Elachista lagotara Kaila & Sruoga, 2025

Kaila, Lauri, Nupponen, Kari & Sruoga, Virginijus, 2025, On species of the Elachista bedellella group (Gelechioidea, Elachistidae, Elachistinae) similar with E. rudectella Stainton, 1851 and E. graeca Parenti, 2002, with descriptions of five new species, Nota Lepidopterologica 48, pp. 103-136 : 103-136

Elachista lagotara Kaila & Sruoga sp. nov.

Figs 11–14 , 38 , 39 , 49 , 57 , 58

Type material.

Holotype. TURKMENISTAN • ♂; Kopet Dag, 800 m, 40 km E. Garrygala (Kara Kala) (Figs 57 , 58 ); 38.4314 ° N, 56.6775 ° E; 26 Jun. 1993; V. Sruoga leg.; L. Kaila prep. 6159 ( VU).

Paratypes. TURKMENISTAN • 6 ♂, 22 ♀; same collecting data as in holotype except the dates 5 May – 12 Aug. 1993; gen prep. V. Sruoga E 24 ♂, E 75 ♀, VS 153 ♀, VS 155 ♂, VS 158 ♀, VS 199 ♀ ; • 2 ♂; same locality; 5 Aug. 1993; R. Puplesis & A. Diškus leg.; gen. prep. V. Sruoga VS 156 ( VU, MZH) ; • 8 ♂; N. Kopet Dag, 15 km W Firyuza, Mt. Dushak ; 37.96 ° N, 57.90 ° E; 4–11 Jul. 1990; V. Dubatolov leg.; L. Kaila prep. 1515, 1516, 4429, 4430, 4809, 4813; SZMN, MZH .

Diagnosis.

Elachista lagotara closest resembles E. latipenella by its very small size and similar juxta lobes. The juxta lobes are also similar in E. derbendi which, however, is a large species and differs from all other species by the curved shape of the cornutus. The male genitalia of E. lagotara and E. latipenella are readily distinguished from each other by the emarginated costa of the valva, and the narrower distal part of the phallus in E. lagotara as compared to E. latipenella . The female genitalia are similar with those of E. graeca by the longitudinal folds of the broad colliculum and the ductus bursae gradually widening towards the corpus bursae. However, the colliculum in E. lagotara is much longer and banana-shaped compared to the short and bulbous colliculum in E. graeca .

Description.

Wingspan 6.0– 7.5 mm. Labial palpus slightly longer than diameter of head, off-white above, fuscous below. Head, neck tuft, tegula, thorax and scape of antenna off-white, intermixed with grey-tipped scales; flagellum dark grey, annulated with paler grey rings. Foreleg dark grey with tarsal articles distally white, legs otherwise off-white, tibia and tarsal articles basally variably dark grey. Forewing ground colour off-white, variably peppered with dark-tipped scales giving a mottled appearance and in darker specimens irregular pattern such as traces of paler median fascia and costal and tornal spots near apex of wing. Fringe concolorous with forewing, with dark grey fringe line. Hindwing off-white with concolorous fringe. Underside of forewing pale yellowish grey with yellow margin, fringe pale yellowish grey; underside of hindwing and fringe pale grey.

Male genitalia. Uncus lobe slightly longer than broad at its broadest point, distally round, with few short setae distolaterally, incision separating uncus lobes 0.7 length of uncus. Spinose knob of gnathos oval, nearly twice as long as broad. Valva 3.8–4 × as long as broad at its broadest point in the middle; costa strongly convex medially, distinctly emarginated in its distal third; sacculus basally bent, otherwise straight or slightly concave beyond middle; cucullus somewhat curved and weakly bent towards costa. Digitate process small, about 1 / 8 length of valva, blunt and setose. Juxta lobes apically tapered, widely separated from each other with V-shaped incision, medially produced; median margin somewhat convex; distal margin with a few short setae; lateral margin concave; median plate with shallow posteriorly directed median sac. Vinculum small, V-shaped. Phallus about 0.7 as long as valva, straight, 5 × as long as broad at its broadest place where it is somewhat swollen at distal 2 / 3, distally slightly narrowed beyond swelling; caecum short, round; vesica with one slightly bent cornutus formed as short tooth arising from elongate sclerotized plate, cornutus about 0.2 × as long as phallus.

Female genitalia. Papilla analis membranous, round, ventrally connected with inverted Y-shaped sclerotization. Apophysis posterioris about 1.5 × as long as papilla analis; apophysis anterioris short, approximately 1 / 3 × as long as apophysis posterioris. Ostium bursae wide. Colliculum banana-shaped, strongly sclerotized, as long as apophysis posterioris, with longitudinal folds. Remaining part of ductus bursae broad, membranous gradually joining corpus bursae without border, with small internal spines, especially towards corpus bursae. Corpus bursae elongate, oval, with small internal spines.

Biology.

Host plant unknown. Adults fly from early May until mid-August. The collecting dates suggest the presence of two generations.

Distribution.

Turkmenistan.

Etymology.

An adjective, composed from the Greek words lagos (hare) and otaros (large-eared). This refers to the large juxta lobes whose shape often resemble ears of a hare. A noun in apposition.

DNA barcode information.

None available.

Figures

Figures 11–20. Adults of Elachista spp. 11. E. lagotara Kaila & Sruoga, sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 12. E. lagotara Kaila & Sruoga, sp. nov., ♂, paratype; 13, 14. E. lagotara Kaila & Sruoga, sp. nov., ♀, paratypes; 15. E. latipenella Sinev & Budashkin, ♂, paratype; 16. E. latipenella Sinev & Budashkin, ♂, (Ukraine, Crimea); 17. E. scolopsa Kaila & Sruoga, sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 18. E. scolopsa Kaila & Sruoga, sp. nov., ♂, paratype (Lebanon, Bcharre); 19. E. belona Kaila & Sruoga, sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 20. E. belona Kaila & Sruoga, sp. nov., ♂, paratype (Russia, Buryatia).

Figures 37–39. Male genitalia of Elachista spp. Left: general image of genitalia, phallus in same scale. Right top: juxta and digitate process. Right bottom: cornutus as enlarged. 37. E. graeca Parenti, L. Kaila prep. 3998; 38. E. lagotara Kaila & Sruoga, sp. nov., holotype, L. Kaila prep. 6159; 39. E. lagotara Kaila & Sruoga, sp. nov., paratype, L. Kaila prep. 1515.

Figures 46–49. Genitalia of Elachista spp. 46. Male genitalia of E. nolckeni Šulcs, L. Kaila prep. 3313. Left: general image of genitalia, phallus in same scale. Right top: juxta and digitate process. Right bottom: cornutus as enlarged; 47. Female genitalia of E. multipunctata Sruoga, V. Sruoga prep. VS 157; 48. Female genitalia of E. graeca Parenti, L. Kaila prep. 4433; 49. Female genitalia of E. lagotara Kaila & Sruoga, sp. nov., paratype, V. Sruoga prep. VS 199.

Figures 55–58. Sampling habitats in Central Asia. 55. Tajikistan, 30 km N Dushanbe, Kondara; 56. Southeastern Turkmenistan, Kugitangtau Mts.; 57. Southwestern Turkmenistan, Kopet Dag Mts., 40 km E Garrygala, in spring; 58. Same locality, in summer.