Revised classification and catalogue of global Nepticulidae and Opostegidae (Lepidoptera, Nepticuloidea)

Abstract

A catalogue of all named Nepticulidae and Opostegidae is presented, including fossil species. The catalogue is simultaneously published online in the scratchpad http://nepticuloidea.info/ and in Catalogue of Life (http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/database/id/172). We provide a historical overview of taxonomic research on Nepticuloidea and a brief ‘state of the art’. A DNA barcode dataset with 3205 barcodes is made public at the same time, providing DNA barcodes of ca. 779 species, of which 2563 are identified as belonging to 444 validly published species. We recognise 862 extant and 18 fossil species of Nepticulidae in 22 extant genera and the fossil form genus Stigmellites. We count 192 valid Opostegidae species in 7 genera, without fossils. We also list seven dubious Nepticulidae names that cannot be placed due to absent type material and poor descriptions, 18 unavailable names in Nepticulidae that cannot be placed and we also list the 33 names (including four fossils) that once were placed as Nepticulidae or Opostegidae but are now excluded. All synonyms and previous combinations are listed. The generic classification follows the Molecular phylogeny that is published almost simultaneously. Subfamilies and tribes are not recognised, Trifurculinae Scoble, 1983 is synonymised with Nepticulidae Stainton, 1854 and Opostegoidinae Kozlov, 1987 is synonymised with Opostegidae Meyrick, 1893. The status of Casanovula Hoare, 2013, Etainia Beirne, 1945, Fomoria Beirne, 1945, Glaucolepis Braun, 1917, Menurella Hoare, 2013, Muhabbetana Koçak & Kemal, 2007 and Zimmermannia Hering, 1940 is changed from subgenus to full genus, whereas two genera are considered synonyms again: Manoneura Davis, 1979, a synonym of Enteucha Meyrick, 1915 and Levarchama Beirne, 1945, a synonym of Trifurcula Zeller, 1848. We propose 87 new combinations in Nepticulidae and 10 in Opostegidae, largely due to the new classification, and re-examination of some species. We propose the following 37 new synonymies for species (35 in Nepticulidae, 2 in Opostegidae): Stigmella acerifoliella Dovnar-Zapolski, 1969 (unavailable, = Stigmella acerna Puplesis, 1988), Stigmella nakamurai Kemperman & Wilkinson, 1985 (= Stigmella palionisi Puplesis, 1984), Nepticula amseli Skala, 1941 (unavailable = Stigmella birgittae Gustafsson, 1985), Stigmella cathepostis Kemperman & Wilkinson, 1985 (= Stigmella microtheriella (Stainton, 1854)), Stigmella populnea Kemperman & Wilkinson, 1985 (= Stigmella nivenburgensis (Preissecker, 1942)), Nepticula obscurella Braun, 1912 (revised synonymy, = Stigmella myricafoliella (Busck, 1900)), Nepticula mandingella Gustafsson, 1972 (= Stigmella wollofella (Gustafsson, 1972)), Stigmella rosaefoliella pectocatena Wilkinson & Scoble, 1979 (= Stigmella centifoliella (Zeller, 1848)), Micropteryx pomivorella Packard, 1870 (= Stigmella oxyacanthella (Stainton, 1854)), Stigmella crataegivora Puplesis, 1985 (= Stigmella micromelis Puplesis, 1985), Stigmella scinanella Wilkinson & Scoble, 1979 (= Stigmella purpuratella (Braun, 1917)), Stigm...

Stigmella multispicata Rociene. & Stonis, an Asian leafminer on Siberian elm, now widespread in eastern North America (Lepidoptera, Nepticulidae)

“… Stigmella ulmivora ; Beirne 1945: 199 [recombination]; van Nieukerken et al 2016: 105 [full synonymy].…”

“…Widespread throughout Europe, east to the Volga region in Russia (Johansson and Nielsen 1990, van Nieukerken 2017). The species occurs both in natural habitats and on trees in cities, often in large numbers (EJvN, personal observations).…”

“…In recent years, extensive collecting and genetic analyses have shown that the nepticulid fauna of North America is much richer than previously thought and also that more revisionary work of old types is needed. The first results of this research were summarized in the recent catalogues of global and Canadian Nepticulidae (van Nieukerken et al 2016, van Nieukerken 2018). Also, a revival of leafmine studies, partly made possible through online resources (BugGuide 2018, Moth Photographers Group 2018) resulted in an influx of new distribution records.…”

The American species of the genus Glaucolepis Braun, 1917 (Neotrifurcula van Nieukerken, syn. nov.) (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae)

“…The genus consists of at least four distinguishable entities, each with its own diagnostic characters, and referred to as species groups: the headleyella group (designated by Puplesis 1994), the raikhonae group (designated by van Nieukerken & Puplesis 1991), the saccharella group (designated by van Nieukerken et al 2016a), and the flagellata group. The flagellata group is designated here for the first time.…”

“…the Western Hemisphere (Braun 1917;Wilkinson & Scoble 1979;Puplesis & Robinson 2000;Puplesis et al 2002;Stonis et al 2016Stonis et al , 2017; Europe, reaching the highest diversity in the Mediterranean (e.g. Chrétien 1904Chrétien , 1907Chrétien , 1914Parenti 1963;Klimesh 1975Klimesh , 1978Klimesh , 1979Johansson et al 1990; van Nieukerken & Puplesis 1991;Puplesis 1994;Laštůvka & Laštůvka 1997, 1998, 2007van Nieukerken et al 2004Laštůvka et al 2013;Navickaitė et al 2014a, b); North Africa (Chrétien 1914(Chrétien , 1915; Asia (Puplesis 1985;van Nieukerken & Puplesis 1991;Puplesis 1994;Puplesis et al 1996;, including one species from southwestern India ; and South America (Puplesis & Robinson 2000;Puplesis et al, 2002;van Nieukerken et al 2016a;Stonis et al 2016Stonis et al , 2017, including two new species described from Argentina and Chile in this paper. Doorenweerd et al (2016) stated that more new species could possibly occur in East Asia and other regions.…”