A new genus and two new species of Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) from the 
Canary Islands 
Knud Larsen 
Abstract. In this paper the new genus Willibaldiana is described. The description of the new genus is based upon material 
collected at the Island Fuerteventura, part of the archipelago of the Canary Islands, Spain. The material consists of two species 
both of them new to Science. All the material is collected from the same light trap stationed at a summer house at the Southern 
tip of Fuerteventura - Barranco Esquinzo, Jandia. It is rather remarkable to find two new species belonging to the same new 
genus at the same locality. It is suggested that these taxa are belonging to very old Mediterranean taxa that have survived and 
developed in the semi desert environment of Fuerteventura. The new genus is placed in Eucosmini after Clavigesta Obraztsov, 
1946. The names of the two new species are Willibaldiana paasi n. sp. and Willibaldiana schmitzi n. sp. Holotypes and 
paratypes are deposited in the author's collection. 
Samenvatting. Een nieuw genus en twee nieuwe soorten Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) van de Canarische Eilanden 
Het nieuwe genus Willibaldiana wordt beschreven, gebaseerd op materiaal verzameld op het eiland Fuerteventura, deel van de 
Canarische Eilanden, en bestaand uit twee nieuwe soorten voor de wetenschap. Al het materiaal werd verzameld in een lichtval 
die opgesteld staat in een buitenverblijf op de zuidelijke tip van Fuerteventura - Barranco Esquinzo, Jandia. Het is merkwaardig 
dat twee nieuwe soorten uit een nieuw genus op dezelfde plaats worden gevonden. Er wordt verondersteld dat ze behoren tot 
de oude Mediterrane taxa die zich aan de semi-woestijnomgeving van Fuerteventura hebben aangepast. Het nieuwe genus 
wordt in de Eucosmini geplaatst net achter Clavigesta Obraztsov, 1946. De nieuwe soorten zijn: Willibaldiana paasi n. sp. en 
Willibaldiana schmitzi n. sp. Holotypes en paratypes staan in de verzameling van de auteur. 
Résumé. Un genre nouveau et deux espèces nouvelles de Tortricidae (Lepidoptera) des Tles Canaries 
Le nouveau genre Willibaldiana est décrit d'après Ie matériel recueilli sur l'Tle de Fuerteventura, qui fait partie de l'archipel des 
ïles Canaries. Ce matériel consiste en deux espèces nouvelles pour la Science et fut pris dans un piège lumineux dans la partie 
méridionale de l'Tle de Fuerteventura - Barranco Esquinzo, Jandia. II est remarquable que deux espèces nouvelles appartenant 
au même genre nouveau soient trouvées dans la même localité. On suppose qu'il s'agit de deux espèces appartenant aux vieux 
taxa méditerranéens qui se sont adaptées aux conditions semi-désertiques de l'Tle de Fuerteventura. Le nouveau genre est 
placé dans la tribu des Eucosmini juste après Clavigesta Obraztsov, 1846. Les deux nouvelles espèces sont: Willibaldiana paasi 
n. sp. et Willibaldiana schmitzi n. sp. Les holotypes et les paratypes sont gardés dans la collection de l'auteur. 
Key words. Willebaldiana paasi - schmitzi - Descriptions - Faunistics. 
Larsen K.: Rdntoftevej 33, DK-2870 Dyssegaard, Denmark, knud.torts@gmail.com 
Introduction 
The fauna of Microlepidoptera of the Canary Islands, 
especially the Tortricidae (Klimesch 1987) but also many 
other groups, have been studied intensively even from 
the middle of the 19th century. The composition of the 
fauna is partly endemic and partly influenced by the 
West African fauna and the South West European fauna. 
The distance to Cap Juby in Morocco is only about 70 km 
and thus the strong winds from the Sahara frequently 
cause rather strong migratory activity on the Islands, 
especially the easternmost islands Lanzarote and 
Fuerteventura. Also the landscape on these islands has a 
strong affinity with the landscape of Southern Morocco 
and western Sahara consisting of dry rocky or sandy 
coast and inland semi-desert and desert combined with 
lower rocky or mountainous areas. As a consequence of 
these geographical factors the level of endemism on the 
eastern islands is lower than on the western islands 
(Hacker & Schmitz 1996). Altogether more than 600 
Lepidoptera are known from the islands and of these 
about 200 are endemic (Baez 1998). The present paper 
describes a new genus and two new species from the 
island Fuerteventura. Whether those species are 
endemic to the Island or they can be found elsewhere is 
due to more profound field research in the neighbouring 
biogeographically areas. 
Both species have been found at the same locality at 
the south tip Jandia on Fuerteventura. The material has 
been given to me for investigation by the well-known 
lepidopterist Willibald Schmitz (Bergisch Gladbach, 
Germany), who has gathered a very large amount of 
material from the Canary Islands, especially 
Fuerteventura. 
The author has studied the Tortricid fauna of the 
Canary Islands during several decades and has been on 
six collecting trips, including two trips to Fuerteventura, 
searching these species at the locality in Jandia without 
success. Species living in arid environments are so 
dependent on occasional weather conditions that they 
often just fly in short periods and not every year. 
Because of the mild climate many Tortricid species can 
be found around the year at the Canary Islands, which 
also seems to be the fact for the two new species 
presented here. 
The new taxon Willibaldiana gen. n. is suggested to 
belong to the Eucosmini tribe although molecular 
examination could reveal other possible Solutions to the 
position of the genus. 
Terminology for pattern in forewing, venation and 
genitalia follows Horak (1999, 2006), Razowski (2002, 
2003) and Komai (1999). All material is deposited in the 
private collection of Knud Larsen. 
Phegea 41(3) 01.ix.2013: 50 
ISSN 0771-5277 
