Buletin de Informare Entomologică Vol. 23 / 2012

Stenoptilia pneumonanthes (Büttner, 1880), (Lepidoptera, Pterophoridae), the first record in Romania. Cristian Sitar, Natalia Timuș & László Rakosy Abstract. Stenoptilia pneumonanthes este pentru prima dată semnalată în România, de la Răscruci, Județul Cluj. Indivizii au fost colectați din teren sub formă de larve și crescuți în laborator. Determinarea s-a făcut cu ajutorul armăturii genitale. Abstract. Stenoptilia pneumonanthes is recorded for the first time in Romania, at Răscruci, Cluj county. The individuals were collected from the field as caterpillars and raised in a laboratory. The identification was made on the basis of genitalia. Keywords: Stenoptilia pneumonanthes, Pterophoridae, first record, Cluj county The species was encountered at Luna de Jos, Dabaca and Borsa, Cluj county (Fig.l) from 2011 to 2012 when I have been studying the biology of Maculinea alcon xerofila species, respectively M. alcon alcon. In order to observe the behaviour of Maculinea cater­pillars, I have collected Gentiana cruciata from the field, containing the eggs of the butter­fly. To our surprise, among the caterpillars of Maculinea, there were other tiny, green larvae inside the buds that became chrysalids in 1-2 days. From these chrysalids, Stenoptilia pneumonanthes individuals emerged, from the Pterophoridae family, a species not yet doc­umented in Romania. Species identification was performed with the help of the female genitalia (Fig.2). Stenoptilia pneumonanthes has localized populations. The species has been encountered in humid meadows where Gentiana pneumonanthes, the host plant, grows with Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis and Molinia caerulea. S. pneumonanthes can be encoun­tered also in dry meadows (Fig.3), on sandy grounds, with scrubs of hawthorn and blac­­thom, where one can find G cruciata (Fig.4) (GlELlS 1996). Diagnosis. The wingspan is 17-22 mm. The wings are grey-bownish. The fore wings show one black dot. The first lobe of the forewing shows a dark brown longitudinal line, and on the second lobe there are several black scales, but without forming a well contoured design (Fazekas 1997) (Fig.5). The larvae are green and show more longitudinal white lines (Fig.6). S. pneumonanthes resembles very much with S. graphodactyla. The differences between the two species is observed on the female genitalia. The female genitalia of S. pneumonan­thes has the ostium excavated deeper than in the species S. gaphodactyla (Fig.7) (GlELlS 1996). Males genitalia of the two species is very similar. 5

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