Identity of the ailanthus webworm moth (Lepidoptera, Yponomeutidae), a complex of two species: evidence from DNA barcoding, morphology and ecology

Abstract

Citation: Wilson JJ et al. (2010) Identity of the ailanthus webworm moth (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae), a complex of two species: evidence from DNA barcoding, morphology and ecology. ZooKeys 46: 41-60. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.46.406 AbstractDuring extensive ongoing campaigns to inventory moths of North America and Area de Conservacion Guanacaste (ACG), northwestern Costa Rica, we discovered that morphologically similar yponomeutid moths were assigned two diff erent names, Atteva ergatica Walsingham in Costa Rica and A. punctella (Stoll) in North America, but had identical DNA barcodes. Combining DNA barcoding, morphology and food plant records also revealed a complex of two sympatric species that are diagnosable by their DNA barcodes and their facies in Costa Rica. However, neither of the names could be correctly applied to either species, as A. ergatica is a junior synonym and A. punctella a junior homonym. By linking our specimens to type material through morphology and DNA barcoding, we determined that the ACG dry forest species, distributed from Costa Rica to southern Quebec and Ontario, should be called A. aurea, whereas the similar and marginally sympatric ACG rain forest species found in Central America should be called A. pustulella. Neotypes are designated for Phalaena Tinea punctella Stoll, 1781 and Deiopeia aurea Fitch, 1857. Atteva fl oridana has identical barcodes to A. aurea and provisionally maintained as a synonym.

Wide-ranging barcoding aids discovery of one-third increase of species richness in presumably well-investigated moths

“…Many other species first detected by DNA differences have retrospectively been shown to be morphologically distinguishable, representing cases of cryptic or morphologically closely similar species33343536373839404142 (whether a species is similar enough to be ‘cryptic’ or not is a fine line). A remarkable amount of DNA barcode data has been generated during recent years in association with the campaigns of the International Barcode of Life Project (iBOL, http://ibol.org/).…”

Coleophora nepetellae Baldizzone & Nel, a new species of the C. lixella group (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae) from France and Italy

“…However, some specimens in four BINs (BOLD:AAB2197, BOLD:AAC8630, BOLD:ACM4218, BOLD:ACM4689, also labelled as ‘ lixella -group I–IV in Fig. 14) were characterized by pronounced barcode divergence similar or exceeding those of described species, suggesting that they constituted putative undescribed diversity, as has been documented elsewhere in Lepidoptera (for examples, see Huemer and Hebert 2011, Huemer et al 2012, Huemer et al 2013, Kaila and Mutanen 2012, Landry and Hebert 2013, Mutanen et al 2012a, b, Segerer et al 2011, Wilson et al 2010). Additionally, specimens identified as Coleophora lixella on the basis of genitalia separated into three different BINs which showed the shortest inter-group distances (1.4–1.6%) among all species analyzed.…”

Occurrence and development ofEucryptorrhynchus brandtiandE. chinensis(Coleoptera: Curculionidae) onAilanthus altissimatrees subjected to different levels of mechanical damage

“…Quassinoids and other types of terpenoids have been found in the bark, wood and seeds of A. altissima (Kundu & Laskar, 2010). The New World ailanthus webworm moth, Atteva aurea (Fitch) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae), as well as all other species of Atteva, feed on the leaves of several Simaroubaceae species (Becker, 2009;Kok, Salom, Yan, Herrick, & McAvoy, 2008;Wilson et al, 2010). This genus appears to have adapted to the unique chemical properties found in Simaroubaceae.…”