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191
Nota lepid. 36 (2): 191 – 197
Remarks on Tortricidae species with unknown
and little known females
Boyan Zlatkov
Soa University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Biology, Department of Zoology and Anthropology,
8 Dragan Tsankov Blvd., 1164 Soa, Bulgaria; bzlatkov@gmail.com
Received 11 September 2013; reviews returned 26 September 2013; accepted 30 September 2013.
Subject Editor: Jadranka Rota.
Abstract. The females of Cnephasia heringi Razowski, 1958 and Gypsonoma obraztsovi Amsel, 1959 are
described and illustrated. Females of C. daedalea Razowski, 1983 are associated with males of C. helle-
nica Obraztsov, 1956, resulting in a new synonymy: C. daedalea syn. n. of C. hellenica. The formerly un -
known female of Dichrorampha rilana Drenowsky, 1909 is described and illustrated.
Introduction
In Tortricidae, as in many other insect groups, the morphology of the male genitalia is
well-studied and frequently used for taxonomic and phylogenetic purposes, whereas
the female genitalia often are less characteristic, receiving relatively limited attention.
The females of many species are rarely collected in comparison with their conspecic
males, and in some species females are still unknown. Consequently, many tortricid
species are either incompletely described or their alleged females actually belong to
different species.
Field research in Bulgaria over the last few years has resulted in abundant material
for various members of the family Tortricidae, including females of four species that
were unknown or dubiously assigned to their male counterparts. The purpose of this pa-
per is to describe and illustrate the females of these species and discuss the taxonomic
and/or nomenclatural implications of these discoveries.
Methods
Moths were collected by netting and sweeping with an aerial net in afternoon and
twilight and by light-trapping. Several types of lamps were used for collecting at light:
MBFT 160 W, “actinic” tubes 8 W and 13 W, and “blacklight” tubes 8 W, all pow-
ered by batteries and/or a generator. The material was spread immediately following
its collection, and abdomens subsequently were dissected in the laboratory follow-
ing the standard procedure of Robinson (1976). The material is preserved in the au-
thor’s collection, a part of the entomological collection of the Faculty of Biology, Soa
University.
Nota lepidopterologica, 20.12.2013, ISSN 0342-7536
192 Zlatkov: Remarks on Tortricidae species with unknown and little known females
Results
Cnephasia heringi Razowski, 1958 Figs 1, 2, 11
Material. Bulgaria, Struma valley, Rupite area near Petrich, the volcanic hill of Kozhuh, 200 m,
N 41° 27′ 39″ E 23° 15′24”, 1P 13.vi.2008, leg. B. Zlatkov & O. Sivilov (coll. B. Zlatkov); Pirin Mts, near
Ilindentsi, 470 – 540 m, N 41° 39′05 – 10″ E 23° 14′43 – 47″, 1O 14.vi.2008, leg. B. Zlatkov & O. Sivilov
(coll. B. Zlatkov); 1O 3.vi.2012; 4PP, 3OO 13.vi.2012.
Razowski (1958, 1959) described and illustrated the female genitalia of C. heringi, but
later reversed his opinion (Razowski 2002), assuming that the illustrated females prob-
ably were not conspecic with the male of C. heringi. Thus the female of this species
was in need of further investigation. Material collected recently from southwestern
Bulgaria provided resolution to this problem. Males collected on several occasions
from different localities were initially associated with a synchronous and syntopic fe-
male, the genitalia of which demonstrated similarity with the female genitalia of C.
heringi illustrated by Razowski (1958). A longer series of male and female specimens
(all collected on the same date and locality in 2012) conrmed that these females are
indeed conspecic with the males of C. heringi.
Females are larger (forewing length 8.0 – 9.2 mm, median 8.4; n = 5) than males
(forewing length 6.6 – 8.3 mm, median 7.5; n = 5). In both sexes the shape and mark-
ings of the forewing are very similar, with some variation (Figs 1, 2). The female geni-
talia (Fig. 11) have relatively slender lateral arms of the sterigma and a very short
sclerite at the ostium with longer lateral parts. The colliculum is rather long, with a
narrower and asymmetrical anterior end, ca. 1/2 the length of the entire ductus bursae,
separated from the sterigma by a membranous area. The ductus seminalis originates
from the anterior half of the portion of ductus bursae located between the colliculum
and the corpus bursae. The signum is narrow, ca. 3/4 the length of the corpus bursae.
Habitat in Bulgaria: Dry, rocky areas up to 550 m a. s. l. in the southwestern part of
the country.
Cnephasia hellenica Obraztsov, 1956 Figs 3 – 5, 12
Cnephasia daedalea Razowski, 1983 syn. n.
Material. NE Bulgaria, Black Sea coast, Topola village near Balchik, 100 m, 1O 29 – 30.v.2010, leg.
O. Karsholt (Zoological Museum of the University of Copenhagen); near Kaliakra Cape, Bolata place,
50 m, N 43° 22′59″ E 28° 28′03″, 7PP, 2OO 24.v.2012, leg. B. Zlatkov & O. Sivilov (coll. B. Zlatkov).
C. helenica <sic> was described by Obraztsov (1950) from a single male collected in
Greece. Obraztsov (1957) later emended the name to hellenica. The female was un-
known until now. This species was reported recently from Bulgaria from males only
(Beaumont 2011), which led me to search for females. In May 2012, I collected a long
series of Cnephasia from a steppe habitat at the Northern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria.
The characteristic male genitalia conrmed my supposition that they were C. hellenica,
but among the series were two female specimens with the same wing pattern as male
193
Nota lepid. 36 (2): 191 – 197
C. hellenica. However, the dissected female genitalia appeared identical with those of
C. daedalea illustrated by Razowski (1983, 2002). C. daedalea was described from a
single female from Sardinia (Razowski 1983), and no further localities were known
until 2011. In fact Šumpich (2011) reported C. daedalea from Spain (as new to the
Spanish fauna and rst record for the European mainland) from two females and four
males, and described the “unknown” male genitalia. It should be mentioned that C. hel-
lenica was already known from Spain (Razowski 2002). However, the male genitalia
illustrated by Šumpich (2011) are a perfect t with those of C. hellenica. Based on these
observations, I conclude that hellenica and daedalea are conspecic and that C. dae-
dalea is a junior synonym of C. hellenica.
Figs 1 – 8. Adults. 1, 2. Cnephasia heringi Razowski, male (1) and female (2) (Bulgaria, Ilindentsi). 3 –
5. Cne phasia hellenica Obraztsov, males (3, 5) and female (4) (Bulgaria, Kaliakra cape). 6. Gypsonoma
obraz tsovi Amsel, female (Bulgaria, Primorsko). 7, 8. Dichrorampha rilana Drenowsky, male (7) and
female (8) (Bulgaria, Vitosha mountain). Figs 1 – 5 and 7 – 8 are proportional. Scale bar = 5 mm.
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8
194 Zlatkov: Remarks on Tortricidae species with unknown and little known females
Females are smaller than males (forewing length 7.0 – 8.3 mm, median 7.6 mm;
n = 3 in females and 7.4 – 8.5 mm, median 7.8 mm; n = 7 in males), with relatively nar-
rower wings. Seemingly, they are rarely collected in comparison with the males. The
wing markings are reduced in males, some specimens are nearly monochromous gray
or whitish; in contrast, females have more distinct markings (Figs 3 – 5). Both the male
and female genitalia are very characteristic; the male has a thorn-like process near the
middle of the sacculus, and the colliculum of the female is wide, more or less reminis-
cent of a grape cluster (Fig. 12). The moths are active in late afternoon and at twilight
and are also attracted to light.
Habitat in Bulgaria: Western Pontic steppes in the north-eastern part of the country
near the sea coast where the very limited association Paeonio tenuifoliae-Koelerietum
brevis (Tzonev et al. 2006) occurs.
Gypsonoma obraztsovi Amsel, 1959 Figs 6, 13
Material. Bulgaria, Black Sea coast, Atanasovsko lake, 0 m, N 42° 34′43″ E 27° 29′39″, 1O 30.vii.2011,
leg. S. Beshkov & M. Beshkova (coll. B. Zlatkov); near Primorsko, 0 m, N 42°17’00″ E 27° 44′42″, 1O
30.vi.2009, leg. B. Zlatkov & R. Bekchiev (coll. B. Zlatkov).
This species was described from Asia (Iran) and subsequently reported from sever-
al European countries. It is a rare species and the females are found on rare occa-
sions. Razowski (2003) mentioned that the female is unknown, but the same author
(Razowski 1966) provided a schematic illustration and a very short description of the
female genitalia of a specimen collected in Syria. Here I provide a more detailed de-
scription and illustration of the female of G. obraztsovi based on two relatively well-
preserved specimens.
The wing pattern of the female resembles that of the male (Fig. 6). Forewing length
5.0 – 5.2 mm (median 5.1; n = 2). In the female genitalia (Fig. 13) the genital plate has
round edges and a shallow incision at the distal edge. The sterigma is more or less el-
lipsoid, with a sclerotized ring around the ostium bearing lobes on both sides. The ostial
9 10
Figs 9, 10. Larval host plant and habitat of Dichrorampha rilana Drenowsky. 9. Achillea clusiana Tausch
(Bulgaria, Rila mountain, 5.vii.2012); inset: close-up of inorescence (photograph by O. Sivilov). 10. Ha-
bi tat (Bulgaria, Rila mountain near Kalin summit, 2500 m a.s.l.) (photograph by O. Sivilov).
195
Nota lepid. 36 (2): 191 – 197
sclerite is weak, consisting of two parts, and the colliculum is trapezoidal. The ductus
bursae is moderate, with a very short membranous posterior part preceded by a com-
paratively long wrinkled cingulum and a membranous anterior part with approximately
the same length of the cingulum. The corpus bursae has two equal, large, at signa with
rounded ends. The ductus seminalis is inserted dorsolaterally at the proximal end of the
cingulum.
Habitat in Bulgaria: Wet areas with Salix and Populus (Salicaceae) at low altitude in
the southern parts of the country.
Dichrorampha rilana Drenowsky, 1909 Figs 7 – 10, 14
Material. Bulgaria, Rila Mts, above Borovets resort, the path Yastrebets-Musala, 2300 m, N 42° 13′15″
E 23° 34′43″, 1O 5.vii.2012, leg. B. Zlatkov & O. Sivilov (coll. B. Zlatkov); near Kalin summit, 2500 m,
N 42°10’56″ E 23°15’33″, 1O 7.vii.2012, leg. B. Zlatkov & O. Sivilov (coll. B. Zlatkov); Vitosha Mts,
the path Aleko-Cherni vrah, 2100 m, N 42°34′23″ E 23°17′05″, 2O 13.vii.2012, leg. B. Zlatkov (coll. B.
Zlatkov).
This species was poorly known and of questionable taxonomic status for a long time. A
recent study based on male specimens revealed that it is distinct (Huemer et al. 2012);
however, the females remained unknown. Field work in Bulgaria resulted in the discov-
ery of the female and some data on the biology of D. rilana.
For a detailed description of the male see Huemer et al. (2012). Females are slightly
smaller than males, with forewing length 6.1 – 6.5 mm (median 6.3; n = 4), but the
wing pattern is identical with those of the males (Figs 7, 8). In the female genitalia
(Fig. 14) the subgenital (antevaginal) plate is trapezoidal with rounded anterior angles
and weakly concave posterior margin. The sterigma is sclerotized, with a large lip-like,
medially incised, anterior lobe and a narrow arched posterior part. The ostium is very
wide followed by a sclerotized infundibular part of ductus bursae; the sclerotization
is asymmetrical, with longitudinal folds, and bent to the left. The proximal 1/3 of the
ductus bursae is membranous, with the ductus seminalis inserted nearby the sclerotized
area. The signum is short. The female genitalia are considerably different from those
of two closely related species, D. ligulana (Herrich-Schäffer, 1851) and D. dinarica
Huemer, Zlatkov & Baixeras, 2012, especially in the shape of the sterigma.
The larval host plant of D. rilana was unknown, although it was presumed to be
Achillea (Asteraceae). The most common representative of this plant genus occurring
in the subalpine habitats of the moth in Rila mountains is A. clusiana Tausch (Fig. 9),
which proved to be the food plant. Numerous individuals were collected by sweeping
A. clusiana in the daytime. Other Achillea spp. were also searched for D. rilana without
positive results, so the species is likely to be monophagous. The discovery of the food
plant allowed targeted investigation for this species in two neighbouring mountain mas-
sifs: Pirin (the northern part) and Vitosha, and it was found in both. It should be empha-
sized that A. clusiana occurs only on siliceous soils and never on carbonate; correspond-
ingly, D. rilana was found only on silicates. It is probable that the distributional range of
this species is limited by the rock composition of the high mountain massifs – the mid-
dle and southern parts of Pirin consist of limestone, and D. rilana was not found there.
196 Zlatkov: Remarks on Tortricidae species with unknown and little known females
D. rilana does not appear to be a rare species at altitudes of 1800 – 2600 m, but it
is closely associated with its food plant. The former impression of rarity arose from
some behavioural features of the species. As a rule, the moths are not very active and
y occasionally for very short distance in late afternoon. Numerous ying individuals
(males) were observed only once, just before sunset and under perfect weather condi-
tions (calm weather and temperature about 18°C), which is rare at high altitudes in the
highest Bulgarian mountains. Females were collected much more rarely than males (to-
tal of 26P, 4O). The species is now known from the Vitosha, Rila and Pirin mountains.
Habitat (Fig. 10): Subalpine herbaceous formations on siliceous soils, sometimes
mixed with Pinus mugo Turra (Pinaceae), at altitude 1800 – 2600 m, with Achillea clu-
siana.
Acknowledgements
I am indebted to Prof. J. Razowski who conrmed the identity of Cnephasia daedalea and provided some
helpful suggestions. Thanks are due to Dr. Stoyan Beshkov (Soa, Bulgaria), Ole Karsholt (Copenhagen,
Denmark) for providing material, and Dr. Rossen Tzonev (Soa) who identied Achillea clusiana. Special
thanks to my colleagues Ognyan Sivilov (Soa) who helped me during the eld expeditions and assisted
me with the photographical work, and C. W. Plant (Bishops Stortford, U.K.), J. Baixeras (Valencia, Spain)
and an anonymous reviewer for the linguistic help and advice that improved an earlier version of the
manuscript.
Figs 11 – 14. Female genitalia. 11. Cnephasia heringi Razowski; 12. Cnephasia hellenica Obraztsov;
13. Gy psonoma obraztsovi Amsel; 14. Dichrorampha rilana Drenowsky.
11 12 13 14
197
Nota lepid. 36 (2): 191 – 197
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