Catatinagma stenoptera Bidzilya, 1903

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., 2014, A remarkable new species of the genus Catatinagma Rebel, 1903 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) from Turkmenistan, Nota Lepidopterologica 37 (1), pp. 67-74 : 68-69

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Gelechiidae

Catatinagma stenoptera Bidzilya sp. n.

Material.

Holotype, ♂, Karakum desert, Repetek reserv[e], Carex, 3.ii.1983, Krivokhatsky (gen. slide 55/11) (ZIN). Paratypes: 1 ♂, same data as holotype (gen. prep. in glycerol); 1 ♂, same data as holotype, but 18.ii.1983, trap Rhombomys , night (ZIN-00002); 1 ♀, same data, but 15.ii.1983, trap Rhombomys (gen. slide 56/11) (ZIN-00005); 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Repetek, SE Karakum, Turkmenia, trap Rhombomys , 25.ii.1983 (ZIN-00004 ♂, ZIN-00003 ♀, ♀ gen. prep. in glycerol) (all ZIN).

Description.

Adult (Figs 1-3). Wingspan 9.1-10.9 mm. Head smooth-scaled, whitish-brown, with prominent beak-shaped, pointed process, that sometimes bears additional small dorsal knob arising from middle; frons medially with depression resembling excavator bucket with three short tooth-shaped projections at bottom; labial palpus weakly up-curved, outer surface black with white basal and apical belts, inner surface white, segment 3 nearly straight, acute; segment 2 about 1.5 times width and nearly 2.5 times length of segment 3; proboscis reduced; antenna brown with very narrow whitish ring at base of each segment, pecten with numerous long white hair-like scales; forewing strongly narrowed after ¼, nearly filiform in distal half, light brown, mottled white along margins, cilia white; hindwing vestigial.

Abdomen (Figs 4-7). Male sternite VIII rectangular, without modification. Female tergite VII nearly twice length of other abdominal segments, rectangular, slightly broader than long, densely covered posteriorly with short hair-like scales, sternum VII rectangular without modification. Sternite I+II of both sexes sub-quadratical, with pair of distinct long venulae and well-developed apodemes, tergite I distinctly broader than long, strongly edged, anterolateral margin rounded, posterior margin straight.

Male genitalia (Fig. 8). Uncus reduced to trapezoidal lobe with inward folded edges; gnathos absent; tegumen narrow, considerably broader than long, posterior edge strongly sclerotized; cucullus digitate, moderately broad, apex rounded, densely haired; sacculus flat, about 3/4 length of cucullus and slightly broader, posterior margin straight with two or three small teeth; transtilla lobes well developed; vinculum narrow, band-shaped, terminating in short rounded saccus; phallus longer than cucullus, with tapered lateral processes, basal half sclerotized dorsally, distal half sclerotized mainly laterally, apex beak-shaped, base bifurcated.

Female genitalia (Fig. 9). Papilla analis rounded, with straight basal edge, densely covered with short setae except for patch of long hair-like setae arising from dorsal margin; apophyses anteriores about one-half length of apophyses posteriores, straight, terminally curved; tergite and sternite VIII extremely narrow, strongly sclerotized, ribbon-shaped; lateral part of segment VIII evenly sclerotized, band-shaped; ostium rounded, opening near anterior edge of sternite VIII; antrum short, funnel-shaped; ductus bursae long, membranous, posterior half thin, anterior half moderately wide; corpus bursae globular; signum paired, with long spines arising from rounded plate.

Diagnosis.

The new species is easily recognizable both externally and in the genitalia characters. For details see the Discussion.

Distribution.

SE Turkmenistan (Repetek Nature Reserve).

Derivation of name.

The specific name refers to the extremely narrowed forewing, the most characteristic feature of this species.

Biology.

The new species is hitherto only known from the Repetek Nature Reserve, SE Turkmenistan. The adults were collected from 3rd to 25th of February. According to field observations by Viktor A. Krivokhatsky, who collected the type-series, the adults were active during the warm days when they were seen jumping on the sand. They have also been collected by sweeping amongst Carex physodes M. Bieb. ( Cyperaceae). This plant is most likely the host for this species, although the preimaginal stages have not yet been found. The adults have also been observed and collected in the burrows of the great gerbil ( Rhombomys opimus (Lichtenstein, 1823)) and the long-clawed ground squirrel ( Spermophilopsis leptodactylus (Lichtenstein, 1823)) ( Mammalia, Rodentia, Muridae , Sciuridae ). The moths go deeply into the burrows at night and when there is frost in the daytime.