Elachista subula Parenti, 1991, 1988

Kaila, Lauri & Nupponen, Kari, 2018, A review of the Elachista subula Parenti species complex (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae), with descriptions of nine new Palearctic species, Zootaxa 4433 (3), pp. 401-433 : 405-407

Elachista subula Parenti, 1991

Figs. 2, 3 , 24, 25 , 49, 50

Elachista subula Parenti, 1991: 210 .

Material examined. Type material: holotype ♂ (examined): Mongolia, Bulgan aimak, ca 20 km W von Somon Bajan-nuur, 1100 m, Exp. Dr. Kaszab, 1966; ♂ Holotype Elachista subula Par. U. Parenti 1988 ; Elachistidae prep. gen. 2133 ♂ (HNHM).

Other material: Mongolia: 43°21’N 103°11’E, 1700 m, Omnogov Aimak, Bayandalai, Somon Zoolen uul, 27.–30. v.1997, 2 ♂, Yu. Marusik leg. (L. Kaila prep. 3946, 3947; MZH) ; Tov Aimak, 48°22’N 106°18’E, 1100 m, 18.–23. vi.1997, 2 ♂, Yu. Marusik leg. (L. Kaila prep. 3944, 3945; MZH) . Russia: Altai Mts., 50°14–16’N 87°50– 55’E, 1500–1700 m, Kuraiskaja step, 27. vi.2000, 1 ♂, T. & K. Nupponen leg. (L. Kaila prep. 3953, Coll. Nupponen) ; S. Buryatia, 51°11–13’N 106°10–12’E, 700 m, Hamar Daban Mts., Murtoy River, 6 km NW Gusinoe ozero village, forest steppe, 19.–21. vi.2002, 13 ♂ 1 ♀, K. Nupponen leg. (L. Kaila prep. 4153, 4385, 4395, 4396, 4817, 4816; DNA samples 16805–7 Lepid. Phyl. ; Coll. Nupponen, 2 ♂ in MZH) ; Buryatia pr. Ulan-Ude, 700 m, 35 km SW Ulan-Ude , steppe hill, 17. vii.1996, 4 ♂, Jalava & Kullberg leg. (L. Kaila prep. 3948, 3949; MZH) ; Tuva: Tannu-Ola Mts., Irbitei 50°44’N 93°08’E, 13.–16. vi.1995, 11 ♂ 1 ♀ Jalava & Kullberg leg. (L. Kaila prep. 1661, 1671, 1676, 1677, 6143; MZH) ; 50°16’N 94°57’E, 1250 m, 25 km W. Erzin, 1250 m, steppe/stony slopes, 7.– 11. vi.1995, 2 ♂, Jalava & Kullberg leg. (L. Kaila prep. 2202; MZH); 50°45’N 94°29’’E, 1250 m, E. Tannu-Ola Mts., 5 km ENE Khol-Oozha , steppe slopes, 16.–19. vi.1995, 1 ♂, Jalava & Kullberg leg. (L. Kaila prep. 1656; MZH) ; Transbaikalia, Chita reg., Kyra , 900 m, 18.vii.1997, A. Bidzilya, I. & O. Kostjuk leg. (L. Kaila prep. 3935, [ E. bimaculata Par. Bidzilya det.]; ZMKU) .

Diagnosis. Elachista subula has forewing ground colour varying from white to pale cream. It has distinct, elongate brownish grey plical and discal spots on forewing. The phallus is wider than in most other species, most closely resembling that of E. cisoria . In the male genitalia the most distinctive character is the sickle-shaped juxta lobe which distinguishes E. subula from all other species in this species complex. The female genitalia are devoid of signum; the wide antrum is characteristic, similar to that of E. cisoria . In E. subula length of the antrum is 1/3 of the wrinkled dilation of ductus bursae, while in E. cisoria it is equally long. A similarly expanded posterior part of ductus bursae is present in species of the E. bedellella species complex. In these species it is not wrinkled. They are also usually externally quite different ( Kaila 2007).

Molecular characterization. The maximum intraspecific variation among the three included specimens was 0.15 %. Of the species included the closest taxon in terms of similarity of barcodes is E. spinipyra (distance 5.08 %).

Redescription. Forewing length 4–5 mm. Labial palpus straight or slightly upcurved, white to cream, length 0.8x diameter of head. Head, neck tuft, thorax, scape and pedicel of antenna white to cream; scape with distinctive pecten formed of elongate, white scales; flagellum brown. Fore- and midleg inwardly dark grey, outwardly white, tarsal articles distally pale; hindleg pale grey, spurs nearly black, tibia and tarsus above grey with distally pale tibia and tarsal articles. Forewing ground colour varying from white to cream, with faintly expressed grey plical spot in the middle of wing length at fold, and similar discal spot at 2/3 wing length; basal third of costa narrowly nearly black. Fringe pale ochreous grey. Hindwing grey with concolorous fringe. Underside of both wings grey, apex of forewing shortly yellowish.

Male genitalia. Uncus lobe nearly rounded, as broad as or slightly broader than long, ventrally sparsely covered by setae along margin, lobes separated by broad V-shaped incision, depth of which half the length of uncus. Spinose knob of gnathos elongate, small, its length less than width of uncus lobe. Valva 4x as long as wide at its widest point in the distal ¾; sacculus slightly concave medially, otherwise valva parallel-sided; cucullus indistinctly delineated, rounded. Digitate process 1/ 5x as long as valva, parallel-sided, tongue-shaped, distal 2/3 with setae. Juxta lobe sickle-shaped, 1.2x as long as digitate process, with a few setae near distal margin. Median plate of juxta posteriorly with dorsally projected, curved lobe. Vinculum short and broad, U-shaped. Phallus 0.6– 0.7x as long as valva; approximately 7x as long as broad at its broadest place at distal 3/5 [the phallus of the holotype is pressed to distortion, cf. Fig. 24 ]; from distal 1/4 abruptly tapered into strongly sclerotized, acute-tipped apex. Vesica with cornutus that consists of oval, weakly sclerotized plate with one blunt tooth that is almost equal to the plate in size.

Female genitalia. Papillae anales membranous with nearly rounded apex; dorsoventrally with Y-shaped connecting sclerotization. Apophysis posterioris slender, straight, 2x as long as papilla analis. Apophysis anterioris 2/ 3x as long as apophysis posterioris. Ostium bursae rounded. Antrum parallel-sided, as broad as ostium bursae between it and inception of ductus seminalis; anterior to inception of ductus seminalis ductus bursae inflated as wrinkled, oval-shaped dilation, length of which 3x antrum. Narrow part of ductus bursae shortly wrinkled posteriorly, otherwise straight, tubular, membranous; its total length 3.3x apophysis posterioris. Corpus bursae oval [in the image artificially folded, thus giving the impression of its being narrower than it is], with sparsely scattered internal granules; no signum present.

Biology. Immature stages are unknown. Adults fly actively at dusk, and are also attracted to UV light. The species inhabits xerothermic sites with low vegetation; it has been recorded in altitudes between 700 and 1700 m.

Distribution. Mongolia; Russia: Altai, Buryatia, Transbaikalia (Chita) and Tuva.

Figures

FIGURES 2–5. Adults of Elachista spp. Scale 2 mm. 2. E. subula Parenti, ♂ holotype. 3. E. subula ♂ (Russia: S. Buryatia). 4. E. cisoria Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype. 5. E. cisoria Kaila, sp. nov., ♀ paratype (Spain, Aragon, Teruel).

FIGURES 24–25. Male genitalia of Elachista subula Parenti. 24. Holotype (U. Parenti prep. 2133). Left: general image of genitalia, phallus in same scale. Right top: juxta and digitate process. Right bottom: phallus as enlarged. 25. Mongolia, Tov Aimak (L. Kaila prep. 3945). Left: general image of genitalia, phallus in same scale. Right top: juxta and digitate process. Middle: cornutus as enlarged. Right bottom: phallus as enlarged.

FIGURES 49–50. Female genitalia of E. subula Parenti. Fig. 49. Overview of the female genitalia (Russia: Tuva, Tannu-Ola mts.; L. Kaila prep. 6143). 50. Ostium bursae and colliculum enlarged.