Achrysocharoides platanoidae Hansson & Shevtsova, 2010, sp. nov.

Achrysocharoides platanoidae sp. nov.

(Figs 1–12, 49, 63–64)

Diagnosis. Achrysocharoides platanoidae is similar to A. acerianus (Askew) but females differ in having the pedicel predominantly white to yellowish-white with base infuscate to brown (Fig. 49) (predominantly to completely infuscate in A. acerianus, Fig. 50), the hind coxa white with base infuscate to golden-green (Fig. 11) (basal third to half metallic in A. acerianus, Fig. 23), and longer flagellomeres, e.g. flagellomeres 1–3 together 5.4X as long as wide (Fig. 63) as compared to 4.4X as long as wide in A. acerianus (Fig. 61). Males also differ in having longer flagellomeres, e.g. flagellomeres 1–4 together 9.4X as long as wide (Fig. 64) as compared to 8.5X as long as wide in A. acerianus (Fig. 62) and the hind coxa white with the base infuscate to golden-green (Fig. 12) (basal third to half metallic in A. acerianus, Fig. 24).

Description. FEMALE. Length 1.1–1.6 mm.

Scape white; pedicel white to yellowish-white with base infuscate to brown; flagellum dark brown. Frons below frontal suture golden-green with blue tinges, above frontal suture metallic blue. Vertex metallic bluishgreen. Mesoscutum, scutellum and propodeum metallic bluish-green. Legs white, hind coxa with base infuscate to golden-green. Wings hyaline. Gaster metallic bluish-green.

Antenna as in Fig. 63. Frons with raised and strong reticulation, antennal scrobes smooth. Vertex inside ocellar triangle with raised and strong reticulation, outside ocellar triangle with raised and weak reticulation, partly smooth. Occipital margin rounded.

Mesoscutum with raised and strong reticulation; notauli as indistinct impressions in posterior 2/3. Scutellum with raised and strong reticulation, without scutellar pits. Dorsellum slightly convex, almost flat, and smooth. Propodeum smooth and shiny; propodeal callus with three setae. Forewing speculum closed below. Petiole conical without shoulders.

Ratios. HE/MS/WM = 3.2/1.0/1.6; POL/OOL/POO = 5.7/2.3/1.0; WH/WT = 1.2; LW/LM/HW = 1.8/1.0/ 1.2; PM/ST = 0.8; MM/LG = 0.8–0.9.

MALE. Length 1.3–1.7 mm.

Scape and pedicel yellowish-white; flagellum dark brown. Frons below level of toruli golden-green, above level of toruli metallic blue. Vertex golden-green. Mesoscutum and scutellum golden-green or metallic bluish-green. Propodeum metallic bluish-green. Legs white, hind coxa with base infuscate to golden-green. Wings hyaline. Gaster with first tergite with anterior 1/4 golden-green, posterior 3/4 dark brown, anteromedially with a large white spot; remaining tergites 3/4 dark brown.

Antenna as in Fig. 64. Frons below level of toruli smooth and shiny, between level of toruli and frontal suture with strong and transverse striae, above frontal suture medially with raised and rather weak reticulation and close to eyes smooth. Vertex inside ocellar triangle with engraved and weak reticulation, outside ocellar triangle predominantly smooth. Occipital margin rounded.

Mesoscutum with raised and strong reticulation; notauli as indistinct impressions in posterior 2/3. Scutellum with raised and strong reticulation, without scutellar pits. Dorsellum slightly convex, almost flat, and smooth. Propodeum smooth and shiny; propodeal callus with three setae. Forewing speculum closed below. Petiole conical without shoulders.

Ratios. HE/MS/WM = 1.8/1.0/1.1; POL/OOL/POO = 2.3/1.0/1.1; WH/WT = 1.3; LW/LM/HW = 1.9/1.0/ 1.3; PM/ST = 0.5; MM/LG = 0.9–1.1.

Distribution. Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Host. Phyllonorycter platanoidella (Joannis) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) on Acer platanoides.

Material examined. Holotype female labeled SWEDEN: Skåne, Silvåkra, 55°41'N, 13°30'E, 26.vi.2007, C. Hansson & E. Shevtsova (LUZM). Paratypes: 17 females 5 males with same label data as holotype (BMNH, CH, LUZM, NHMV); 1 male from same locality as holotype but collected 17.x.1981 (CH); 1 male “ SWEDEN: Skåne, Lake Kranke, Lottagården, 55°42'N, 13°29'E, 1.vii.2007, C. Hansson” (CH); 5 females “ SWEDEN: Skåne, Torna Hällestad, 55°41'N, 13°25'E, 18.vii.1981, C. Hansson” (CH, LUZM); 5 females, 1 male from same locality as previous but collected 16.x.1981 (CH, BMNH); 7 females “ SWEDEN: Skåne, Dalby, 9.vii.1981, C. Hansson” (CH, LUZM); 2 males “ SWEDEN: Skåne, Höör, Jularp, 22.vii.1979, C. Hansson” (CH); 4 females 3 males “ UNITED KINGDOM: Berkshire, Ascot, Silwood Park [no date], C.L. Vaamonde” (BMNH). All specimens are reared from Phyllonorycter platanoidella on Acer platanoides.

Identification. To include A. platanoidae in the latest key to European Achrysocharoides (Bryan 1980) the following additions should be made for females:

6. Hind coxa white with basal 1/3 to1/2 metallic............................................................................................................. 7 - Hind coxa white with only dorso-basal 1/5 metallic.................................................................................................. 7a 7. Scape white with inner-apical part pale brown; on Acer................................................................. acerianus (Askew) - Entire scape white or yellowish-white; on Quercus......................................................................... latreilleii (Curtis) 7a. Pedicel white to yellowish-white with base infuscate to brown (Fig. 49).................................... platanoidae sp. nov. - Pedicel dark brown as flagellomeres.................................................................................................... butus (Walker)

and for males:

10. Scutellar pits absent and mesoscutum with strong reticulation (Figs 6, 18)............................................................ 10a - Scutellar pits usually present (see fig. 1 in Bryan 1980), but if absent then mesoscutum with weak reticulation... 11 10a. Flagellomeres 1–4 together 9.4X as long as wide (Fig. 64); hind coxa with dorso-basal 1/5 infuscate to metallic (Fig.

12)................................................................................................................................................. platanoidae sp. nov. - Flagellomeres 1–4 together 8.5X as long as wide (Fig. 62); hind coxa with basal 1/3 to 1/2 metallic (Fig. 24)...........

......................................................................................................................................................... acerianus (Askew) Etymology. Named after the host plant, Acer platanoides, of its lepidopteran host.

Remarks. Askew & Ruse (1974) mention some additional material under the treatment of A. acerianus, two males and eight females from Phyllonorycter acerifoliella (Zeller) on Acer campestre. These specimens were not included in the description of A. acerianus, and hence not included in the type material, but were nevertheless regarded as conspecific with A. acerianus. This material differed from “typical” A. acerianus in having completely pale hind coxae and slightly longer funicle segments. We were not able to examine these specimens but in view of the diagnostic characters given above, it is possible that they belong to A. platanoidae, or to a new species close to A. platanoidae.

The species cited as A. acerianus in Lopez-Vaamonde et al. (2005) is actually A. platanoidae, and the gene sequences accounted for in that paper, and deposited in GeneBank, concern A. platanoidae not A. acerianus.