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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Gelechiidae 59a0920 – 2055   Chionodes abella (Busck, 1903)

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Description/ Field Marks: At BOLD there are two BIN groups representing abella, BOLD:ADH4324 and BOLD:AAB6065. The former may refer to true abella based on locality and wing pattern. The latter may refer to a cryptic species with specimens collected in the Pacific Northwest having wing pattern similar to C. periculella and quite different from the holotype of abella. The two BINs are fairly well separated by DNA barcode. However, Hodges (1999), MONA Fascicle 7.6, seems to expand the concept of abella to include what we see in both BINs. His spread specimen, pl.1, fig. 47, matches many in BOLD:AAB6065. Likewise genitalia of a specimen in BOLD:AAB6065 match very well one of the two illustrated by Hodges. Pending further work on this complex, we treat both BINs as abella. (Notes based on conversation with Jean-François Landry, 25 Oct, 2022.) Similar Species: Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.) Synonymy: abella (Busck, 1903) (Gelechia) - MONA 1983: 2055   Type locality: Colorado. Taxonomic Notes: Chionodes abella (Busck, 1903) is a member of the "abella-complex” in Hodges (1999).

References

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification, and some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced. Barcode of Life (BOLD) - BIN: BOLD:ADH4324 - Caution: DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification. Busck, A., 1903. A Revision of the American Moths of the Family Gelechiidae, with Descriptions of New Species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 25(1304): 889. Hodges, R. W., 1999. Moths of America North of Mexico, Fascicle 7.6, p. 79; pl. 1.43-47. order or free PDF Powell, J. A. & P. A. Opler, 2009. Moths of Western North America, Pl. 8.32f, 8.32m; p. 92. Book Review and ordering Species Page at BugGuide.Net U.S. National Entomological Collection (USNM) - Holotype ♀

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