Stigmella torminalis Beirne 1945

Stigmella torminalis (Wood, 1890) Figs 1–2, 3–5, 11–14, 15–17, 18–25, 26, 27, 30 Nepticula torminalis Wood, 1890. Lectotype ♂ (selected by Schoorl et al. (1985: 72). United Kingdom, England: “ e. l. Sorbus torminalis, Tarrington, Dr Wood 10.7. [18] 90, B. M. ♂ Genitalia slide 21870, NHMUK 010920613. NHMUK. [Photos of moth and labels https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3332473337] Stigmella torminalis (Wood, 1890) Beirne, 1945. New combination. Stigmella torminalis; important citations: Beirne 1945: 200; Emmet 1976: 257; Schoorl et al. 1985: 72; Johansson and Nielsen 1990: 173; Puplesis and Schoorl 1994: 36; Navickaitė et al. 2014: 157; Robrecht et al. 2024: 112. Recognition. Adult (Figs 1 – 5). Forewing length ♂ 1.9–2.0 mm (n = 3), ♀ 1.9–2.1 mm (n = 3), wingspan ♂ 4.5–4.8 mm (n = 8), ♀ 4.0–4.8 (n = 8); antennae ♂ with 23–28 articles (n = 8), ♀ with 20–22 (n = 5). The combination of a black hair tuft and collar on the head and forewings with a broad brassy fascia that does not contrast strongly with the golden-brown wing base, are characteristic. However, some specimens from Hungary have an orange head tuft. Male without androconial scales, abdomen without anal tufts. Stigmella regiella (Herrich-Schäffer, 1855) has a very similar wing pattern, but an orange head tuft and in the male purple black androconial scales in the fringe; S. mespilicola, that also feeds on the same host, has also a black head and collar, but a more contrasting and narrower silver to golden fascia, and conspicuous black androconial scales in the male. Male genitalia (Figs 11–14). Characterised by the very long phallus, and the valva with two distal points. They resemble those of the eastern European and Asian S. aurora Puplesis, 1984 which feeds on Crataegus and Mespilus (Puplesis and Schoorl 1994), and the Turkmenian S. lanceolata Puplesis, 1994 (hostplant unknown), but differ strongly from other European species. Stigmella aurora differs by the narrower pointed triangular process on valva and the somewhat shorter phallus (2 measurements: 280–300 µm) (Stonis and Rocienė 2013); judging from the original drawings (Puplesis 1994), S. lanceolata is almost inseparable from S. aurora. Measurements (n = 4): capsule length 170–205 µm, width 165–200 µm, valva length 145–155 µm, phallus length 350–415 µm. Ratio phallus: capsule length 1.9–2.3. Female genitalia (Figs 15–17). A very long but thin corpus bursae and round, conspicuous and wrinkled accessory sac are characteristic. The related species S. hahniella and S. regiella have an elongate accessory sac. Very different from S. mespilicola that has a strongly coiled accessory sac (Fig. 46). Leafmines (Figs 18–25, 30). Egg always on leaf underside on or close to a main vein (Fig. 25). Mine starts as rather straight gallery, often following a vein for a short stretch, with a narrow continuous black frass line in middle; gradually widening in final instar, mine continuously changing direction; frass getting somewhat wider, slightly zigzagging, but remaining continuous and not more than 1 / 3 mine width. In dried mines the frass often becomes broken in places. Larva: in mine almost transparent, yellow outside, paired prothoracic sclerite dark brown to black, often hiding head capsule, paired brains brown and well visible, larva with dorsum upwards. Cocoon: pale orange-brown (T. Muus, personal information). Distribution (Fig. 27). So far known from one locality in England (type locality, where apparently extinct), Germany: few records in Rheinland-Pfalz, Hessen and probably Thüringen, Belgium (Namur), Hungary (Budapest region), North Macedonia, the Crimea and possibly Georgia (Adjara). See below for detailed discussion. Hostplant. Stigmella torminalis has only been found on Torminalis glaberrima (Rosaceae). Records on other hosts must be regarded as erroneous, or refer to misidentified S. mespilicola. Life history. Larvae were found in late June and July in England, Germany and Hungary, between 17 July and 4 August in the Crimea. Vacated leafmines can still be found later. Univoltine, all adults emerged (in captivity) after hibernation the next spring, in May and June. There are no records of adults caught in nature. DNA barcoding (Fig. 53). We obtained three DNA barcodes from the Hessen material: one larva and two adults, and one from a larva from Belgium. All share the barcode, with the Barcode Identification Number (BIN) BOLD: AEO 3975, the German specimens have an identical barcode, the Belgium specimen has a distance of 0.33 %. The nearest neighbour is Stigmella aurora, BIN BOLD: AEY 8102, a population from Mespilus germanica L. in Russia, Dagestan, at a distance of 3.5 %. Material examined. Adults. – GERMANY • 2 ♂, 3 ♀ (Figs 1 – 4); Hessen, Volkmarschen-Hörle, NSG Iberg; 51.44411°N, 9.0887°E; alt. 290 m; 03 Jul. 2021; D. Robrecht leg.; Host: Torminalis glaberrima; emerged 01–02 May 2022; Genitalia slides: EvN 5447 ♂ (Fig. 12), EvN 5448 ♀ (Fig. 17); RMNH.INS.25447, RMNH.INS.25448, RMNH.INS.1557369, RMNH.INS.1557289, RMNH.INS.1557370; RMNH. • 1 ♂ 2 unsexed; Same collecting data as for preceding, emerged 03 May. 2022; Genitalia slide: Robrecht J 26 (Fig. 11); coll. W. Wittland. • 10 ♂, 6 ♀, 2 unsexed; unlabelled, almost certainly Eppelsheim material; [Rheinland-Pfalz, Grünstadt]; [49.5667°N, 8.1681°E]; [no date, 19 th century]; [Eppelsheim leg.]; Genitalia slides: VU 0328 (Fig. 13), VU 0333, VU 0334 (Fig. 14), VU 0349, VU 0357, VU 1480 (Figs 15, 16), VU 2366, VU 2367; RMNH.INS.20328, RMNH.INS.20333, RMNH.INS.20334, RMNH.INS.20349, RMNH.INS.20357, RMNH.INS.21480, RMNH.INS.22366, RMNH.INS.22367, RMNH.INS.1556801 – RMNH.INS.1556809, RMNH. Leafmines and larvae. (Host always Torminalis glaberrima, collection RMNH). – BELGIUM • 1 dead larva, 2 mines; Namur, Rochefort, Lavaux-Sainte-Anne, Le Gros Tienne; 50.1064°N, 5.1003°E; alt. 225 m; 06 Sep. 2014; S. Wullaert leg.; EventId: Wullaert 276, 281; RMNH.INS.31737 (larva) (Fig. 23), RMNH.INS.39245. – GEORGIA • 3 vacated mines; Adjara AR, Chikuneti; 41.57028°N, 41.86278°E; alt. 880 m; 26 Sep. 2018; M. V. Kozlov & V. Zverev leg.; EventId: Kozlov-Georgia- 2018–61; RMNH.INS.48100, RMNH.INS.48101. – GERMANY • 1 larva, 1 mine; Hessen, Volkmarsen-Hörle, NSG Iberg; 51.44411°N, 9.0887°E; alt. 290 m; 03 Jul. 2021; D. Robrecht leg.; slide: RMNH.INS.31632. P; RMNH.INS.31632 (barcoded larva), RMNH.INS.39228 (leafmine). • 22 mines, 13 larvae reared (Figs 18–22); same locality data as previous, 3 + 10 Jul. 2021, D. Robrecht leg.; collection D. Robrecht. – NORTH MACEDONIA • 1 vacated mine (Figs 24, 25); Ohrid, Galičica NP, N Part, NE of Velestovo, trail; 41.09655°N, 20.84073°E; alt. 1215 m; 04 Aug. 2021; E. J. van Nieukerken leg.; EventId: EvN no 2021098 - H; RMNH.INS.48654. Photographs examined. (Host always Torminalis glaberrima). Adults. – HUNGARY • 1 ♀, 1 unsexed; Budapest, Hármashatárhegy; [47.556°N, 19°E]; [alt. 460–490 m]; 22 Jul. 1964; J. Szőcs leg.; emerged 19 Apr. & 04 Mar. 1965; EventId: Zucht: 36 / 64; HNHM. • 2 ♀ (Fig. 5); Budapest, Normafa; [47.504°N, 18.965°E]; J. Szőcs leg.; emerged 6 & 12 Apr. 1959; Genitalia slide: Tokár No. 9388; HNHM. Leafmines and larvae. – BELGIUM • 3 mines; Namur, Rochefort, Le Gros Tienne; 50.106°N, 5.098°E; 02 Aug. 2020; Regis Nossent leg., Maarten Vangansbeke leg; https://waarnemingen.be/observation/197785811/, https://waarnemingen.be/observation/197890785/. • 1 mine; same locality data; 04 Jul. 2023; Daan Dekeukeleire leg.; https://waarnemingen.be/observation/279601319/. • 1 mine; same locality data; 30 Jun. 2024; cocoon on 6 Jul.; T. Muus leg. et coll. – GERMANY • 5 larvae; Hessen, KB Volkmarsen – NSG Iberg bei Hörle; 51.446°N, 9.089°E; 26 Jun. & 07 Jul. 2022; Hubertus Trilling leg.; https://observation.org/observation/246938772/, https://observation.org/observation/248264022/. • 1 mine; Rheinland-Pfalz, BIT Hüttingen an der Kyll; 49.96084°N, 6.59469°E; 26 Aug. 2023; Alexander Franzen leg.; https://observation.org/observation/285967244/. • 1 larva; Rheinland-Pfalz, COC Klotten Dortebachtal; 50.17072°N, 7.21337°E; 23 Jul. 2022; Rijmenans Gilbert leg.; https://observation.org/observation/250303797/. • 1 mines; Rheinland-Pfalz, WIL Erden; 49.98456°N, 7.02022°E; 27 Aug. 2023; Justus Vogel leg.; https://observation.org/observation/288321758/. – HUNGARY • 2 mines on 1 leaf [Herbarium sheet] (Fig. 30); Budapest, Hármashatárhegy; [47.556°N, 19°E]; alt. 460–490 m; 27 Jul. 1963; J. Szőcs leg.; Torminalis glaberrima; HNHM. • 11 mines on 7 leaves [Herbarium sheet]; same locality data; 22 Jul. 1964; J. Szőcs leg.; Torminalis glaberrima; EventId: Zucht: 36 / 64; HNHM. The British type locality. John H. Wood (1841–1914) submitted his description of Nepticula torminalis on July 10 th, 1890 (Wood 1890) (published in August), and as he described the moths and mines, he must have found the mines with larvae in 1889 or before. The lectotype, originating from the Stainton collection, carries a label in Stainton’s handwriting with the same date, suggesting that the moth emerged on 10 July. This seems unlikely as Wood clearly stated that the species is univoltine, with mines occurring in July, while Tutt (1899) wrote that moths emerged in May-June. Three other specimens in the NHMUK collection, original from the Walsingham collection and with the handwriting of Durrant (numbers BMNH (E) 1925640–1925642), carry a written date that could be read as “ 10. xi. 1890 ”. We think that these dates are wrong transcriptions from Wood’s original data, most likely of 10. vi. 1890. These labels also mysteriously cite the locality as “ Tarrington, BEDFORD, E. ” whereas it should be Tarrington, Hereford (the county of Bedfordshire is ca 100 km to the east). Wood’s collection ended up in the NHMUK (Edwards 1926; Chandler 2014), and at least the Diptera in it were mounted by three on discs of card, with labelling on the underside of the disc (Chandler 2014). There are at least 12 other specimens of Stigmella torminalis in NHMUK from his collection, but all without dates (S