Coleophora granulatella Zeller 1849

21. Coleophora granulatella Zeller, 1849 (Coleophoridae)

Coleophora granulatella Zeller, 1849: 371. Type locality: Poland and Austria.

BOLD:AAB3655

Palearctic distribution. Europe to China.

New North American records. Canada: Alberta, Dunvegan Prov Pk, 18 Jul 2003, 10 ♂, 2 ♀ (CNC). British Columbia, Tranquille Ecological Reserve, 17 Aug 2007, 1 ♂ (CNC). Ontario, Presqu’Ile Prov Pk, 25 Jul 1985, 7 ♂, 6 ♀ (CNC, MZH). Yukon, Carcross sand dunes, 12 Jul 1994, 1 ♂, 3 ♀ (MZH); Whitehorse, 11 Jul 2006 1 ♂, 3 ♀ (CNC); Kusawa Lake, 16 Jul 2006, 1 ♀ (CNC). USA: Arizona, Cochise Co., Huachuca Mts, Miller Canyon, 4 Aug 1999, 1 ♀ (CNC). Colorado, Chaffee Co., nr Buena Vista, 8–17 Jul 1982, 4 ♂ 1 ♀ (CNC, USNM); nr Central City, 13 Jul 1993, 1 ♂ (MZH). Michigan, Mackinac County, ex Artemisia campestris, em 8 Jun 1998, 1 ♀ (CNC). Wyoming, Laramie Co., Gowdy State Pk, 7 Jul 1993, 1 ♂ (CNC). Washington, Hanford Reach National Monument, 30 Aug 2002, 1 ♂ (CNC). Widely distribution from Ontario west to Colorado and north to the Yukon. Most records are from the West.

Diagnosis. An overall pale species with pale ochreous-buff forewings with the veins highlighted in white and a fine peppering of dark brown scales arranged into very indistinct thin, dotted streaks, and antennae mostly white or indistinctly annulated. Several specimens have the ochreous-buff of the forewings very pale giving them a dirty white appearance. Superficially it is confusingly similar to many species found in the West, including several that are undescribed (JFL, unpublished data) and genitalia must be examined for identification. In male genitalia, the tegumen is rather similar to that of atriplicis but less constricted at the pedunculus, and the gnathos is wider; the vinculum is broadly U-shaped and not antero-ventrally protruded, the sacculus is widely angulate with a rounded ventral process and a strong finger-like dorsal process extended to the dorsal margin of cucullus, and proportionally small tongue-like cucullus; the juxta rods are subequal each with a subapical hump; and the outer tube is subequal in length to the juxta rods with a single thick cornutus. In female genitalia, S8 is elongate-trapezoidal with a roundly indented posterior margin, colliculum heavy and slightly longer than S8, ductus bursae with a commashaped spinulate section and unlooped membranous section, and proportionally small corpus bursae with a single, small thorn-like signum.

Larval host. Artemisia campestris (Asteraceae); the larva develops in the seeds.

Note. This overlooked species is most likely native to North America with a Holarctic distribution. This conclusion is supported by its predominantly interior western distribution, its occurrence in the Yukon and in the Peace River grasslands in northern Alberta, and association with the presence of sage at all reported localities.