Coleophora glitzella Hofmann 1869

20. Coleophora glitzella Hofmann, 1869 (Coleophoridae)

Coleophora glitzella Hofmann, 1869: 119. Type locality: Germany and Poland.

BOLD:ABZ4058

Palearctic distribution. Palaearctic: Western, Central and Northern Europe (Baldizzone et al. 2006).

New North American records. Canada: Yukon, marsh 31 km E of Dawson, 5 ♂, 2 ♀; bog 60 km E of Dawson, 2 ♂; km 30 on Dempster Hwy, 2 ♂; 16 km southeast of Whitehorse, 1 ♂; all specimens collected in early July 1994 (CNC, MZH).

Diagnosis. A species with an ochreous-buff or pale grey external appearance and forewings lacking irrorations or variegations, and markedly annulated antennae. Some of the Yukon specimens are very pale, almost whitish buff. Superficially this species is very difficult to distinguish from other similarly coloured Coleophora and variation in the ground colour intensity enhances this confusion, but it is easily recognized on genitalia. Male genitalia resemble those of murinella Tengström. In male glitzella, the apex of the sacculus is distinctly notched to form a small tooth-like process; the cucullus is as long as the valvula and digitiform, the juxta rods are short, stubby with an unarmed, weakly sclerotized apex, the outer tube of the phallus is 2x the length of the juxta, and the vesica has a single slender cornutus. In male murinella, the apex of the sacculus is pointed but not toothed, the cucullus is broad, stubby and shorter than the valvula, the outer tube of the phallotheca is proportionally shorter, less than 1.5x the length of the juxta complex, and there are 5–6 slender cornuti. In female glitzella, S8 is a simple transversely rectangular plate, the ostium bursae is crescentic, the colliculum is longer than S8 and medially constricted, the spinulate section of the ductus bursae is about half the length of the ductus and nearly straight except for a short distal twist, and the ovipositor is very short with broad papillae anales; in murinella the spinulate section of the ductus bursae is proportionally much shorter and broader.

Larval host. Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Ericaceae). Razowski (1990) reported Vaccinium uliginosum, which appears incorrect because it is not an evergreen species like vitis-idaea. The larva of glitzella overwinters within the mine (MM, pers. obs.).

Note. It is likely that this species shares a northern Holarctic distribution together with its host plant. In North America the related murinella Tengström, which reportedly also feeds on Vaccinium vitis-idaea, is recorded only from Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Both species are probably more widely distributed in northern Canada but undercollected.