Coelopoeta alboflava Kaila, 2024

Kaila, Lauri, 2024, A review of Coelopoetinae (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Pterolonchidae), a moth subfamily confined to western North America, with descriptions of seven new species, Zootaxa 5458 (3), pp. 361-384 : 376

Coelopoeta alboflava Kaila , sp. nov.

Figs. 24 , 34

Holotype ♂: U.S.A., Montana, Hamilton, 17.viii.1928 J. McDunnough leg.; Coelopoeta sp. det. A.F.B.; Specimen ID CNCLEP00116752; Barcode of Life Project , Leg (s) removed, DNA extracted [barcoding unsuccessful]; L. Kaila prep. 6373 ( CNC).

Diagnosis. C. alboflava is a large and narrow-winged species. The forewing, head and thorax are creamy-white. The male antennae are slightly serrate in distal 1/4, and unlike other species, almost white and only indistinctly annulated with pale grey rings. The male genitalia most closely resemble those of C. glutinosi and C. phaceliae in not having the termen of valva distally dilated. This, in combination with the short saccus and phallus separates it from C. aprica . The shape of the tegumen differentiates C. alboflava from all other species in being more spherical and about as high as long as seen in lateral view. The female is unknown.

Description. Forewing length 6 mm. Labial palpus half the diameter of head; labial palpus, head, neck tuft, scape and pecten creamy white. Flagellum white, weakly annulated with pale grey rings, slightly serrate in distal 1/4. Fore- and midleg outwardly creamy white, inward ochreous, tarsal articles basally ochreous, distally pale grey. Hindleg outwardly creamy white, inwardly pale ochreous, tarsal articles distally slightly darker.

Male genitalia: Uncus undivided, hook-shaped, evenly tapered, approximately as long as tegumen. Gnathos as long as uncus, tapered from middle to apex, straight. Tegumen spherical, as high as long and 4/5 as long as valva in lateral view. Distal half of valva slightly narrower than basal half, twice as long as wide, distinctly inwardly bent in distal half, termen distally not markedly bulbous. Juxta bent, broadest in the middle, distal margin almost straight, anterior margin evenly convex. Saccus half the length of valva, bent dorsad, twice as long as its width at its narrowest point in middle, apex broadly rounded. Phallus slightly longer than valva, basal opening dorsally directed, without distinct carina along distal opening.

Female unknown.

Biology. Unknown. The single known specimen was collected in mid-August.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in western Montana, U.S.A.

Figures

FIGURES 23–28. Habitus of Coelopoeta spp.All images at the same scale as the first image. Figure 23: C. fulminea sp. nov., ♀, paratype, Canada, British Columbia, Manning Park; Figure 24: C. alboflava sp. nov., ♂, holotype; Figure 25: C. sariae sp. nov. ♂, holotype; Figure 26: C. maiadella Kaila, ♂, holotype; Figure 27: C. fissurina sp. nov., ♂, holotype; Figure 28. C. valalbui, ♂, holotype.

FIGURES 29–38. Male genitalia of Coelopoeta spp. Above lateral view with juxta and one valva excluded; below ventral view, with phallus excluded. Figure 29. C. glutinosi Walsingham. Figure 30: C. aprica sp. nov., holotype; Figure 31: C. phaceliae Kaila, California, Nevada Co.; Figure 32: C. aurora sp. nov., holotype; Figure 33: C. fulminea sp. nov., holotype; Figure 34: C. alboflava sp. nov., holotype; Figure 35: C. sariae sp. nov., holotype; Figure 36: C. maiadella sp. nov., holotype; Figure 37: C. fissurina sp. nov., holotype; 38: C. valalbui sp. nov., holotype.