Review of the North American species of Rhopobota Lederer (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Eucosmini), with the description of a new species and a new subspecies mining leaves of hollies (Aquifoliaceae: Ilex Tourn. ex L.)

Abstract

The North American species of Rhopobota Lederer (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutinae: Eucosmini) are reviewed. All feed as larvae on hollies (Aquifoliaceae: Ilex Tourn. ex L.). The Holarctic species R. naevana (Hübner), which feeds on evergreen and deciduous hollies as well as ericaceous and other plants, overwinters as eggs and apparently never feeds as a leafminer. Rhopobota dietziana (Kearfott) s. str. is an external leaf feeder on various deciduous and evergreen hollies, overwintering as pupae, while R. dietziana glabricola Eiseman, new subspecies, was reared from larvae found mining leaves of inkberry (I. glabra (L.) A. Gray) in late March. Rhopobota finitimana (Heinrich) feeds initially as a leafminer, and later as a leaftier, on deciduous and evergreen hollies; it mostly overwinters as pupae, but on North Carolina’s coastal plain it overwinters as leaf-tying larvae on yaupon (I. vomitoria Aiton). Rhopobota opacae Eiseman, new species, has a larval biology similar to that of R. finitimana but is a specialist on American holly (I. opaca Aiton) and overwinters as leaf-mining larvae. This species previously has been confused with R. finitimana but differs substantially in its DNA barcode and female genitalia; the male differs more subtly in its genitalia, but can be distinguished externally by the location of the androconial scales. DNA barcodes of the other species are also discussed.