Ectoedemia spinosella (de Joannis, 1908)

(Figs 65–72, 174–184)

Nepticula spinosella de Joannis, 1908: 328.

Ectoedemia spinosella (de Joannis), in van Nieukerken 1986: 75, 76; Johansson et al. 1990: 317, 318; A. Laštůvka & Z. Laštůvka 1997: 209; Puplesis & Diškus, 2003: 186, 187.

Ectoedemia petrosa Puplesis, 1988: 282 (syn. nov.).

Ectoedemia petrosa Puplesis, in Puplesis 1994: 199, 200 (syn. nov.).

Material examined. 6 ♂, 11 ♀ (holotype and paratypes of Ectoedemia albiformae): Turkmenistan, western Kopet Dag Range, 40 km E Garrygala (= Kara Kala), 800m, 30.v.–27.vi.1993, R. Puplesis & A. Diškus, genitalia slide nos AD0422 ♂ (holotype), AD0420 ♂, AD0423 ♀, AD0425 ♂ (ZIN); 2 ♂ (paratypes of E. albiformae), same locality, 28.v.1988, R. Puplesis, genitalia slide nos AD0421, AD0426 (ZIN); 9 ♂, 12 ♀, same locality as holotype of E. albiformae, 13.vi–14.vii.1993, R. Puplesis and A. Diškus, genitalia slide nos AN 414♂, AN 415♂, AN 535♀ (ZIN); 24 ♂, 2 ♀ (holotype and paratypes of Ectoedemia petrosa), Tajikistan, 30 km N Dushanbe, Varzob Canyon, Kondara, 1200m, 28.vi.–21.viii.1986, R. Puplesis, genitalia slide nos AN 428♂, AN 429♂, AN 430♂, AN 431♂, AN 432♂, AN 433♂, AN 434♂, AN 435♂, AN 436♂, AN 437♂, AN 438♂, AN 439♂, AN 440♂, AN 441♂, AN 458♂ (holotype of E. petrosa) (ZIN); 21 ♂ (not type series, identified as E. petrosa by A. Navickaitė), same locality as holotype, 3–20.viii.1986, 18.viii.1989, 5.vii.–15.viii.1990, R. Puplesis (ZIN); 1 ♂, same locality as holotype, 02.vii.1991, R. Puplesis and A. Diškus (ZIN).

Diagnosis. This species belongs to the Ectoedemia angulifasciella species group. Externally, the combination of a brown to grey cream hair pencil surrounded by brown or ochre-brown (occasionally brown and white cream together) androconial scales of the upper side of the male hindwing (Figs 70–72) and a tuft of transverse bristles on the underside of male forewing (Figs 67–69) distinguishes E. spinosella from the most representatives of the group, except for E. tadshikiella; however, the latter has different male genitalia.

In the male genitalia, the combination of a very wide pseuduncus (Figs 174, 175, 179, 180), small caudal pro-cess of the gnathos (Figs 176, 181, 182), and pointed apical process of the valva (Figs 174, 182) distinguishes E. spinosella from other species of the group.

Remarks. Forewing length 1.5–2.3 mm; wingspan 3.2–5.0 mm. Forewing underside with a brown (Fig. 67) to brownish cream (Fig. 68) tuft of long bristles scales; occasionally the tuft can appear only as a few bristles (probably undeveloped or rubbed) (Fig. 69). Hindwing upper side with a brown, pale grey-brown (Figs 70, 71) or brownish cream (Fig. 72) hair pencil, surrounded by brown (Fig. 70) or ochre-brown (Figs 71, 72) androconial scales. In the type series of the former E. albiformae, some males with white cream androconia, some with brown, and some with both (mostly white and a few brown). For a full description see Nieukerken 1986 or Johansson et al. 1990; for a description of the former E. albiformae (now synonymized with E. spinosella), see Puplesis & Diškus 2003; for a description of the former E. petrosa (synonymized with E. spinosella), see Puplesis 1994: 199, 200.

Bionomics. Host plants are Prunus spp., Rosaceae. The leaf mine was described and illustrated by Johansson et al. 1990: 317, 318 (fig. 753). In Asia (the western Kopet Dag Range), larvae mine in May–early July; in Europe, from late June to October (Johansson 1990). In Asia (the western Kopet Dag Range), adults were collected in May–June; in Europe, adults fly in June–July (Johansson 1990).

Distribution. Known from Europe (except the northern regions) and the mountain ranges of Central Asia, where it seems to be abundant (Puplesis & Diškus 2003): the western Kopet Dag Range, Turkmenistan, at elevation of about 800 m (Fig. 1: Ko) and Hissor Range, Tajikistan (Fig. 1: Hr) (new distribution).

Remarks. We provide the first photographic documentation of the type-series specimens of S. albiformae Puplesis & Diškus (synonymized with S. spinosella) and E. petrosa Puplesis (now synonymized with E. spinosella), and report on new distribution of E. spinosella in Tajikistan. The holotypes and paratypes of E. albiformae and E. petrosa, earlier deposited at LEU (=VPU) will be transferred to ZIN (see Material & Methods).