Megacraspedus multispinella Junnilainen & Nupponen

Junnilainen, Jari & Nupponen, Kari, 2010, The gelechiid fauna of the southern Ural Mountains, part I: descriptions of seventeen new species (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 2366, pp. 1-34 : 11-13

Megacraspedus multispinella Junnilainen & Nupponen sp. n.

Figs. 19 & 26

Type material. Holotype: 3 (Fig. 19): Russia, S-Ural, Bashkiria, 51°54’N 57°43’E, 450 m, Sakmara river near Jantyshevo village, 20–21.VI.1996, K. Nupponen, J.-P. Kaitila, J. Junnilainen & M. Ahola leg. Genitalia slide: J. Junnilainen prep. no. 0 3022406 ( TKN, to be deposited in ZMH). Paratype: Russia, S-Ural, Cheliabinsk district, 53°57’N 59°03’E, 650 m, near Moskovo village, 18.VI.1998 (1 3), T. & K. Nupponen leg. Genitalia slide: J. Junnilainen prep. no. 0 3022602 (remounted 17.IV.2006 by K. Nupponen) ( TKN).

PLATE 4. Figures 16–21. Imagos of Megacraspedus species. 16. M. litovalvellus Junnilainen sp. n. (male, paratype); 17. M. litovalvellus (female, paratype); 18. M. leuca (Filipjev, 1929) (male, holotype; Sayan Mnts.); 19. M. multispinella Junnilainen & Nupponen sp. n. (male, holotype); 20. M. orenburgensis Junnilainen & Nupponen sp. n. (male, holotype); 21. M. orenburgensis (male, paratype); 22. M. albovenata Junnilainen sp. n. (male, holotype); 23. M. longipalpella Junnilainen sp. n. (male, paratype).

Diagnosis. Externally Megacraspedus multispinella sp. n. most resembles M. attritellus Staudinger, 1871 and M. orenburgensis sp. n. (see below), but may be separated from those by location of dark spots on the forewing. In M. attritellus costal and dorsal areas of the forewings are darker than the middle part of the wing, while in M. multispinella the forewings are evenly coloured. The male genitalia of M. multispinella differ from those of M. attritellus and M. orenburgensis by a distally slender aedeagus with numerous minute spines and without strong subapical teeth.

Description. Wingspan 11.5–13 mm. Head and thorax pure white, weakly mixed pale brownish. Antenna brown, basal ¼ mixed with white scales. Pecten a row of hairscales. Labial palp white, laterally and ventrally mixed with brown. Legs outwardly covered by white dark-tipped scales, inwardly white. Forewing lanceolate, ground colour white, evenly scattered dark brown tipped scales give an impression of greyish; markings consist of four dark and roundish spots: at 3/8 between fold and costa, at 2/ 5 in fold, at 5/8 and at 3/ 4 in cell. Hindwing grey.

Male genitalia (Fig. 26). Uncus subsquare. Gnathos hook strongly sclerotized, curved 90° at 2/7 from base, distal 5/7 almost straight, apex pointed upwards. Tegumen 1.5x as long as broad; anterior margin with median indentation, pedunculi somewhat rounded. Valva rather broad and slightly curved, basally with excavation at outer margin; apically bent and tapered, apex pointed. Posterior margin of vinculum concave. Saccus rather long and broad with distinct ventromedial ridge, widening towards tegumen, apex blunt. Aedeagus as long as tegumen and uncus together; caecum roundish; distal part slender, medially with numerous minute spines, subapically slightly swollen, apical 1/6 tapered.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Bionomy. The known habitats are rocky steppe slopes with lush low vegetation.

Distribution. Russia (S Ural).

Etymology. The species name alludes to the numerous minute spines in the aedeagus in the male genitalia.

Remarks. Systematically M. multispinella should be placed near M. attritellus . The species belonging to the attritellus -group (see also the next species below) are rather easy to separate from the other members of Megacraspedus by their small size. The male genitalia of M. attritellus indicate a close relationship to M. leuca (Filipjev, 1929) and M. consortiella Caradja, 1920 too, but differ by a shorter saccus and a very strong tooth at distal part of the aedeagus (see also redescription of M. attritellus in Junnilainen et al. 2010).