Ephysteris ustjuzhanini, Bidzilya, Oleksiy & Karsholt, Ole, 2018

Bidzilya, Oleksiy & Karsholt, Ole, 2018, Two new species of Ephysteris Meyrick, 1908, from Asia with brachypterous males (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), Nota Lepidopterologica 41 (1), pp. 107-112 : 109-110

Ephysteris ustjuzhanini sp. n.

Material examined.

Holotype, ♂, "Mongolia, Mongolsky Altai, 60 km SE of Khovd, Khar-Us-Nuur Lake, h-1300 m, 19.vi.1999, P. Ustjuzhanin "genitalia slide 210/14, O. Bidzilya" (ZMKU). Paratype ♀ (abdomen missing), "Mongolia, Gobi-Altaisky aimak, 30 km W of Tsogt, 25.vi.1999 P. Ustjuzhanin" (ZMKU).

Description. Adult (Fig. 5). Male. Wingspan 8.8 mm. Labial palpus recurved, segment 2 white with brown band on outer surface before apex, lower surface with brush of modified scales; segment 3 white with brown subapical ring. Antennal scape brown, flagellum brown with narrow white rings. Head, thorax and tegulae grey mottled with brown. Length of forewing 2.3 times its width in middle, abruptly narrowed towards apex after two-thirds; ground colour of forewing light brown, diffuse brown spot near base, on costa at 1/3 and in the middle of wing at 2/3; fringe cream, brown-tipped. Hindwing very short, about one-fifth to one-sixth length of forewing, light grey.

Female. Similar to male except for the following: forewing slightly longer (wingspan 9.0 mm) and broader (the length is 2.5 times its width in the middle), ground colour is lighter (cream rather than light brown), head white, thorax and tegulae cream rather than grey.

Male genitalia (Fig. 6). Uncus twice as long as broad at base, gradually narrowing towards rounded apex; gnathos-hook stout, of even width but the apex is slightly broadened, weakly curved, about as long as uncus; valva digitate, weakly broadened in distal half, evenly curved, with triangular pointed apex, extending to base of uncus; sacculus distinctly narrower than valva, weakly curved, broadened posteriorly, apex rounded, extending to about two-thirds of valva; vincular process broad, posterior margin denticulate, with a single, longer, slightly curved and pointed projection at medial apex, separated by deep and moderately broad medial incision; saccus longer than valva, narrowest in middle, weakly broadened before apex; phallus about length of tegumen, nearly straight, moderately stout, with triangular apical sclerite, coecum inflated, about one-third length of phallus.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis.

E. ustjuzhanini is characterized by the forewings being strongly broadened in the middle together with very short hindwings that are the shortest among brachypterous Ephysteris species. The male genitalia are characterized by the vincular process having a comparatively long and strongly pointed distal projection. This projection is longer in E. curtipennis and E. brachyptera and missing in E. kullbergi .

Distribution.

Mongolia.

Biology.

Host-plant unknown. Adults have been collected in June.

Etymology.

The new species is named after its collector Petr Ustjuzhanin, Russia, a specialist of the Pterophoridae and Alucitidae .

Remarks.

Despite the differences between the male and female we are inclined to treat both specimens as the same species based on the general similarity of the forewing pattern.