Scythris psammitis Bidzilya & Budashkin

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., Budashkin, Yury I. & Zhakov, Aleksandr V., 2017, Checklist of scythridid moths (Lepidoptera, Scythrididae) of Ukraine with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4291 (3), pp. 481-503 : 495-497

Scythris psammitis Bidzilya & Budashkin sp. n.

( Figs 32–36 )

Type material. Holotype, ♂, “ Ukraine, KHerson reg., 10 km NE Radensk, OlesHki Sands , 6.vi.2015, at ligHt, leg. O. BidZilya ” | “gen. slide 135/ 15 ♂, O. BidZilya ” ( ZMKU) . Paratype, 1♀, same loCation, same data (BidZilya) (gen. slide 140/ 15 ♀ [lost!], O. BidZilya ( ZMKU) .

Description. ( Figs 32–34 ). Wingspan 10.0 mm. Head, antenna, tegula and tHoraX pale brown, Collar wHite, FaCe mottled witH wHite, Haustellun brown, mottled witH wHite in basal portion. Labial palpus ratHer long, siCklesHaped, weakly protruded over tHe Head, segment 2 wHite witH brown sCales in distal HalF, segment 3 brown miXed witH wHite, inner surFaCe dirty wHite. Forewing Comparatively long and narrow, greyisH brown, dull, Fold dirty wHite witH tHree blaCk dasHes touCHes, underside ligHt brown densely miXed witH wHite sCales. Cilia ligHt brown witH several wHitisH sCales on base. Hindwing and Cilia ligHt brown, underside dirty wHite.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 36 ). UnCus Comparatively small, stout, strongly sClerotiZed, Finger-sHaped. Tegumen subtrapeZoidal witH rounded Corners. GnatHos asymmetriCal, strongly sClerotiZed, semi-spHeriCal, witH sHort lateral arm on tHe rigHt. Valva prolonged, broadly Hare-ear-sHaped, densely Covered witH strong setae, situated on ringsHaped sClerite (vinCulum?). PHallus sHort, subreCtangular, base witH paired lateral arms, terminal portion narrow, tube-sHaped. Tergum VIII larger tHan unCus and tegumen, witH long and broad subtriangular Caudal proCess, lateral Folds broad, densely Covered witH long sinuate setae, its anterior Corners terminated into strongly sClerotiZed FingersHaped leFt projeCtion and stout, bilobed rigHt projeCtion. Sternum VIII broad, rounded.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 35 ). Sternum VIII weakly sClerotiZed, sub-trapeZoidal, posterior margin straigHt. Sterigma large, longer tHan tHe lengtH oF sternum VIII, triangular, apeX weakly bilobed. Ostium small, plaCed on tHe top oF sterigma. Antrum not developed. DuCtus bursae moderately long, narrow, membranous. Bursa CopulatriX large, membranous, rounded. ApopHyses posteriores more tHan twiCe as long as apopHyses anteriores.

Diagnosis. THe new speCies is CHaraCteriZed eXternally by small siZe and longitudinal wHite medial line along tHe Fold interrupted by tHree blaCk dasHes. It sHares tHese CHaraCters witH S. albisaxella K. & T. Nupponen, 2000 but it is larger and tHe wHite medial stripe is better eXpressed. THe male and Female genitalia are similar to tHose oF S. albisaxella too, but tHe valva is narrower in distal HalF, tHe sterigma is stouter and stronger sClerotiZed, and botH pairs oF apopHyses are tHiCker.

Distribution. SoutHern Ukraine (KHerson Region). It is known only From type loCality, OlesHky Sands in Radensk DistriCt ( Fig. 41 ).

Ecology. Host plant unknown. THe adults were ColleCted in early June on ligHt in sand steppe ( Fig. 40 ). THis biotope is a Habitat oF suCH predominantly psammopHiliC Lepidoptera as Catatinagma trivitellum (Rebel, 1903) , Scrobipalpa soffneri Povolný, 1964 , Filatima ukrainica Piskunov, 1971 ( GeleCHiidae ), Eugnosta medvedevi (Gerasimov, 1929) ( TortriCidae ), Ancylosis albidella Ragonot, 1888 (Pyralidae) and otHers. Taking into Consideration tHe FaCt tHat sCytHridids are ratHer rare in sandy Habitats (K. Nupponen, pers. Com.) we suppose tHat S. psammitis is an endemiC oF OlesHki sands.

Etymology. THe speCiFiC epitHet derived From Greek “ psammos ”, sand, and indiCates tHe restriCtion oF Habitats oF tHe speCies to sandy Habitats.

Remarks. THe gen. slide 140/15 witH tHe Female genitalia oF a new speCies was broken. Fortunately, tHe blaCk and wHite pHotograpH oF tHe genitalia was taken beFore tHe damage oCCurred.

Figures

FIGURE 41. Map of distribution of S. zhakovi and S. psammitis. 1. S. psammitis. Oleshki sand. 2 – 6. S. zhakovi. 2. “ Askania Nova ” Nature Reserve. 3. Vicinity of Schastlivtsevo vill. 4. Vicinity of Lvovo vill. 5. Primorsky vill. 6. Barakol Lake.

FIGURES 32 – 36. Scythris psammitis Bidzilya & Budashkin, sp. n. 32. Holotype, male. 33. Paratype, female. 34. Head, holotype, lateral view. 35. Female genitalia (gen. slide 140 / 15, O. Bidzilya). 36. Male genitalia (gen. slide 135 / 15, O. Bidzilya).

FIGURES 37 – 40. Habitats and host plants of Scythris spp. 37. Salt marshes on Barakol Lake, East Crimea, Feodosia distr. Habitats of S. zhakovi, S. aegrella, S. acipenserella, S. sublaminella. 38. Halimione verrucifera, host-plant of S. zhakovi and S. inertella. 39. Steppe in the vicinity of Schastlivtsevo vill., Arabatskaya strelka, Kherson reg. Habitat of S. zhakovi. 40. Oleshki sands, Kherson reg. Habitat of S. psammitis, S. pudorinella and S. sp. pr. hornigi.