Helcystogramma flavescens 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 : 33

Helcystogramma flavescens Junnilainen sp. n.

Figs. 68–70

Type material. Holotype: 3: Russia, S-Ural, Orenburg district, 50°40–45’N 54°26–28’E, 170–230 m, Pokrovka village 20 km S, Schibendy valley, 03–07.VI.1998, J. Junnilainen leg. ( JJ, to be deposited in ZMH). Paratypes (23 3, 14 ƤƤ; Fig. 68): Same locality as holotype: 03–07.VI.1998 (16 3, 2 ƤƤ), J. Junnilainen leg. ( JJ); 03.VI.1998 (1 3, 6 ƤƤ), 04.VI.1998 (3 ƤƤ), 07.VI.1998 (1 Ƥ), 24.VI.1999 (1 3), T. & K. Nupponen leg. ( TKN); 11.VI.2001 (1 3), 28.V.2004 (2 3), K. Nupponen leg. ( TKN). Russia: S-Ural, Orenburg district: 51°23’N 56°49’E, 130–340 m, Donskoje village 6 km W, mount Verbljushka, 02.VI.1998 (1 3), T. & K. Nupponen leg. ( TKN); 01.VI.2004 (1 Ƥ), K. Nupponen leg. ( TKN); Orenburgskij zap., Burtinskij Step, 12–17.VI.2001 (1 Ƥ), J. Kullberg & M. Zalewski leg. ( ZMH); Astrahan district, 48°39’N 46°59’E, near Bogdo village, 03.VI.2001 (1 3), K. Nupponen leg. ( TKN). Genitalia slides: J. Junnilainen prep. no. 0 0 0 22406, 0 0 0 22407, 0 2022703, 0 2022801, 0 2022802, 03030201; K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/ 10.IV.2008. Two further genitalia preparations preserved in glycerol.

Diagnosis. Habitually H. flavescens sp. n. is easy to separate from other known species of Helcystogramma by strikingly bright yellow forewings. The male genitalia of H. flavescens resemble most those of H. rufescens (Haworth, 1828) , but the new species differs from the latter by evenly broad valva and broader basal part of gnathos with apex pointed upwards. In the female genitalia of H. flavescens there is always a rather distinctly sclerotized spiral-shaped spermatic cord inside corpus bursae, and antrum is strongly sclerotized with obtuse angled anterior margin.

Description. Wingspan 18–19 mm. Head and haustellum ochreous. Antenna ochreous, ringed with whitish serration, short cilia ochreous. Labial palp long, sickle shaped, ochreous, laterally broader segment II more than 2x as long as thiner segment III. Thorax ochreous. Abdomen yellowish fuscous, legs ochreous. Forewing and fringe uniform bright yellow. Hindwing and its fringe shiny yellowish white.

Male genitalia (Fig. 69). Uncus subrectangular, 2x as long as broad, lateral margins slightly concave, apex rounded. Gnathos falcate and moderately long, distally narrower, apex pointed upwards. Valva long and evenly broad, rounded apex extends distal margin of uncus. Sacculus short, conical and setose. Saccus subtriangular and 0.7 length of valva, lateral margins slightly concave, apex blunt. Posterior margin of vinculum with broad and deep medial excavation; anterior margin of excavation membranous, lateral margins distinctly sclerotized and curved inwards when extending vinculum processes. Lateral vinculum processes rather short with oblique angled apex. Aedeagus as long as valva; caecum large and roundish; distal part straight, laterally with sclerotized longitudinal ridge, basal 0.6 thick, distal 0.4 tapered, apex with hood-like sclerotization.

Female genitalia (Fig. 70). Apophyses posteriores 0.8 mm in length, about 2x as long as large papillae anales. Apophyses anteriores 0.2 mm in length. Segment VIII strongly sclerotized broad plate. Antrum elongate, strongly sclerotized plate with evenly narrow medial incision, anterior margin obtuse angled. Ductus bursae short and narrow. Corpus bursae long sack within distinctly sclerotized spiral-shaped spermatic cord. Signum absent.

Bionomy. All specimens were captured in early June by artificial light at night from grassy steppes, often in calcareous localities. The species appears to be very local.

Etymology. Lat. flavescens = yellowish. The species name alludes to the colour of the forewings.