Lepidoptera Science

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A new species, Eriocrania carpinella Mizukawa, Hirowatari & Hashimoto is described from the Tokai district (Aichi Prefecture) and the Kii Peninsula (Osaka, Nara, and Mie Prefectures), Japan. This species is inferred to be closely related to E.semipurpurella (Stephens) by morphological and molecular analyses, but distributional and biological differences between these species are obvious: 1) E.semipurpurella occurs in Hokkaido and mountainous areas of central and northern Honshu, while E.carpinella allopatrically occurs in lower elevations of central Honshu where located southern restricted areas of the southernmost distribution of E.semipurpurella; 2) E.semipurpurella utilizes Betula platyphylla var. japonica (Miq) Hara as a host plant, E.carpinella was found by rearing to feed on Carpinus laxiflora (Sieb. et Zucc.) Blume, and by molecular analyses to be conspecific with eriocraniid larvae feeding on C.cordata Blume and C.tschonoskii Maxim. Based on the distribution and molecular analyses, it is suggested that E.carpinella might originate from a host-shift during the Pliocene glacial fluctuation.

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We extracted blue bilin pigments from the wings of Graphium butterflies and of other butterfly species, and spectrophotometrically analyzed them by means of high performance liquid chromatography. The bilin pigments obtained were classified into two types; biliverdin type and sarpedobilin type. In the former, two absorption peaks were found both at 300-400nm (a so-called solet band) and at 600-700nm: the ratio of absorption maxima of 600-700nm/300-400nm was below 1. In the latter, by contrast, only one peak was clearly observed at 600-700nm, and the absorption value around the 300-400nm region was very low, with a ratio between the two of over 10. Distribution of the two pigment types among these butterflies species is discussed in relation to the phylogenetic relationships between them and to the light responsiveness of the blue/green coloration on the wings (as seen in G.sarpedon and G.maclayanum).

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Cross-breeding experiments between Pieris napi nesis from Hokkaido and P.napi japonica from Honshu were carried out. Cage pairing between ssp. nesis and ssp. japonica was successful. Among F1, F2, F3 generations which were obtained, only females of the F1 generation lacked reproductive ability. By contrast, males of F1 and both sexes of F2, F3 generations possessed reproductive ability. These results show that the relationship between the two taxa is correctly established at subspecific level.

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Four gelechiid species, Anarsia choana Park, A.ulneongensis Park & Ponomarenko, Bagdadia eucalla (Li & Zheng) and B.salicicola (Park) are newly recorded from Japan. The adults are redescribed with figures of adults and genitalia. The female genitalia of A.ulneongensis and B.eucalla are described for the first time.

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