Megacraspedus numidellus ( Chretien , 1915) Chretien, 1915

Huemer, Peter & Karsholt, Ole, 2018, Revision of the genus Megacraspedus Zeller, 1839, a challenging taxonomic tightrope of species delimitation (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), ZooKeys 800, pp. 1-278 : 100-101

Megacraspedus numidellus ( Chretien, 1915) comb. n.

Chilopselaphus numidellus Chrétien, 1915: 333.

Megacraspedus mareotidellus Turati, 1924: 169, pl. 6, fig. 15, syn. n.

Examined material.

Lectotype ♂, Chilopselaphus numidellus , here designated, “TYPE” "Chilopselaphus numidellus" "Dj. Gafsa 28.4.09" genitalia slide PGCGN 8017 (MNHN) [photographs examined]. Syntype ♂, Megacraspedus mareotidellus, “PARA-LECTO-TYPE” "Paralectotype ♂ Megacraspedus mareotidellus Tur. teste. K. Sattler, 1980" "Cyrenaika Bengasi 15.iii.22. Geo.C. Krüger” "Mus. TURATI coll. HARTIG" "E. Turati Coll. F. Hartig Coll. B.M. 1979 –141” " BMNH ♂ Genitalia slide No. 33664" (BMNH). Non-type material. Libya. 1 ♂, Cyrenaica, R. U. Agrario, 20.iii.1925, leg. G. C. Krüger (ZMUC); 1 ♂, Gharian, Wadi El Hira, 25.iii.1983, leg. U. Seneca; 4 ♂, same data, but 7.iv.1983, genitalia slide 5335 Karsholt (ZMUC). Morocco. 1 ♂, Anti Atlas, prov. Tiznit, 3.2 km SSW Mirleft, 10 m, 12.iv.2015, leg. J. Tabell, genitalia slide 5336 Karsholt (ZMUC); 1 ♂, Anti Atlas, prov. Tiznit, 24 km SW Tafraout, 1125 m, 13.iv.2015, leg. J. Tabell (ZMUC). Spain. 3 ♂, Fuerteventura, Jandia, Bco. Esquinzo, 15.ii.-26.iv.2004, leg. Paas, genitalia slides GU 16/1424 ♂ Huemer, 5334 Karsholt; 1 ♂, same data, but 17.ii.-8.iii.2002, leg. Paas; 1 ♂, same data, but 9.iii.-10.iv.2002; 1 ♂, same data, but 12-28.ii.2003; 2 ♂, same data, but 30.iii.-20.iv.2003; 2 ♂, same data, but 20.iii.-19.iv.2005; 1 ♂, 20.iv.-1.v.2005 (RCWS, TLMF, ZMUC); 1 ♂, Fuerteventura, Caldereta, 120 m, 27.ii.-19.iii.2018 leg. P. Falck (RCPF).

Redescription.

Adult. Male (Figs 79-80). Wingspan 12-17 mm. Labial palpus long (about one-quarter to one-fifth the length of antenna), porrecting, brown mottled with white on outer surface, white mottled with brown on inner surface, white on upper and lower surface; segment 3 reduced. Antennal scape with pecten consisting of several hairs; flagellum indistinctly ringed white and dark, lightest near base. Head light brown in middle, laterally white; thorax brown mottled with white; tegula yellowish brown. Forewing yellowish brown, partly mottled with blackish brown scales; veins white; a thin white sub-costal stripe followed by a yellow stripe from base to apex; a yellow stripe in fold; a white patch between 3/5 and 4/5 in middle of wing; termen black interrupted by white; fringes light grey, blackish grey at apex. Hindwing whitish grey with concolorous fringes.

Female. Unknown.

Variation. The few examined specimens from Northern Africa are rather worn with a tendency of white rather than yellow stripes. These stripes also show some variation in extension and the amount of blackish brown scales on the forewing is also variable. The patch between 3/5 and 4/5 in middle of the forewing wing is sometimes yellowish.

Male genitalia (Figs 210-212). Uncus approximately 1.5 to 2 times longer than broad, weakly widened posteriad, apex projected, sinusoid; gnathos hook stout, slightly shorter than uncus, distal part curved with pointed apex; tegumen with broad and shallowly emarginated anterior margin, anteromedially small additional emargination; pedunculi sub-triangular, posteriorly with sclerotised ridge; valva extending to slightly beyond middle of uncus, basally broader, digitate distal part tapered, apically weakly inflated; sacculus absent; posterior margin of vinculum shallowly emarginated, laterally with indistinct humps; saccus sub-triangular, moderately long, abruptly tapered towards pointed apex, posterior edge sinusoid, medial part without sclerotised ridge, lateral sclerites slightly shorter than maximum width of saccus; phallus with weakly inflated coecum, about twice width of distal part, distal two-thirds moderately broad, straight, subapically with long sclerotised distodorsal ridge on right-hand side with or without short dentation.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis.

Megacraspedus numidellus is characterised by its moderately long labial palps with reduced segment 3, by the antennal scape with the pecten consisting of several hairs and by the forewings having three white streaks, but no black dots. The male genitalia are similar to M. albovenata (Figure 213) and differ only slightly e.g., by the stouter valva and the sclerotisations of the phallus.

Molecular data.

BIN BOLD:ADA0605 (n = 1). The distance to the nearest neighbour M. gallicus sp. n. is 9% (p-dist).

Distribution.

Libya, Morocco, Spain (Canary Islands: Fuerteventura), Tunisia.

Biology.

Host plant and early stages are unknown. The few specimens known to date were collected from middle of February to early May April at altitudes from 10 to 1125 m.

Remarks.

Chilopselaphus numidellus was described from an unspecified number of specimens (probably more than one as the wingspan is stated to be “15– 16 mm") collected at Gafsa in Tunisia in May. It was compared with C. fallax Mann ( Chrétien 1915). We have been able to examine photographs of a syntype from MNHN. This specimen is here designated as the lectotype in order to fix the identity of the species and conserve stability of nomenclature. Megacraspedus mareotidellus was described from eleven specimens collected at El Berca, Benghazi, Libya ( Turati 1924: 169). It was compared with "oranellus B.H.", but we have been unable to trace this name in the literature. A male labelled as a paralectotype by K Sattler and considered to be a syntype fully corresponds with figures of a syntype of M. numidellus and we thus consider M. mareotidellus to be a junior synonym of the former (syn. n.).