Altenia Sattler

Altenia Sattler

Altenia Sattler, 1960: 58.

Type species: Gelechia perspersella Wocke, 1862, by original designation.

Description. Imago. Labial palpus with third segment longer than second. Clypeus with ventral margin sinuate. Antenna longer than half forewing length. Ocellus present. Posterior area of sitophore with four campaniform sensilla in asymmetrical trapezoid, posterior pair closer together than anterior pair; anterior area with four or six campaniform sensilla. Forewing lanceolate to slender (length/width ratio 4.4) with tufts of raised scales; R5, M1, M2, and M3 separate, CuA1 and CuA2 present; median fascia absent or present, if present, transverse or directed from base of costa toward posterior margin. Hindwing (length/width ratio 3.3) with R5 and M1 stalked, M2 and M3 separate, M3 and CuA1 connate. Male abdominal sternum VIII with posterior margin slightly emarginate mesially; tergum VIII lingulate, with pair of hair pencils anterolaterally. Female abdominal segment VIII without special modifications, membranous to strongly sclerotized, with only lateral areas strongly sclerotized in some species.

Male genitalia: uncus deeply bifid for ½ or more length, with two digitate processes; gnathos absent; saccular part of valva absent; costal part of valva well developed or reduced; tegumen basal width/length ratio 1.6; vinculum well developed to small, with pair of processes; phallus broad, stout, without cornuti.

Female genitalia: apophyses anteriores about 1.5 x length of abdominal segment VIII; ostium bursae near anterior margin of sternum VIII, surrounded by small sclerotized plate; ductus bursae longer than length of corpus bursae, smooth or covered with microtrichia; corpus bursae distinct; signum large, rhomboid, with serrate margins.

Larva: Head and prothoracic shield yellowish; body with black pinacula (Emmet 2002).

Pupa. Less than 6 mm in length, maxillary palpi touching or adjacent to genae; antennae adjacent to each other for about 3 x greater distance than the length of visible ends of metathoracic legs; pronotum with midline length 1/3 or less greatest lateral length; prothoracic legs separated from oculi; abdomen usually lacking setae (Patoèka and Turcáni 2005).

Diagnosis. The definition of Altenia is based primarily on the deeply bifid uncus with a pair of digitate lobes, which is shared with Argyrolacia and Xenolechi a (Fig. 33). Argyrolacia differs from Altenia in having CuA2 absent in the forewing. Xenolechia can be distinguished by lacking the valva in male genitalia.

Hosts. Empetraceae: Empetrum nigrum L. (A. perspersella). Anacardiaceae: Pistacia vera L. (A. modesta). Aceraceae: Acer spp. (A. scriptella). (Bradford and Sokoloff 1988; Danilevsky 1955; Emmet 1988, 2002; Kaitila 1996; Sattler 1982; Schütze 1931).

Diversity and distribution. The seven species of Altenia occur throughout Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa (Huemer and Karsholt 1999, 2001).