Megacraspedus grisea (Filipjev, 1931) Filipjev, 1931

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 : 177-178

Megacraspedus grisea (Filipjev, 1931) comb. n.

Reichardtiella grisea Filipjev, 1931: 168, fig. 16, pl. 10, figs 5-7.

Examined material.

Syntype ♂, [China] "Reichardia grisea Flj. N. Filipjev det. [partially illegible]" “Para-lecto-type” "Paralectotype Reichardtiella grisea Filipjev teste. K. Sattler, 1978" "Alai valley, loc. Sary-tash Reihardt 27.VI.928 [transcribed from Cyrillic]" "Pres. by Zool. Inst. Leningrad B.M. 1978-417" " BMNH ♂ genitalia slide No. 33663" (BMNH).

Redescription.

Adult. Male (Figure 148). Wingspan 15 mm. Segment 2 of labial palpus with long ventral brush of scales extending to about same level as tip of third segment, dark grey-brown with some whitish mottling, particularly on inner surface of brush and on dorsal part of segment; segment 3 about length of second segment, creamy white with some darker mottling. Antennae ringed dark grey-brown and whitish. Head, thorax and tegulae dark grey-brown with a few whitish scales. Forewing dark grey, black at basal half of costa; an indistinct black dot in fold and at end of cell; termen with black and lighter scales; fringes grey. Hindwing dark grey with grey fringes.

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Unknown.

Male genitalia (Figure 264). Uncus moderately broad, approximately 1.5 times longer than wide, sub-rectangular, with broadly curved apex; gnathos hook stout, about length of uncus, weakly curved with pointed apex; anterior margin of tegumen with small excavation, pedunculi moderate, rounded; valva massive, short and broad, with proximal hump basally, distally tapered, extending to base of gnathos, outer margin weakly curved, inner margin almost straight, apex rounded, valva with distinct flap-shaped ridge in distal half; saccular area densely covered with setae, without separated sacculus; posterior margin of vinculum with moderate medial emargination, lateral humps merged with base of valva; saccus massive, V-shaped with moderately broad apical part; phallus stout, straight, with weakly inflated coecum, distal two-thirds moderately broad, with two rod-like, weakly dentated sclerotisations.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis.

Megacraspedus grisea is characterised by the almost plain dark grey forewings. Externally it mostly resembles M. fuscus sp. n. (p 67). The male genitalia are unmistakable in Megacraspedus , in particular due to the characteristic shape of the valva and the dentation of the phallus.

Molecular data.

Not available, available specimens too old.

Distribution.

Western China (Pamir Mountains).

Biology.

Host plant and early stages are unknown. The typeseries was collected on 8th July at an altitude of 4300 m ( Filipjev 1931).

Remarks.

Reichardtiella grisea was described from several males in variable condition collected at Sary-Kol in the Chinese part of the Pamir Mountains at an altitude of 4300 m ( Filipjev 1931).