Coelopoeta phaceliae Kaila, L. Kaila 1995
Creators: name: Kaila, Lauri
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Pterolonchidae
Coelopoeta
Coelopoeta phaceliae

description: Coelopoeta phaceliae Kaila, 1995
Figs. 3, 13 – 18, 31, 41
Coelopoeta phaceliae Kaila, 1995: 176
Material examined: Holotype ♂: U.S. A, California: Modoc Co., Fandango Pass, 6100’, 12. – 13.vi.l970, J. Powell 70F95, emerged 7.vii.1970, reared from Phacelia hastata, R.E. Dietz & P.A. Opler; “ Holotype Coelopoeta phaceliae Kaila ” [red]. Genitalia preserved in glycerol vial on the pin (EME). Paratypes (23 ex): Modoc Co., Fandango Pass, 6100’, larva 12. – 13.vi.1970, 1 ♂ J. Powell 70F95, emerged 30.vi.l970, reared from Phacelia hastata; same collecting data, 2 ♂ R.E. Dietz & P.A. Opler leg. (EME); San Mateo Co., San Bruno Mts., J. Powell 62D3, emerged 7.v.1962, reared from Phacelia californica 2 ♂ J.A. Powell leg. (EME, USNM); same site, J.A. De Benedictis 81137-A, 2 ♂ 2 ♀ emerged 10.vi.l981, reared from Phacelia californica, J.A. De Benedictis leg. (1 ♂ 2 ♀ in EME, 1 ♂ in MZH) (♂ genitalia figured by L. Kaila 1995); Siskiyou Co., Ash Creek Rgr. Sta., 9 mi E McCloud, 3500’, 7. – 9.vi.1974, J. Powell 74F17, 2 ♀ emerged 5.vii.1974, reared from Phacelia mutabilis, J.A. Powell leg. (EME, MZH); Plumas Co., Humbug Cr., 5100’, 3 mi NW Portola, 7.vii.1982, J. Powell 82G7, 1 ♂ 1 ♀ emerged 23.vii.1982, reared from Phacelia hastata x mutabilis, J.A. Powell leg. (MZH, EME); Plumas Co., 1 mi S Meadow Valley, 22.v.1982, J. Powell 82G2, 82G3, 82E98, 3 ♂ 8 ♀ reared from Phacelia procera, J.A. Powell leg. (2 ♂ 8 ♀ in EME, 1 ♂ in MZH).
Other material. Nevada Co., Sagehen Creek, 1920 m, 11. – 15.vii.1984 1 ♂ J.A. De Benedictis leg.; male genitalia preserved in glycerol vial on the pin (BME). Shasta Co., Bear Creek, 27. – 28.vii.1871 Wlsm; 90498; 1610 WLSM 1907; Type no. 10350; Coelopoeta glutinosi WLSM ♂ paratype 48/71; glutinosi Wlsm. ♂ genitalia on slide AB Jun 16 1907; Genitalia slide by AB ♂ USNM 10.735; USNMENT 01200016; Coelopoeta phaceliae Kaila, L. Kaila det. 2023 (USNM); Solano Co., G.L. Stebbins Cold Cyn. Reserve, 29.iv.1989 2 ♂ 1 ♀, 21.v.1989 1 ♀, 26.vi.1996 2 ♂ 1 ♀; ♂ L. Kaila prep. 6363; ♀: DNA voucher FinBOL 2019; http://id.luomus.fi/KZ.7708), 15.vi.1996 1 ♀, 5.vi.2006 1 ♀, 31.v.2012 1 ♀ (BME, MZH).
Diagnosis. Coelopoeta phaceliae is a medium-sized species with forewing length 4.5–5 mm. The forewing colouration varies from nearly white with only a slight hue of ochre as a blotch in the middle of the wing, as well as in the distal third of the forewing, to ochreous and variably covered with broadly pale brown scales, giving a more or less evenly pale-brown appearance, without peppering by narrowly darker-tipped scales typical of C. glutinosi whose forewing ground colour is usually nearly white; in the distal 2/3 of dorsal margin there is a variably and indistinctly delineated white to yellow spot or area. C. aurora is more broad-winged, with the tornal spot brighter white, rounded.
The valva is parallel-sided, bent inward in the distal half, almost half as wide as long; the distal margin is almost straight in lateral view, the termen lacks the prominent distal swelling unlike C. sariae and C. fulminea; the length of the saccus is usually less than its width, though there is some variation; the phallus is as long as the valva, with a fine carina along its distal opening. Coelopoeta sariae and C. fulminea are similar in forewing colouration; C. sariae is smaller, and C. fulminea larger and more narrow-winged. C. aurora is similar to C. phaceliae, but more broad-winged, and the tornal spot is brighter white, rounded. In the male genitalia C. fulminea differs from other species by the shorter uncus, in the female genitalia as having two signa unlike other species with known female; however, in C. aprica there is a very faint trace of a similar second signum. The phallus of C. aurora is basally bent, and the termen of its valva with only a weak fold, unlike in C. phaceliae. The female genitalia are characterized by the non-bulbous antrum and the coarse setae on the posterior margin of sternum 8.
Redescription.
Forewing length 4.5–5 mm. Length of labial palpus 1/3 to 1/2 of diameter of head, slightly upcurved; labial palpus, head, neck tuft, tegula and thorax varying from white to ochreous or pale brown, scape of antenna white or grey, with pecten consisting of white or ochreous coloured scales. Fore-and midleg varying from off-white to grey, with white spot in tibia, tarsal articles basally white; hindleg pale ochreous, slightly darker above.
Forewing ground colour from nearly white with only a slight hue of ochre in the distal part, to consisting of ochreous scales, variably overlaid by broadly pale brown scales, giving a more or less pale-brown appearance; in darker specimens indistinctly delineated white or yellow area in distal 3/5 of dorsal margin; fringe concolorous with ground colour. Hindwing grey with concolorous fringe. Underside of forewing grey, distally sometimes irregularly white, fringe varying from off-white to ochreous; hindwing grey, fringe varying from grey to ochreous grey.
Male genitalia. Uncus undivided, hook-shaped, evenly tapered and curved, slightly shorter than tegumen, apical fourth somewhat bent ventrad. Gnathos as long as uncus, distally tapered. Tegumen in lateral view not as high as width of valva. Valva nearly parallel-sided, weakly concave distally and almost half as wide as long in lateral view, in ventral view inwardly bent in its distal half, termen slightly swollen distolaterally. Juxta broadest at distal third, distally slightly concave, evenly tapered toward the convex anterior margin. Saccus slightly bent dorsad, about 2 x as long as its width in its narrowest point in middle, apex broadly rounded. Phallus as long as valva, basal opening dorsally directed, with fine carina along distal opening.
Female genitalia. Apophyses stout, apophysis anterioris as long as apophysis posterioris; as long as papilla analis + sternum 8. Plate dorsad of ostium bursae triangular; ostium bursae about 1/4 as wide as sternum 8, ventral margin weakly concave, antrum funnel-shaped, laterally distinctly sclerotized, between antrum and colliculum a narrow membranous zone; colliculum elongate and sclerotized, granulose, length 1.5 x that of antrum, ductus bursae otherwise almost nonexistent, joining corpus bursae without distinct border. Ductus seminalis incepted at posterior margin of corpus bursae. Corpus bursae membranous, without internal spines, with one distinct and another very faint small, round and dentate signa.
Biology. C. phaceliae is a gall-inducer on the leaves of Phacelia spp. (Boraginaceae). According to Powell & Opler (2009) the larvae cause the leaves to curl, concealing the mines, which are found from April to May on the coast, late May to early July in the mountains. There are rearing records from P. californica, P. hastata, P. mutabilis and P. procera. Reported altitudes range from 2500 to 6100 ft. a.s.l.; C. phaceliae is a more northern species than C. glutinosi, apparently preferring higher altitudes. Their distribution areas, however, overlap and these two species have been found sympatrically in at least Solano County.
Distribution. Mid to northern California, from coast (for instance San Bruno Mountain in San Francisco Bay area) to northeastern California.
Variation. The forewing ground colour varies more than indicated by Kaila (1995); in females it can be nearly white with only a slight hue of ochre in the distal part. The size of the saccus is more variable in C. phaceliae than suggested as a diagnostic character by Kaila (1995), and its size sometimes overlaps that of some specimens of C. glutinosi.
Remarks. The material examined for this study includes also the specimens examined by the present author in his 1995 publication, without re-examination of some of them for the present publication.
description: Published as part of Kaila, Lauri, 2024, A review of Coelopoetinae (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Pterolonchidae), a moth subfamily confined to western North America, with descriptions of seven new species, pp. 361-384 in Zootaxa 5458 (3) on pages 371-373, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5458.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/11547498