Elachista lata, new species

(Figs. 1, 3, 22–31)

Type material. Holotype: ɗ, ‘ Ecuador | Tungurahua Province | Banos env[irons]., 10.ii.2007 | V. Sruoga leg [it].; ɗ | VS311 | Genitalia slide’. In VPU.

Diagnosis. Elachista lata is similar to some of the species of the E. praelineata species group sensu Kaila (1999a, 1999b) and Sugisima (2005a) but mostly to E. kurokoi Parenti, 1983 known from Japan (for illustrations, see Parenti 1983 and Sugisima 2005a), E. guilinella Kaila, 1999 and E. miriella Kaila, 1999 from USA (for illustrations, see Kaila 1999b). However, E. lata can be distinguished most easily by the wide spinose knob of gnathos and the very short digitate process.

Male (Figs. 22, 23). Forewing length 3.2 mm; wingspan 7.1 mm (n=1). Head: Frons, vertex and neck tuft blackish brown; labial palpus 1.4 times as long as width of head, whitish above, blackish brown below; antenna blackish brown. Thorax and tegula blackish brown. Forewing: ground colour blackish brown, weakly mottled by darker tipped scales; transverse fascia antemedian, white, medially interrupted, indistinct near dorsal margin of wing; white spot at 2/3 of costa, another smaller spot before it on dorsal margin; fringe scales blackish brown. Hindwing blackish brown, its fringe slightly paler.

Female. Unknown.

Male genitalia (Figs. 24–31). Uncus lobes slightly longer than wide, broadest medially, tapered distally, setae on ventral surface dense and short, scale-like near apex, becoming longer and thinner towards base. Socius with a few tiny setae. Spinose knob of gnathos large and oval. Valva long and narrow, about five times as long as wide; basal fold of costa extended to 1/2 of valva, beyond it with weak and broad hump; cucullus very long, slightly bent towards costa. Juxta lobes roundly produced laterally, ventral surface with setae distally. Digitate process reduced to small, bluntly triangular lobe, without setae. Vinculum V-shaped, with strong median ridge, saccus long and narrow. Phallus about 4/5 as long as valva, slightly bent at 2/5 from caecum, broad basally, gradually tapered towards apex; ventral apex strongly sclerotized, straight and pointed, dorsal apex less sclerotized, rounded; vesica with group of sclerotized spines.

Biology. Unknown.

Flight period. Based upon the single specimen available, adults fly in February.

Distribution. So far this species is known only from Tungurahua Province of Ecuador (Figs. 1, 3).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin latus (broad, wide, extensive) in reference to the wide gnathos.