Nemapogon phoenicica GAEDIKE & KULLBERG, 2016

Gaedike, Reinhard & Kullberg, Jaakko, 2016, A contribution to the Dryadaulidae and Tineidae of Lebanon, with two species new to science (Lepidoptera), Beiträge Zur Entomologie = Contributions to Entomology 66 (1), pp. 145-152 : 147-148

Nemapogon phoenicica GAEDIKE & KULLBERG spec. nov.

Holotype: ♂, “ 11.v.1963, Libanon, 25 km N von Beirut [ Lebanon, 25 km N of Beirut], [leg.] Kasy & Vartian;” “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Petersen Nr. 2107;” “ Holotypus ♂, Nemapogon phoenicica sp. n. det. G. Gaedike, 2014;” NMW.

Paratypes: 1 ♂, from same location, but 11.v.1961; “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Petersen Nr. 2112;” SDEI ; 1 ♂, “GK.4405, Lebanon, Kesrouan, 1070 m, 34°3,2'N, 35°45'48"E, Jebel Musa, Mar Elias , 29.viii.2010, J. & A. Kullberg leg.” “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaedike Nr. 8003;” FMNH ; 1 ♀, “GK.8126, Lebanon, Kesrouan, 885 m, 34°3'25,63"N, 35°43'2,28"E, Ghbele , 5.–6.vi.2014, J. Kullberg & T. Lievonen leg.” “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaedike Nr. 8501;” FMNH ; 1 ♂, “ Turkey, Prov. Mersin, 5 km nw Erdemli , 300 m, 16.vii.1986, leg. M. Fibiger;” “Zool. Museum DK Copenhagen;” “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaed.[ike] Nr. 4262;” ZMUC ; 1♂, “ Asia min. Turcia , Mersin, 0–300 m, leg. M. u. W. Glaser;” “ 20.v.1070, coll. Glaser;” “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaed.[ike] Nr. 4000;” SMNK ; 2 ♀, “ Turkey, Prov. Icel, Taurus Road Ermenak- Mut , 600 m, 15.vii.1986, leg. M. Fibiger;” “Zool. Museum DK Copenhagen;” “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaed.[ike] Nr. 4294; 4298;” ZMUC; SDEI ; 1 ♀, “ Turkey, Alanya , 15 km N, 800 m, 17.vii.1998, [leg.] K. Larsen;” “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaedike Nr. 7357;” coll. Roweck; 2 ♀, “ 1.vii.1990, Asia minor, Celemil, Misis, 50 km so Adana [ Asia minor, Celemil, Misis, 50 km SE Adana];” “Xerothermhügelland, Lichtfang, [xerothermic hill landscape, at light] 23/90, leg. E. M. u. M. Lödl;” “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaed.[ike] Nr. 4332;” NMW; SDEI ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, “Zypern [ Cyprus], 29.–31.vii.[19]81, Troodos-Gebirge südl. Lania [ Troodos mountains , south of Lania ], 600 m, [leg.] M. u. E. Arenberger;” “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaed.[ike] Nr. 2682; 2721;” coll. Arenberger; SDEI ; 1 ♀, “ Cyprus, Laneia, N. Limassol, 550 m, 23.–29.vi.1997, leg. D. Nilsson, A. Madsen, M. Fibiger, P. Svendssen;” “Coll. ZMUC;” “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaedike Nr. 6537;” ZMUC; 4 ♂, 3 ♀, „ Israel, Nahal Oren, Mt. Carmel , light trap, 24.vi.1997; 21.v., 19.vi.1998; 27.v., 5.vii.1999, NFS-6, Pavliček & Kravchenko;“ „Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaedike Nr. 8828, 8829, 8832, 8833, 8837, 8839;” SDEI; MNHP .

Description ( fig. 1 ): Wingspan 9 – 12 mm; head brush pale creamy, laterally light brown; antenna grey-brown, scape and the first segment of flagellum darker; labial palpus outside dark grey-brown, inside creamy, second segment apically with two bristles; thorax and tegulae brown, apical half pale creamy, nearly white: Forewing with white ground colour and pattern of brown scales, characteristic for the genus: brown are an oblique short stripe from base at costa, a stripe at 1/2 from costa to cell connected with a larger dot, being oblique from below; before dorsum, four short stripes on costa from 1/2 to apex; a nearly complete line and a thin line at base of fringe from apex to the end of fringe; in the white area overlaid partly with lighter brown scales. Hindwing white.

Male genitalia ( figs 2–4 ): Uncus with two short pointed lobi, gnathos arms basally rounded, slightly curved to pointed tip, saccus a little shorter than valva; valva as long as uncus, terminating in a pointed slightly hookshaped pointed apex, digitus clearly projecting above apex, anellus short, band-shaped; phallus nearly as long as uncus-tegumen-saccus complex, with break at 1/3, without any cornuti or appendices.

Female genitalia (figs 5–5c): Anterior apophysis end in elongated sclerotised plate connected with edge of ostium; ostium lip cup- or mushroom-shaped, apically with some long bristles, the shape is somewhat variable; ostium lip and the first part of ductus bursae with stronger sclerotization.

Etymology: Named after the ancient culture of the Phoenicians, which originally centred in the present coastal Lebanon and was known as Phoenicia.

Biology: Larval host unknown. Previous records of many members of the genus show that larvae are fungivorous, therefore it can be presumed that larvae of this species have a similar life history. The adults were collected between May and August.

Remarks: Superficially not necessarily distinguishable from the other members of the genus. The genitalia structure shows similarities to the species group with a more or less mushroom-shaped ostium lip in females. Differences are in the larger sclerotized part of ductus bursae and in the more cup-shaped ostium lip in females. In males the phallus is without any cornuti and other appendices, which are characteristic for most of the members of the group of species: hungaricus GOZMÁNY, 1960; cyprica GAEDIKE, 1986; arcosuensis GAEDIKE, 2007; anatolica GAEDIKE, 1986; arenbergeri GAEDIKE, 1986; gravosaellus PETERSEN, 1957.

Figures

Fig. 1: Nemapogon phoenicica spec. nov., holotype.

Figs 2–4: Nemapogon phoenicica spec. nov., ♂ (2 - uncustegumen-saccus complex; 3 - valva; 4 - phallus). – Figs 5–5c: Nemapogon phoenicica spec. nov., ♀ (5 - complete genitalia apparatus,: Turkey; 5a–5c - variability of the ostium lip: 5a, 5c: Turkey; 5b: Cyprus).