Caryocolum atrum, Šumpich & Huemer & Bidzilya, 2020

Šumpich, Jan, Huemer, Peter & Bidzilya, Oleksiy, 2020, Review of Caryocolum (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) from the Russian Altai with description of two new species, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 60 (1), pp. 65-76 : 71-73

Caryocolum atrum sp. nov. ( Figs 10–12 , 19 , 21 )

Records. POVOLNÝ (1973, as Caryocolum pr. blandella); BIDZILYA (2002, as C. blandella , misidentification); HUEMER et al. (2017, as Monochroa sp. 1).

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ( TLMF): RUSSIA: ALTAI REPUBLIC: Kosh-Agach district, north of the Ukok Plateau, small side valley in the catchment area of the Zhumaly River, 49°30′17.85″N, 88°05′50″E, 2.400 –2.500 m a.s.l., 4.–6.viii.2016 (gen. slide P. Huemer GEL 1277), (Barcode TLMF Lep 20454), Huemer P. & Wiesmair B. leg. PARATYPES: 7 2 ♀♀ ( TLMF): the same collecting data as holotype (gen. slide P. Huemer GEL 1278 ♀), (Barcode TLMF Lep 20455); Kosh-Agach district, 15 km N of Beltir near Chagan river, 2200 m a.s.l., steppe, 16.viii.2000, 1 (gen.slide 180/18, Bidzilya), O.Bidzilya leg. ( ZMKU). MONGOLIA: CHÖVSGÖL AIMAK: Alag Mort, 42 km NO von Pass Chaldzan Sogotyn davaa, am Fluss Tesijn gol [= 42 km NE of Chaldzan Sogotyn davaa pass, at Tesijn gol river], 1900 m, 14.viii.1968, 1 (gen. slide Gz. 3967), exp. Dr. Z. Kaszab, 1968 (Nr. 1109), with additional label ʻCaryocolum pr. blandella. det. Povolný’ ( SMNK).

Description. Adult ( Figs 10–12 ). Wingspan 10.5–13.5 mm. Head, thorax and tegulae blackish brown. Segment 2 of labial palpus blackish brown, upper surface mottled with cream-coloured scales; segment 3 blackish brown with a few cream-coloured scales. Antenna blackish brown, with indistinct lighter rings. Forewings narrow, unicolorous glossy blackish brown, without distinct markings, in fresh specimens black spot in fold and cell weakly developed; costal margin near base and apex darker. Hindwing greybrown, little lighter than forewings. Females smaller, otherwise as males.

Variation. None.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 19 ). Uncus rounded; tegumen very broad; transtilla with numerous spines; valva slightly longer than sacculus, bulged distally; sacculus narrow, straight, pointed, in spike nail-shaped; posterior margin of vinculum nearly straight, slightly projected in middle and with short medial incision; saccus broad at base, gradually tapered, with narrow last third rod-like; phallus stout, straight, comparatively short, with indistinct spine in distal part.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 21 ). Eighth segment with pair of small processes, pointing laterally. Apophysis anterior about three times length of apophysis posterior; antrum funnel-shaped, very broad posteriorly; ductus bursae slightly sclerotized near antrum; signum short slightly bent hook. Differential diagnosis. Very similar to C. unicolorellum and C. mongolense , from which the new species differs in the smaller size (10.5–13.5 mm compared to 15.1 mm in C. unicolorellum and 17–18 mm in C. mongolense ), and in unicolorous blackish-brown and distinctly narrower wings without discal spots in forewings, with more pointed apex. Furthermore, C. mongolense has a creamish white rather than brown head. The narrow sacculus with apex pointed from both sides is the most valuable character of male genitalia for separating C. atrum sp. nov. from C. proxima (Haworth, 1828) , C. blandella (Douglas, 1852) , and C. blandelloides Karsholt, 1981 , which have the shape of the posterior margin of the vinculum very similar to C. atrum sp. nov. In female genitalia the new species is most similar to C. blandella , but the ventromedial plate and the processes of the eight segment are indistinct. The male and female genitalia of the new species as well as DNA barcodes support its placement in the C. interalbicella species-group of Caryocolum (sensu HUEMER 1988) ( Table 2).

Etymology. The species name is the Latin adjective ater (- a, - um), referring to the black colour of the forewings.

Biology. Unknown. The majority of the type specimens were collected after a frosty night in the early morning hours at very low temperatures, at open grassy habitats partly with Betula nana as undergrowth at an altitude of 2.400 –2.500 m a.s.l. ( Fig. 28 ).

Molecular data. BIN BOLD: ADE0250 (n = 2, 2 public, 2 from the Altai). The average intraspecific divergence of the barcode region is 0.0%. The nearest neighbour is C. blandulella (Tutt, 1887) with 5.46% p-distance ( Table 2). Distribution. Russia: the Altai Republic; Mongolia.

Figures

Figs 1–15. Adults of some Caryocolum species. 1 – C. arenariella (Benander, 1937), Dzhazator, male; 2 – C. cassella (Walker, 1864), Dzhazator, male; 3 – C. leucomelanella (Zeller, 1839), Chulyshman, male; 4 – C. mongolense Povolný, 1969, Beltir, male; 5 – C. petrophilum (Preissecker, 1914), Karagem, male; 6 – C. petryi (Hofmann, 1899), Karagem, female; 7–9 – C. procurvella sp. nov., males: 7 – Karagem, holotype; 8 – Karagem, paratype; 9 – S Ural, Arkaim, paratype; 10–12 – C. atrum sp. nov.: 10 – holotype, Ukok Plateau; 11–12 – paratypes: 11 – Beltir; 12 – Mongolia, Chövsgöl aimak; 13–15 – C. tetrameris (Meyrick, 1926): 13–14 – Dzhazator, males, 15 – Aktash, female.

Figs 17–20. Male genitalia of some Caryocolum species recorded from Altai Mts. 17 – C. mongolense Povolný, 1969, gen. prep. Bidzilya 192/18; 18 – C. procurvella sp. nov.; gen. prep. Šumpich 19979; 19 – C. atrum sp. nov., gen. prep. Huemer 1277; 20 – C. tetrameris (Meyrick, 1926), gen. prep. Šumpich 19985. Phalli to the same scale as genitalia.

Figs 21–22. Female genitalia of some Caryocolum species recorded from Altai Mts. 21 – C. atrum sp. nov., gen. prep. Huemer 1278; a – signum (enlarged); 22 – C. tetrameris (Meyrick, 1926), gen. prep. Šumpich 19984; a – detail of antrum (enlarged) (gen. prep. Bidzilya 286/17); b – signum (enlarged).

Figs 24–28. Habitats of Caryocolum species in Altai Mts. 24 – Aktash, habitat of C. oculatella (Thomann, 1930) and C. tetrameris (Meyrick, 1926), the portable light trap in the middle of the photo; 25–26 – confluence of Argut and Karagem rivers, 25 km NW Dzhazator, habitat of C. arenariella (Benander, 1937), C. petryi (Hofmann, 1899), C. petrophilum (Preissecker, 1914), C. procurvella sp. nov., and C. tetrameris (Meyrick, 1926); 25 – view of the hill where Caryocolum species were collected; 26 – view of the landscape from the collecting site, in the background peaks of South Chuy ridge; 27 – Tara valley, 56 km SE of Dzhazator, habitat of C. arenariella (Benander, 1937), C. cassella (Walker, 1864), C. leucomelanella (Zeller, 1839), and C. tetrameris (Meyrick, 1926); 28 – Ukok plateau, habitat of C. atrum sp. nov. Photo J. Šumpich (24–27) and B. Wiesmair (28).