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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Gelechiidae 59a0455 – 1848   Leucogoniella californica (Keifer, 1930)

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Synonymy: californica (Keifer, 1930) (Epithectis) - MONA 1983: 1848 Host Plants: Shropshire & Tallamy (2025) [accessed 6xii2025]: Host familiy: Detritophagous.  Host genera: Detritophagous[plant].  Notes: leaf litter under Holodiscus (Powell & Opler 2009). Description: The DNA barcode for BOLD Sample ID CCDB-32974-G02 (USNMENT01523074, a paratype of californica) is only 408 bp, falling short of the 500 bp threshold required for automatic BIN assignment. Nevertheless, neighbor-joining (NJ) tree analysis clusters this sequence within BIN: BOLD:ABW8339. Caution: Battaristis concinnusella, B. nigratomella, Leucogoniella subsimella, and L. californica may not be reliably separated using external characters. Along with L. distincta, DNA barcode nests them in a single cluster within the genus Battaristis. Genitalia: See Keifer (1930) p. 33, figs. 1a, 1b Similar  : Species 59a0466 Battaristis concinnusella 59a0468 Battaristis nigratomella 59a0457 Leucogoniella subsimella Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)

References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)

Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced. Barcode of Life (BOLD) - BIN: BOLD:ABW8339 - Caution: DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification. Keifer, H.H., 1930. California Microlepidoptera IV. The Pan-Pacific Entomologist, 7(1): 27-34. Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online) Species Page at BugGuide.Net Species Page at iNaturalist

LG - holotype – © Chris Grinter

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