Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) leafminers new to Iran, including Tischeria caucasica on Quercus: a sibling species of T. ekebladella or a case of clinal variation?

By

Alipanah, Helen
Nieukerken, Erik J. van
Farahani, Samira
Buszko, Jarosław, 1952-

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022-1-6

Original Publication

Nota lepidopterologica

Volume

45

Pages

9--32

Subjects

Biology , DNA barcoding , Larvae , new records , Pupae , Tischeriidae

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Bonn,

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/nl.45.76043

 

Abstract

We record three Tischeriidae species new for Iran:Coptotriche gaunacella(Duponchel, 1843) from Tehran and Mazandaran provinces,Tischeria dodonaeaStainton, 1858 from East Azarbaijan province andT. caucasicaKlasiński & Stonis, 2020, previously only known from Georgia. The larvae ofT. caucasicawere observed mining the leaves of planted trees ofQuercus infectoriaG. Olivier,Q. roburLinnaeus andQ. libaniG. Olivier in Peykan Shahr, Tehran province; and on native trees ofQ. castaneifoliaC.A.Mey. andQ. macrantheraFisch. & C.A.Mey. ex Hohen. in East Azarbaijan, Gilan and Mazandaran provinces. This species was very abundant on planted oaks in Peykan Shahr, Tehran and the infestation increased progressively in the second generation of the moth in November and December.Tischeria caucasicais very similar to EuropeanT. ekebladella(Bjerkander, 1795) in external appearance and biology, both sharing the same DNA barcode. The only diagnostic character, in the male genitalia, are the spiny appendages of the juxta. We provide a brief diagnosis and describe the larvae, leafmines and pupae for the first time. We discuss whether the observed difference in the male genitalia supports separate specific status, or is the result of clinal variation of a single species.