Bucculatrix adelpha Braun 1963

Bucculatrix adelpha new species (Figs. 124, 124a, 127. 127a, 127b.)
Face white, with faint ocherous tinge, tuft laterally whitish, shading through pale yellowish brown to dark brown centrally; eye-caps white, w T ith faint ocherous tinge, antennal stalk dark brown, with paler annulations. Thorax brown, tegulae with a fine white lateral line continuing as the basal streak of the wing. Fore wing broader than in angustata, brown, somewhat darkened toward costa between the white costal streaks ; from base of costa, a whitish longitudinal streak to one-fourth the wing length sometimes continues as a barely perceptible pale shade to one-third the wing length ; before middle of costa an oblique white streak, and at two-thirds of costa a less oblique white streak, its inner dark margin prolonged along the disc as a black, usually irregular line ; before apex a curved white streak extending into the white cilia above apex and usually enclosing an irregular black apical spot; before middle of dorsum a curved white streak, margined outwardly within the dorsal margin by black slightly raised scales, which may continue along the fold to the apex of a second white or whitish less oblique dorsal streak; rarely a white streak above tornus mostly in the cilia points toward the apex of the second costal streak and may nearly meet it ; from apical spot a broken line of black-tipped scales along termen ; a conspicuous line of black-tipped scales through cilia from the white costal cilia to tornus. Hind wings and cilia dark gray. Legs dark gray, tarsal segments pale at base and inwardly, tibial hairs pale gray. Abdomen dark fuscous above, paler beneath.
Alar expanse 8 to 9.4 mm.
Male genitalia (figs. 127, 127a, 127b). Harpe bilobed and broad at apex, the opposing surfaces with short heavy setae ; socii elongate, widely separated, setose ; anellus with a minute bilobed flap at apex ; aedeagus broad at base, rapidly tapering to the two-valved apex; vinculum rounded anteriorly, a quadrate projection posteriorly. Scale sac present.
Female genitalia (figs. 124, 124a). Ostium in a basally broad sclerotized depression, with narrower posterior margin thickened ; sclerotized basal half of segment 8 beset with minute spinules ; short specialized scales at margin of intersegmental membrane beneath 7 ; ductus bursae weakly sclerotized near ostium ; signum of long radiating spined ribs, becoming very short dorsally, producing a flattened somewhat leaf-shaped aspect.
Type. — 8, East Ottawa, Ontario, June 10, 1945, "Bred from Aster cordifolius" (J. H. McDunnough) [C.N. Coll., Type No. 7176].
Allotype— 9, Ottawa. Ontario, July 10 ( C. H. Young) [C.N. Coll., Type No. 7176].
Paratypes. — 4 $ , Merivale, Ontario, June 25, 1956, reared on Aster, cocoons accompanying (G. G. Lewis); 1 $, Bobcaygeon, Ontario, June 29, 1931 (J. McDunnough); 1 8, Hull, Quebec, June 20, 1955 (T. N. Freeman); 2 $, Smith's Cove, N. S., July 19, July 20, 1945 (J. McDunnough) [all C.N. Coll.].
No details of larval habits are available; the white cocoons, which accompany reared specimens, are similar to those of angustata Frey and Boll.
B. adelpha is the nearest ally of angustata, closely resembling it in wing markings and agreeing with it in the unique signum, but differing from it in the broader fore wings, and short basal longitudinal streak which never attains the mid-length of the wing. In genitalia, the very differently shaped harpe, and the sharply defined sclerotized area into which the ostium opens at once differentiate it from that species.

Bucculatrix adelpha is a moth species in the family Bucculatricidae. It was first described in 1963 by Annette Frances Braun, and is found in North America, where it has been recorded in Ontario, Indiana and Maine.

The wingspan is 8-9.4 mm. The forewings are brown, somewhat darkened toward the costa between white costal streaks. A whitish longitudinal streak runs from the base of the costa to about one-fourth the wing length. There is an oblique white streak before the middle of the costa and a less oblique white streak at two-thirds of the costa. The hindwings are dark grey. Adults have been recorded on wing in June and July.

The larvae feed on Aster species, including Aster cordifolius.