T. RUTTEN1 & O. KARSHOLT2

1 EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany

2Zoologisk Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark

BRYOTROPHA MUNDELLA (DOUGLAS): A NEW SYNONYM OF UMBROSELLA (ZELLER) (, )

Rutten, T. & O. Karsholt, 1998. Bryotropha mundella (Douglas): a new synonym of (Zeller) (Lepidoptera Gelechiidae). – Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 141: 109-114, figs. 1-13.[ 0040-7496]. Published 30 November 1998. The status of Bryotropha mundella (Douglas) is discussed. Its genitalia are found to be identical to those of B. umbrosella (Zeller). As to the forewings of these two taxa, numerous intermedi- ates exist spanning the whole range between the whitish nominate form of B. mundella and the blackish nominate form of B. umbrosella. Geographically, B. mundella co-distributes with B. umbrosella. The two are found in the same period of the year and are active during the same time of the day. We therefore conclude that B. mundella is a light form of B. umbrosella. Lectotypes of Gelechia umbrosella Zeller, 1839, and of its synonyms G. mundella Douglas, 1850 (syn. n.), G. portlandicella Richardson, 1890 and G. anacampsoidella Hering, 1924 are desig- nated. [B. umbrosella is recorded from Spain for the first time]. Correspondence: T. Rutten, , Meyerhofstrasse 1, D-69012 Heidelberg, Germany. E-mail [email protected] Key words. – Lepidoptera; Gelechiidae; new synonym.

The holarctic Bryotropha Heinemann, 1870 coloured B. mundella (Douglas) also belongs to this consists of almost 80 nominal , about 40 of group and this is the subject of the present paper. which are currently recognised as valid. The genus According to the original description by Douglas has never been revised, and especially in the south- (1850), the distinct feature of B. mundella is its light western part of the palaearctic region there are a num- greyish ground colour which distinguish this moth ber of undescribed species. Even among specialists, from other members of the genus. Over the years, Bryotropha is regarded as one of the more difficult however, the name B. mundella has been given to a genera of Microlepidoptera. whole range of small Bryotropha with ground colour Pierce and Daltry (1938) divided the genus into two varying from nearly white to dark grey. Doubts were subgenera, Bryotropha s. str. and Mniophaga Pierce & raised whether all these forms are representatives of B. Daltry, 1938. In the subgenus Bryotropha the male mundella (see e.g. Pierce & Daltry 1938). genitalia have a strong, specialised gnathos while the fe- Unfortunately, individual variations within Bry- male genitalia have a plate-like signum with two trans- otropha species are poorly investigated and the geni- verse ridges (Sattler 1971). The subgenus Mniophaga talia of B. mundella have never been properly described. was reserved for species in which the male has a rather The drawings published by Pierce and Metcalfe (1935) small gnathos and the female a plate-like signum with are not suited for an identification. In the best study strong spikes at the corners. There are, however, inter- on Bryotropha so far, Svensson (1962) describes the mediate taxa, and Sattler (loc. cit.) concluded that a genitalia of B. mundella as resembling those of B. um- subdivision of Bryotropha is unjustified. Differences in brosella (Zeller). The description and drawings of B. the genitalia are distinct between members of the first mundella given in Piskunov (1990: 970, 977) proba- group (‘subgenus’ Bryotropha), but less distinct be- bly refer to B. affinis or B. similis (Stainton). Speci- tween species of the second group (‘subgenus’ Mnio- mens identified by Piskunov as B. mundella and ex- phaga) (Rutten, in press). The latter include the small, amined by us belonged to B. similis. ‘dark’ Bryotropha species of northern and central Eu- B. mundella is a rather scarce moth, especially on rope, which often cause much confusion. The light mainland Europe. Only a handful were known from

109 T  E,  141, 1998

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4 8 Figs. 1-8. Adults of Bryotropha. – 1, nominate form of B. umbrosella; The Netherlands, Zwanenwater; 2, forewing of B. um- brosella (enlargement of fig. 1); 3, forewing of B. umbrosella with a distinctive lighter ground colour; The Netherlands, Ter- schelling; 4, forewing of B. umbrosella revealing strong irroration with whitish scales; The Netherlands, Ameland; 5, extreme whitish form of B. mundella with distinct stigmata and dark scales limited to the termen; Ireland, Fanore, Co. Claire; 6, forewing of B. mundella showing traces of darker scales near the base of the wing; The Netherlands, Zwanenwater; 7, forewing of B. mundella with predominance of greyish scales; The Netherlands, Terschelling; 8, forewing of a very dark B. mundella with clearly defined costal and tornal patches; Ireland, Mannin Bay, Co. Galway.

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