Megacraspedus latiuncus, Huemer, Peter & Karsholt, Ole, 2018

Huemer, Peter & Karsholt, Ole, 2018, Revision of the genus Megacraspedus Zeller, 1839, a challenging taxonomic tightrope of species delimitation (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), ZooKeys 800, pp. 1-278 : 118-119

Megacraspedus latiuncus sp. n.

Examined material.

Holotype, ♂, [Kazakhstan] "USSR 43°05'N, 77°15'E Kazakhstan, Zailiskiy Alatau, Alma-Atinskij Nat. P." "1750 m, steppe slope/Carex creek, 14.vii.1990 ad luc., L Kaila & K Mikkola leg." "Gen. prep. nr. 5324 ♂ O. Karsholt" (MZH).

Description.

Adult. Male (Figure 96). Wingspan 18 mm. Labial palpus long, porrect, white mottled with dark brown especially on outer surface; segment 3 reduced. Antennal scape with several long hairs; flagellum blackish brown ringed with dirty white. Head, thorax and tegula light yellowish white. Forewing light yellow mottled with brown and black scales especially in costal part; veins white; fringes light grey with a whitish fringe line. Hindwing whitish grey with whitish grey fringes.

Female. Unknown.

Variation. Unknown.

Male genitalia (Figure 224). Uncus broadly sub-quadrate, nearly width of posterior edge of tegumen, apical corners weakly rounded; gnathos hook massive, stout, slightly longer than uncus, abruptly curved at about one-quarter, distal part nearly straight, medially weakly widened, apically pointed; anterior margin of tegumen with broad and moderately shallow excavation, medially with additional small emargination, curved sclerotised ridges joined medially in anterior part; pedunculi moderately small, rounded; valva broadly digitate, weakly curved, extending to about middle of uncus, distal sixth narrowing, apex weakly rounded, setose; saccular area covered with setae, without separated sacculus; posterior margin of vinculum with shallow medial emargination, with lateral humps, vincular sclerite oblong; saccus sub-triangular, basally broad, distally almost evenly tapered to weakly pointed apex, ratio maximum width to length approximately 0.8, posterior margin strongly arched, sinusoid, without medial emargination, medial part smooth, without sclerotised ridge, lateral sclerites approximately 0.7 times of maximum width of saccus; phallus straight, bulbous coecum, distal two-thirds slender, with sclerotised dorsal and ventral zones, medially with small sclerotised patch of differently sized minute spines, ductus ejaculatorius with slender, double-twisted interior sclerotisation.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis.

Megacraspedus latiuncus sp. n. is characterised by its light yellow, brownish and blackish dusted forewings with white veins. It is similar to M. longipalpella (Figs 83-84), but has shorter labial palps and darker forewings with less contrasting light veins. It is also similar to M. albovenata (Figs 81-82), which has clear white veins on light brown forewings which are not darker towards the costa. See also M. majorella (p 124). The male genitalia are similar to M. majorella (Figure 223) but characterised by the large and sub-quadrate uncus, the massive gnathos hook, and by the small field of minute spines of the phallus.

Molecular data.

Not available, barcoding failed.

Distribution.

South-eastern Kazahkstan.

Biology.

Host plant and early stages are unknown. The holotype was collected at light in July on a steppe slope with Carex at an altitude of 1750 m.

Etymology.

The species name is a compound word derived from the Latin words latus (meaning wide) and uncus, referring to the broad uncus. The name is a noun in apposition.