Elachista semnani Parenti, 1981

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 : 416-417

Elachista semnani Parenti, 1981

Figs. 17 , 41

Elachista semnani Parenti, 1981: 52 .

Material examined. Type material: holotype ♂: Iran, Berge ö tl. Semnan [Mts. East of Semnan], 18.vi.1963, Kasy & Vartian leg. (U. Parenti prep. 1043; NMNW).

Diagnosis. E. semnani closely resembles E. bimaculata and E. platamodes . See the diagnosis of E. bimaculata for identification of these species.

Molecular characterization. No material was available for genetic study.

Redescription. Forewing length 4.5 mm. Labial palpus slightly upcurved, white, length equal to diameter of head. Head, neck tuft, thorax, scape and pedicel of antenna white; scape with distinctive pecten formed of elongate, white scales; flagellum brown with two basal segments white. Fore- and midleg brownish grey, laterally with white scales, tarsal articles distally pale; hindleg pale grey, spurs nearly black, tibia and tarsus above grey with distally pale tibia and tarsal articles. Forewing unicolorous, chalky white, with concolorous fringe. Underside of forewing dark grey, in basal third two pale longitudinal lines, fringe white. Costal side of hindwing pale brownish grey, otherwise hindwing translucent, pale grey with concolorous fringe. Underside of hindwing pale grey, translucent, except on costal side where it is darker grey; fringe pale grey.

Male genitalia. Uncus lobe rounded, sparsely covered by setae along distal and distolateral margins, lobes separated by narrow incision, depth of incision between them 1/3 the length of uncus. Spinose knob of gnathos rounded, as wide as uncus lobe. Valva 4.5x as long as wide in the widest point a little basal to middle, nearly straight. Cucullus indistinctly delineated, distally rounded. Digitate process 0.2x as long as valva, tongue-shaped, distal 2/3 with setae. Juxta lobe somewhat shorter than digitate process, distally markedly produced; with a few setae near apex, with indistinct oblique fold from middle of distal margin; median margin basally convex, distally concave, joining distal margin at an acute angle; distal margin straight, somewhat truncate between fold and median margin, joining lateral margin with a very obtuse angle; lateral margin concave; median plate of juxta posteriorly with dorsally projected curved lobe. Vinculum broad, U-shaped. Phallus 0.7–0.8x as long as valva, slightly bent, about 9x as long as broad at its broadest place near base, tapered into sclerotized, acute-tipped apex. Vesica with cornutus that consists of oval, indistinctly delineated, weakly sclerotized elongate plate with one blunt tooth.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Iran.

Figures

FIGURES 17–20. Adults of Elachista spp. Scale 2 mm. 17. E. semnani Parenti, ♂ holotype. 18. E. platamodes Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype. 19. E. acutella Kaila, ♂ (Kazakhstan, Emba river). 20. Elachista cultella Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype.

FIGURES 41–42. Male genitalia of Elachista spp. Left: general image of genitalia, phallus in same scale. Right top: juxta and digitate process. Middle: cornutus as enlarged. Right bottom: phallus as enlarged. 41. E. semnani Parenti, holotype (U. Parenti prep. 1043). 42. E. platamodes Kaila, sp. nov. holotype, L. Kaila prep. 5593.