Megacraspedus fallax (Mann, 1867) Junnilainen, Jari, Karsholt, Ole, Nupponen, Kari, Kaitila, Jari-Pekka, Nupponen, Timo & Olschwang, Vladimir, 2010

Junnilainen, Jari, Karsholt, Ole, Nupponen, Kari, Kaitila, Jari-Pekka, Nupponen, Timo & Olschwang, Vladimir, 2010, The gelechiid fauna of the southern Ural Mountains, part II: list of recorded species with taxonomic notes (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) 2367, Zootaxa 2367 (1), pp. 1-68 : 16-17

Megacraspedus fallax (Mann, 1867) comb. n.

Figs. 9, 12 & 13

Trichembola neurophanes Meyrick, 1926 syn. n.

Ajat river 03–05. VII.1997 ; Arkaim 08–09. VII.1997 ; Bajmak 17– 18. VI.1998 ; Bishtiryak 13. VII.1998 ; Burannoe 12.VI.2001, 06.VIII.2005 ; Chalk Hills 21– 24.VI.1999, 29–30.VI.2003, 05.VIII.2005, 29.IX.2005 ;

Guberlja 26.VI.2003; Kizilskoye 26.VII.2000; Kuvandyk 13–16.VI.1998, 19–21.VII.1998; Moskovo 10.VII.1997; Verbljushka 14–16.VII.1998. Genitalia slides: J. Junnilainen prep. no. 02022807; K. Nupponen 1/ 21.X.2008. A total of 135♂♂.

Distribution. Locally from S Europe: Russia (S Ural), the Volga region, S Ukraine, France, Spain, Hungary. Outside Europe from the Caucasus and Kazakhstan eastwards to NW China. Also reported from S Siberia ( Bidzilya 2002a).

Remarks. The genitalia of Trichembola neurophanes Meyrick, 1926 labelled “Uralsk AS. Russia c.. 25♂ gen. TYPE #8204 22.X 48 J.F.G.C.” (BMNH) were studied and were found to be identical with those of M. fallax Mann, 1867 (see also Clarke (1969: pl. 249, fig. 1a, 1b). Meyrick’s original description of the adult of T. neurophanes also fits exactly with the external appearance of M. fallax . Thus, we consider T. neurophanes Meyrick, 1926 to be a junior synonym of M. fallax Mann, 1867 . The habitus of the adult (Fig. 9) and male genitalia (Fig. 12) of M. fallax are illustrated, as well as the genitalia of the type specimen of T. neurophanes (Fig. 13). A single, freshly-emerged specimen observed in late September represents the second generation.