DATA ON 3 NEW AND 6 RARE GELECHIIDAE MOTH SPECIES (LEPIDOPTERA: GELECHIIDAE) FOR LITHUANIA BRIGITA PAULAVIČIŪTĖ

Abstract

This article presents data on 3 new (Metzneria aestivella, Syncopacma larseniella,
Acompsia schmidtiellus) and 6 rare for the Lithuanian fauna species of Gelechiidae.
Species were collected from 9 administrative districts and municipalities of Lithuania.

Full text

68 BULLETIN OF THE LITHUANIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Volume 3 (31)
DATA ON 3 NEW AND 6 RARE GELECHIIDAE MOTH SPECIES
(LEPIDOPTERA: GELECHIIDAE) FOR LITHUANIA
BRIGITA PAULAVIČIŪTĖ
Kaunas T. Ivanauskas Museum of Zoology, Laisvės al. 106, LT-44253, Kaunas, Lithuania.
E-mail: brigita.paulaviciute@zoomuziejus.lt
Introduction
The Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea) include species that are pests of
agriculture and forestry as well as species of biological and ecological interest. It is one
of the largest families of microlepidoptera and includes more than 4600 described
species in the world referred to about 500 genera in four subfamilies (Hodges, 1999).
About 1500 species occur in the Palearctic Region (Piskunov, 1990), and about 690
species occur in the Nearctic Region, although only 30% of the species in the latter are
estimated to be described (Hodges, 1983, 1999). A large number of species are also
present in the Oriental, Neotropical, Afrotropical, and Australian Regions (Becker, 1984;
Common, 1990; Heppner, 1991; Nielsen & Common 1991; Park, 1992). Gelechiidae is
one of the least known families of micromoths in Europe, with onlymore than 600
species (Huemer & Karsholt, 1999). The last catalogue of Lithuanian Lepidoptera
includes 163 species of this family (Ivinskis & Rimšaitė, 2018).
This article presents data on 3 new (Metzneria aestivella, Syncopacma larseniella,
Acompsia schmidtiellus) and 6 rare for the Lithuanian fauna species of Gelechiidae.
Species were collected from 9 administrative districts and municipalities of Lithuania.
Material and Methods
The material was collected in different parts of Lithuania: in Kazlų Rūda and Neringa
municipalities, Jonava, Kaunas, Tauragė, Varėna and Vilnius administrative districts.
Insects were collected using an entomological net and light trapping at night (160W–
500W DRL type bulb lamp was used). The species were collected by Brigita
Paulavičiūtė (B.P.), Giedrius Švitra (G.Š.), Vaida Paznekaitė (V.P.) and Vytautas
Inokaitis (V.I.). The material was identified by Brigita Paulavičiūtė.
The geographical coordinates were measured using a Garmin eTrex GPS receiver.
The material is deposited in the collection of the Kaunas T. Ivanauskas Museum of
Zoology. Species were identified using the following sources: Huemer & Karsholt
(1999, 2010, 2013), Elsner et al. (1999). Rarity categories have been established
according to the checklist of Lepidoptera of Lithuania (Ivinskis, 2004; Ivinskis &
Rimšaitė, 2018).

LIETUVOS ENTOMOLOGŲ DRAUGIJOS DARBAI. 3 (31) tomas 69
List of localities
Localit
y
Administra
t
ive district Coordinates (LAT, LONG)
Bradeliškės Vilnius district 54.82452, 24.94517
Braziūkai Kaunas district 54.907783, 23.474718
Jovariškės Trakai district 54.65241, 24.87764
Juodkrantė Neringa mun. 55.545957, 21.119798
Katra Varėna district 53.992694, 24.586032
Lokėnėlių Miškas f. Jonava district 55.09546, 24.37448
Lomankos Miškas f. Kaunas district 54.963343, 23.769996
Runkių Miškas f. Kazlų Rūda mun. 54.812257, 23.517778
Viešvilė Nat. R. Tauragė district 55.179949, 22.461193
List of species
GELECHIIDAE
*Metzneria aestivella (Zeller, 1839)
Runkių Miškas f., 01 07 2016, 1♂ (V.I.).
Monochroa elongella (Heinemann, 1870)
Bradeliškės, 25 07 2015, 1♂ (G.Š.).
Eulamprotes atrella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)
Jovariškės, 12 05 2018, 1♂ (G.Š.).
Bryotropha desertella (Douglas, 1850)
Katra, 12 05 2018, 2♂ (G.Š.).
Bryotropha galbanella (Zeller, 1839)
Juodkrantė, 14 07 2004, 1 spec. (B.P.); Braziūkai 30 06 2009, 1♂ (B.P.).
Bryotropha basaltinella (Zeller, 1839)
Katra, 05 08 2018, 2♀ (G.Š.).
Gelechia muscosella Zeller, 1839
Lomankos Miškas f., 30 07 2018, 1♂ (B.P.).
*Syncopacma larseniella Gozmány, 1957
Viešvilė Nat. R., 28 07 2008, 1♂ (B.P.).
*Acompsia schmidtiellus (Heyden, 1848)
Lokėnėlių Miškas f., 07 07 2017, 1♂ (V.P.).
Discussion
Gelechiidae moths are not comprehensively investigated in Lithuania. New species
are published almost every year.
Metzneria aestivella (Zeller, 1839) is spread widely from the Canary Islands
throughout Europe to Central Asia (Elsner et al., 1999). This species already is known in
many European countries: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Crete, Latvia, Macedonia, Malta, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Russia, Sardinia, Serbia, Sicily, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, the Netherlands (Karsholt & Nieukerken, 2013; Aarvik et al., 2017). The
moth wingspan is usually 11-14 mm (Fig. 1). Adults are very similar to M. lappella and

70 BULLETIN OF THE LITHUANIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Volume 3 (31)
M. metzneriella. M. aestivella differs with lack the black discal spot on the forewing
(Solly, 2019). Larva feeds on Carlina spp. and Tanacetum corybosum (Patočka &
Turčáni, 2005). The species is local and the adults fly during June and July (Elsner et al.,
1999).
Fig. 1. Metzneria aestivella (Zeller, 1839) (Runkių Miškas f., 01 07 2016, ♂ V.
Inokaitis).

Fig. 2. Syncopacma larseniella Gozmány,
1957 (Viešvilė Nat. R. (2), 28 07 2008, ♂
B. Paulavičiūtė).
Fig. 3. Acompsia schmidtiellus (Heyden,
1848) (Lokėnėlių Miškas f., 07 07 2017, ♂
V. Paznekaitė)
Genus Syncopacma contains several species which are virtually impossible to
distinguish except by genitalia dissection. Syncopacma larseniella Gozmány, 1957 is
mostly distributed in north-west and Central Europe: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Russia,
the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, The Netherlands (Elsner et al., 1999; Karsholt &
Nieukerken, 2013; Baraniak et al., 2014; Aarvik et al., 2017). Moths of this species

LIETUVOS ENTOMOLOGŲ DRAUGIJOS DARBAI. 3 (31) tomas 71
show a less distinct pale fascia on the forewing underside and lack the pale spot on the
hindwing underside (Fig. 2) (Lewis, 2016). Wingspan of S. larseniella usually is 11–14
mm. Larvae feed on Lotus corniculatus in a spinning between leaves. The adults fly
during June and July (Mackay, 2019).
Acompsia schmidtiellus (Heyden, 1848) is found locally in central, eastern and
southern Europe: Austria, Belgium, Britain, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France,
Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Portugal, Russia, Sardinia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland,
the Netherlands. In the east, the range extends to Ukraine (Karsholt & Nieukerken, 2013;
Aarvik et al., 2017). Wingspan of the moths is usually 14–16 mm (Fig. 3). Forewing is
light orange-brown, mottled with some black scales; two or three black spots are
distributed as follows: one distinct in the cell, one indistinct (sometimes missing) above
it, and one rather indistinct (rarely missing) at the end of the cell; a small patch of black
scales at tornus; an indistinct light fascia from outside tornus to costa; termen
emarginated below apex, with a fine, black line; cilia concolorous with forewing;
hindwing grey, with yellow cilia. (Karsholt & Riedl, 1996). Larva feeds on Origanum
vulgare, folding a leaf and spinning it together, only leaving a small entrance in each
end, through which it rapidly disappears if disturbed. Adults fly during June and late
August (Huemer & Karsholt, 2002).
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Mr. Kazimieras Martinaitis (Kaunas T. Ivanauskas Museum of
Zoology) for photos.
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Nauji duomenys apie 3 naujas ir 6 retas Gelechiidae drugių rūšis (Lepidoptera:
Gelechiidae) Lietuvoje
BRIGITA PAULAVIČIŪTĖ
Santrauka
Straipsnyje pateikiami duomenys apie 3 naujas ir 6 retas Gelechiidae šeimos rūšis
Lietuvos teritorijoje. Metzneria aestivella, Syncopacma larseniella, Acompsia
schmidtiellus yra naujos Lietuvos faunos drugių rūšys. Straipsnyje pateikta kiekvienos
rūšies sugavimo vieta, data, individų skaičius ir rinkėjai.
Received: 24 October, 2019