Introduction

TREMATERRA & SAMMUT (2007) recorded no less than 68 species of Tortricidae from the Maltese Islands. SAMMUT (2020) increased their number to 73 species, adding Cydia aldocataniae Trematerra, 2019, Cydia rymarczyki Varenne & Nel, 2013, Cydia blackmoreana (Walsingham, 1903), Aethes rubiginana (Walsingham, 1903) and Cnephasia heringi Razowski, 1958.

The genus Clavigesta Obraztsov, 1946 contains four species, all occurring in Europe and their larva bores inside the pine Pinus sp. needles. Two species, Clavigesta tokei Larsen and Clavigesta gerti Larsen have been described in 2010 (LARSEN, 2010), and these have a much wider European distribution. In the checklist by SAMMUT (2020), Clavigesta should be placed after Rhyacionia Hübner, [1825], and before Cydia Hübner, [1825].

Material examined: MALTA, Dwejra l/o Rabat, (35º 54’ 21”N; 14º 22’ 52”E, 200 m.), 5 ♂♂, 19-X2020, A. Catania leg.; 28 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 19-X-2021, leg P. Sammut, A. Catania, A. Seguna and J. J. Borg leg; Naxxar, (35º 54’ 35”N; 14º 26’ 29”E, 108 m.), 1 ♀, 23-IX-2021; 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 8-X-2021; 5 ♂♂, 10-X2021; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 12-X-2021; 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, 14-X-2021; 2 ♂♂, 15-X-2021; 7 ♂♂, 16-X-2021; 5 ♂♂, 20-X2021; 3 ♂♂, 22-X-2021. All specimens from Naxxar collected by A. Seguna.

The material examined was mostly collected using a 15W. Actinic light. However, a small percentage was attracted to 250W MV light. The collecting site at Naxxar is a residential area with some mature and fully grown Pinus halepensis Mill. planted for landscaping. On the other hand, the Dwejra site is in open, karst countryside with a small wood of mature Pine trees. Unfortunately, when the population from Naxxar was discovered and identified, the flight period of the species was nearing its end so we could not verify if it occurred also in other places where pine trees are present, such as at Buskett, Miz. ieb, Kennedy Grove and various other localities. A detailed survey of these sites will be carried out in the future.

Clavigesta gerti is known to occur in Spain, the Balearic Islands, Corsica (LARSEN, 2010) and Sicily (K. Larsen com. pers.). As with the Type material, also here in Malta a very large proportion of the examined material consisted of male specimens, with a total of 63 specimens compared to five females. However, from two females collected from Naxxar, one of the authors (AS) obtained ova which hatched after about three weeks and at the time of writing they were still feeding of pine needles.

Figures 1-2.–
1a. MALTA, Naxxar, ♂, 10-X-2021, Seguna leg. 1b. Dwejra, l/o Rabat, ♂, 19-X-2021, Sammut leg. 2. Map of Malta showing localities mentioned in the text.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr Knud Larsen of Denmark for his help in confirming by genitalia the identity of specimens from Malta.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

LARSEN, K., 2010.– The genus Clavigesta (Lepidotera: Tortricidae) with description of two new species.– Phegea, 38(2): 41-54.

SAMMUT, P. M., 2020.– Systematic and Synonymic list of the Lepidoptera of the Maltese Islands: xxii + 216 pp. Malta.

TREMATERRA, P. & SAMMUT, P. M., 2007.– Lepidoptera Tortricidae of the Maltese Fauna.– Bollettino di Zoologia Agraria e di Bachicoltura, Ser. II, 39(1): 1-34.

Notas de autor

aldocatania47@gmail.com