Megacraspedus albovenata Junnilainen

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 : 14-16

Megacraspedus albovenata Junnilainen sp. n.

Figs. 22 & 28

Type material. Holotype: 3 (Fig. 22): Russia, S-Ural, Cheliabinsk district, 52°39’N 59°34’E, 350 m, Arkaim reserve near Amurskii village, 14–19.VI.1996, K. Nupponen, J.-P. Kaitila, J. Junnilainen & M. Ahola leg. Genitalia slide: J. Junnilainen prep. no. 0 0 0 22708 ( JJ, to be deposited in ZMH). Paratypes (65 3): 55 3 same data as holotype ( JJ, JPK, TKN, ZMH). Russia, S-Ural: Cheliabinsk district: 53°59’N 61°12’E, 250 m, Troizkii reserve near Berlin village, 30.VI.1997 (8 3), K. Nupponen & J. Junnilainen leg. ( JJ, TKN); Orenburg district: 50°58’N 54°25’E, 100 m, near Burannoe village, Ilek river valley, 12.VI.2001 (2 3), K. Nupponen leg. ( TKN). Genitalia slides: J. Junnilainen prep. no. 0 0 0 22709, 0 0 0 22710, 0 2012405, 0 2022401, 02022403; K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/ 08.IV.2008.

Diagnosis. M. albovenata sp. n. belongs to the balneariellus group. Habitually M. albovenata is easy to separate from the other species of Megacraspedus by the distinct pure white vein lines on the forewing. The male genitalia indicate a close relationship to M. balneariellus (Chrétien, 1907) , but the new species differs from that by a broader uncus and pedunculi, a more robust gnathos hook and tegumen and a longer aedeagus.

Description. Wingspan 16–17 mm. Haustellum, head, thorax and tegulae ochreous white. Antenna brown and weakly serrate. Pecten a row of hairscales. Labial palp long, only slightly curved downwards and covered with long hair scales; upperside pure white, laterally and ventrally greyish brown, more or less mixed whitish. Abdomen ochreous grey. Legs pale ochreous, sometimes faintly scattered with brown scales. Forewing ground colour pale ochreous with scattered brown scales; vein lines distinctly pure white, fringe fuscous. Hindwing pale fuscous. Female unknown.

Male genitalia (Figs. 28). Uncus 1.4x longer than broad, distal margin rounded. Gnathos hook moderately short and robust, about equal length to uncus, gradually curved upwards and tapered towards pointed apex. Tegumen rather short and sturdy, pedunculi broad and rounded. Clavate valva extending to middle of uncus, distinct basal cleft on both lateral margins. Posterior margin of vinculum extended and medially concave. Saccus subtriangular and moderately short. Aedeagus robust, half length of the entire genitalia; caecum circular, distally rod-shaped and slightly curved with five or six minute spines at middle and one or two further ones near apex; apex rounded.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Bionomy. The type series was collected in the middle of June. The adults fly at night and come to artificial light. Their habitat is a grassy steppe.

Distribution. Russia (S Ural).

Etymology. Latin albus = white, vena = vein. The species name is derived from the whitish vein lines of the forewings.

Remarks. Systematically M. albovenata is placed near M. balneariellus .

PLATE 5. Figures 24–29. Male genitalia of Megacraspedus species. 24. M. litovalvellus (paratype; slide KN 2/ 17.IV.2008); 25. M. leuca (Altai; slide KN 3/ 21.X.2008); 26. M. multispinella (holotype; slide JJ 03022602); 27. M. orenburgensis (paratype; slide KN 1/ 17.IV.2006); 28. M. albovenata (paratype; slide KN 1/ 08.IV.2008); 29. M. longipalpella (paratype; slide KN 1/ 17.IV.2008).

PLATE 6. Figures 30–31. Female genitalia of Megacraspedus litovalvellus . 30. Genitalia (paratype; slide JJ 04022305); 31. Signum.