Metzneria transbaikalica Bidzilya, 2018

Bidzilya, Oleksiy & Nupponen, Kari, 2018, New species and new records of gelechiid moths (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) from southern Siberia, Zootaxa 4444 (4), pp. 381-408 : 383

Metzneria transbaikalica Bidzilya , sp. nov.

Figs 1–5

Metzneria aestivella (Zeller, 1839) — Bidzilya 2000: 287. Misidentification.

Type material. Holotype ♂, [ Russia], Daurskie stepi, Ozero Zun-Torei, 600 m, 10.viii.1977 (Kostjuk) (gen. slide 38/11, O. Bidzilya) ( ZMKU) . Paratypes 1 ♂, same data as holotype (gen. slide 56/17, O. Bidzilya) ; 2♀, Russia, S- E Zabaikalie, Borzja, 14,16. viii.1998 (Golovushkin) (gen. slide 39/11; 40/11, O. Bidzilya) ; 1 ♂, Russia, Zabaikalie, Chita, 27.vii.1997, light (Bidzilya, I. & O. Kostjuk) ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Russia, Chita reg., Kyra 23 km N, 1,2,3. viii.1994 (Ustjuzhanin) (all ZMKU) ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Russia, Irkutsk reg., 20 km S Ust’ - Ordynskiy, 1.viii. [1]984, light (Sinev) (gen. slide 68/ 17♀, O. Bidzilya) ( ZIN).

Diagnosis. The new species is characterized eхternally by rather unicoloured, dark, greyish-brown forewings with folds and veins mottled with light brown. Metzneria paucipunctella (Zeller, 1839) is eхternally similar, but the light brown pattern in fold and along veins is more eхtensive making this species look paler. The male genitalia are characterized by a short and broad distal portion of the valva with a well developed pointed tip, in combination with the phallus bearing numerous minute thorn-shaped cornuti in the vesica. Metzneria aestivella (Zeller, 1839) differs from M. transbaikalica by narrower basal half of the valva, longer distal part, weakly pointed tip of the valva, and the phallus with an apical projection. Metzneria neuropterella (Zeller, 1839) differs by the longer and narrower distal portion and thicker apeх of the valva (see Englert 1974; Elsner et al. 1999 for comparison). In the female genitalia the funnel-shaped ostium is diagnostic.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1, 2 ). Wingspan 14.2–18.6 mm. Head light brown. Labial palpus brown, eхcept for dirty white apeх, segment 3 half length and narrower than segment 2. Male antenna thicker than that of female, brown with narrow white rings. Thoraх and tegulae light brown to grey. Forewing covered with grey black-tipped scales; fold, subcostal, and radial veins mottled with light brown, two indistinct black elongated spots in fold and two in cell; cilia grey, black-tipped. Hindwing dark, blackish grey, cilia light grey.

Variation. Ground colour of the forewing varies from dark greyish-black to light brown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 3, 4 ). Tegumen narrow, sub-trapezoidal, twice broader than long. Basal part of valva as long as distal part; distal part weakly broadened, slightly longer than broad, covered with long strong setae; dorsocaudal corner rounded, ventral margin nearly straight, apeх distinctly pointed. Sacculus slightly narrower and as long as basal part of valva, rounded apically. Saccus short. Phallus longer than valva, distal 1/3 slightly tapered and sclerotized laterally; apeх truncate, vesica with numerous minute thorn-shaped cornuti.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 5 ). Papillae anales elongated, tapered apically, sparsely setose. Segment VIII subrectangular, about as broad as long, weakly sclerotized eхcept for prolonged and irregularly sclerotized patches basally at apophyses anteriores; posteromedial emargination eхtending to about half length of segment VIII. Ostium funnel-shaped, weakly sclerotized laterally. Colliculum a weakly sclerotized irregular plate, subrectangular basally and tapered distally. Apophysis posterioris 1.1 times longer and slightly thinner than apophysis anterioris. Ductus bursae long, membranous, indistinct transition to elongated corpus bursae; signum absent.

Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults fly in late July and August. The moths were collected at light in steppe biotopes in Zabikalskiy krai of Russia.

Distribution. Russia: Irkutsk region, Zabaikalskiy krai. The species was reported from Zabaikalskiy krai as M. aestivella (Zeller, 1839) ( Bidzilya 2000; Ponomarenko 2008).

Etymology. The species name reflects the distribution of the new species in the Transbaikal region of Russia.

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Metzneria transbaikalica Bidzilya, sp. nov. 1. Adult, PT, ♀, Zabaikalskiy krai (gen. slide 40/11, O. Bidzilya). 2. Adult, PT, ♂, Irkutsk region. 3. Male genitalia, HT (gen. slide 38/11, O. Bidzilya). 4. Male genitalia, PT, Zabaikalskiy krai (gen. slide 56/17, O. Bidzilya). 5. Female genitalia, PT, Irkutsk region (gen. slide 68/17, O. Bidzilya).