Nota lepid. 35 (2): 135 – 159 135 Bucculatrix ainsliella Murtfeldt, a new North American invader already widespread on northern red oaks (Quercus rubra) in Western Europe (Bucculatricidae) ERIK J. VAN NIEUKERKEN 1, CAMIEL DOORENWEERD 1, WILLEM N. ELLIS 1, K.J. (HANS) HUISMAN 2, J.C. (SJAAK) KOSTER 1, WOLFRAM MEY 3, TYMO S.T. MUUS 4 & ARNOLD SCHREURS 5 1 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, NL-2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands;
[email protected] (corresponding author) 2 Patrijzenlaan 4, NL-8091 BK Wezep, Netherlands 3 Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Invalidenstr. 4, DE-10115 Berlin, Germany 4 Hogewal 137, NL-8331 WP Steenwijk, Netherlands 5 Conventuelenstraat 3, NL-6467 AT Kerkrade, Netherlands Received 28 June 2012; reviews returned 22 July 2012; accepted 9 August 2012. Subject Editor: Jadranka Rota. Abstract. Bucculatrix ainsliella Murtfeldt, 1905 is for the first time reported from Europe: the Netherlands, Belgium, and adjacent Germany. DNA barcodes confirm its identity. It is the first North American lepidop- teran species feeding on northern red oak Quercus rubra ever found in Europe, and only the second North American oak-feeding insect found in Europe. The species has regularly been found in the Netherlands and northern Belgium since 2006, and in 2011 also in Nordrhein-Westfalen in Germany, adjacent to the Dutch border, but the earliest records are from the Netherlands, Amersfoort in 1989 and 1990. Early stages, leafmines, and the adult are described, illustrated, and diagnosed against oak-feeding Bucculatrix ulmella Zeller, 1848 and other similar species. The biology and distribution are discussed. This species can be abundant in Europe, but significant damage has not been observed.