatively broad, triangular, dorsally flattened cocoon cutter with minutely serrated lateral ridges (Figures 204–206). Forewing extending to caudal margin of A6. Hindleg to middle of A8. Dorsum of A2–A8 densely covered with evenly scattered, short spines, with those of anterior fourth slightly enlarged (Figure 208); intersegmental surfaces reticulated as in Figure 209. Accessory cremaster of A7 with 1–3 pairs of lateral spines (Figure 210). Terminal cremaster consisting of 2 pairs of broad-based hooks, with one pair more laterad (Figures 212–214). A9 with sternum abruptly constricted to flattened A10 (Figure 211).
HOLOTYPE.—Canada: British Columbia, Golden, 784 m, ; e. 27 Aug–1 Sep 1982 [e.=emerged], G. Deschka, mine in Populus balsamifera, zucht nr. 1685, 17 Jul 1982 (USNM).
PARATYPES.—CANADA: BRITISH COLUMBIA: Same data as holotype: 3, 2, slide GD 1771. Hoodoos, 1500 m, Yoho National Park: 28, 30, 18 Aug 1982, e. 29 Aug–2 Sep 1982, G. Deschka, mine in Populus balsamifera, zucht nr. 1687, slides GD 1764, USNM 30870. Thornhill, 250 m: 14, 12, 17 Jul 1979, e. 25 Jul–2 Aug 1979, G. Deschka, mine in Populus balsamifera, zucht nr. 1441, slide GD 1519. UNITED STATES: ALASKA: Glacier Highway, 300 m, 20 km N of Haynes [Haines]: 18, 14, 23 Jul 1979, e. 2–11 Aug 1979, G. Deschka, mine in Populus balsamifera, zucht nr. 1443, slides GD 1522, USNM 30786, 30819, 31068. CALIFORNIA: Alameda Co., Alameda: 3, 5, no. 26 [larva probably on Populus dilata], USNM slides 17953, 28413, 30811, 31067. Santa Clara Co., specific locality unknown: 2, Aug, larva on Populus dilata, no. 26. COLORADO: Holzwarth Homestead, 2800 m, Rocky Mountain National Park: 11, 13, 3 Aug 1978, e. 5–14 Aug 1978, G. Deschka, mine in Populus balsamifera, zucht nr. 1350, slides GD 1552, USNM 30871, 31073. OREGON: Clackamas Co., 1 Mi [1.6 km] S of Wilsonville: 7, 11, 20 Sep 1980, e. 25 Sep–7 Oct 1980, D. Wagner, ex Populus sp., JAP 80 I 51, slides GD 1975, USNM 30383, 30384, 30450, 31085. Paratypes deposited in BMNH, DLW, GD, and USNM.
HOSTS (Table 1).—Populus balsamifera L., Populus sp.
PARASITOIDS (Table 2).—Eulophidae: Sympiesis conica (Provancher) and S. marylandensis Girault.
FLIGHT PERIOD.—Late July to early October; possibly bivoltine in southern part of the range.
DISTRIBUTION (Map 5).—Known from widely scattered localities from Santa Clara County near sea level in midcoastal California north to southern Alaska and west to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to elevations of 2800 m.
ETYMOLOGY.—The specific name is derived from the Greek erugo (smooth, clear of wrinkles), in reference to the smooth, apical process of the male valvae.
- bibliographic citation
- Davis, Donald R. 2001. "Biology and Systematics of the North Phyllonorycter Leafminers on Salicaceae, with a Synoptical Catalogue of the Palearctic Species Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)." Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 1-89. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.614
