Blastodacna libanotica
| Blastodacna libanotica | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Blastodacna libanotica | ||||||||||||
| Diakonoff , 1939 |
Blastodacna libanotica is a butterfly ( moth ) fromthe grass leaf miner family (Elachistidae).
features
The moths reach a wingspan of 14 to 15 millimeters. The head shines white. The antennae are ringed white and gray. The thorax is gray and has two gray-white spots in front and a white band behind. The tegulae are gray and have white rear corners. The forewings are dark gray-brown and paler at the base of the inner wing edge. The costal line is white and mixed with ocher and brown scales . In the disk region there is a reddish brown spot, which is bordered by white lines in the form of a triangle. There are two dark brown, raised tufts of scales on the front wing. The first is below the costal fold just before the middle of the wing, the second and larger is on the inner edge of the wing of the white triangle. In the apical area there is an indistinct, broken white line. The fringed scales are ocher gray, dark brown at the apex and have two black cross lines. The hind wings shimmer light gray.
In the males the uncus is very short and distally rounded. The gnathos arms are long, tapered distally, and bent back toward the center of the tegumen . The tip is mushroom-shaped and has four rows of spines. The tegumen is long and tapered distally. The blades are long and narrowest at the base, they widen to the apex, the tip is rounded. The anellus lobes are wide and fork-shaped. The Costalarm is longer and pointed, the thickest area is in front of the tip. The dorsal arms are parallel and curved inward at the apex. The aedeagus is strong and pointed distally. On the vesica there are two parallel rows with four large thorns each.
In females, the apophyses widen significantly distally. The genital plate is more or less trapezoidal and, with the exception of the middle, strongly prickly. The antrum is very broad, concave in shape and prickly. The ductus bursae has a bulbous section that is directly connected to the antrum. The corpus bursae has no sign.
Talkhoud (1948) describes the egg as light brown. However, this observation comes from shrunken eggs from which no caterpillars hatched. In comparison, the eggs of other Blastodacna species are initially translucent white, later they are opaque yellow and finally brownish.
The caterpillars are quite short and thick. The head is dark brown and has an oval group of six striking white ocelles on each side . The mandibles are light brown. The prothoracic plate is dark brown, mixed in white and divided dorsally . The anal plate is small and dark brown. The thoracic legs have a dark brown band on each segment. The abdomen is leg-colored. The belly legs and the pusher are whitish and a brown band runs over the pusher.
The pupa reaches a length of 5.6 to 6.5 millimeters and is pale brown. The front and back parts are darker. The wing sheaths are quite short and only reach the middle of the sixth abdominal segment. In contrast, the wing sheaths in Blastodacna atra almost reach the end of the abdomen. On the combined ninth and tenth segment there are two leg-like protrusions that are at an angle of 30 to 60 degrees to the abdomen. These are tightly provided with hook-like bristles at the front. There is no Kremaster .
Similar species
Blastodacna libanotica can be distinguished from other species by the whitish costal margin of the forewings and the white triangular markings.
distribution
Blastodacna libanotica is common in Asia Minor and the Middle East .
biology
The caterpillars develop on pears ( Pyrus ). From summer to the beginning of autumn, the caterpillars create feeding channels in thin twigs. These start at a 30-degree angle and then point upwards. The feeding activity creates an elongated plant bile that is 11.5 to 13.5 millimeters long and 7.3 to 8.6 millimeters wide. It is more or less constricted in the middle and has a round opening at the bottom. There can be several galls on one branch. Before pupation, the caterpillars enlarge the opening and smooth an annular area around the opening. At the end of autumn, the caterpillars pupate in the gall. The moths hatch from February to May. In Turkey , the species was first detected in 2003 on pears.
swell
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d J. C. Koster, S. Yu. Sinev: Momphidae, Batrachedridae, Stathmopodidae, Agonoxenidae, Cosmopterigidae, Chrysopeleiidae . In: P. Huemer, O. Karsholt, L. Lyneborg (eds.): Microlepidoptera of Europe . 1st edition. tape 5 . Apollo Books, Stenstrup 2003, ISBN 87-88757-66-8 , pp. 76 (English).
- ↑ a b Sjaak (JC) Koster, Hikmet Özbek, Irfan Aslan, Twan (ALM) Rutten: Blastodacna libanotica Diakonoff, 1939 - a pest on pear in Turkey (Agonoxenidae). Nota lepidopterologica 27 (1): 33-40