Elachista laterotis Kaila

Kaila, Lauri, Baran, Tomasz & Mutanen, Marko, 2015, A revision of the Elachista dispilella complex (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Elachistidae), Zootaxa 3963 (4), pp. 517-560 : 552-553

Elachista laterotis Kaila , sp. nov.

Figs. 32 , 84

Type material. Holotype ♂: Turkey, 30 km Sw Aksehir, Sultan Daglari, 1200 m, 28.V.1997, K. Nupponen & J. Junnilainen leg., L. Kaila prep. 3000 (Coll. Nupponen). Paratype ♂: same locality, 8.VI.2002, T. Nupponen leg., L. Kaila prep. 4318 (Coll. Nupponen).

Diagnosis. Elachista laterotis is a large white species externally resembling E. vartianae in the E. dispilella complex, and E. catalana Parenti in the E. catalana complex. From the latter it is readily distinguished by the genitalia (cf. Kaila 2011b). Externally, E. laterotis differs from the potentially sympatric and likely closely related E. vartianae by the ochreous hindwing fringe of the latter species; the fringe of E. laterotis is grey. Both these species have a single small spine-like cornutus. The male genitalia of these species differ as follows: the gnathos is rounded in E. laterotis , oval-shaped in E. vartianae ; the uncus lobes are distinctly outward bent in E. vartianae , not so in E. laterotis ; the valva is proportionally longer in E. laterotis , less so in E. vartianae ; the juxta lobes have a laterally situated, tongue-shaped posteriorly-directed lobe in E. laterotis that is lacking in E. vartianae . The male genitalia of E. ripai have a similar lobe, but the latter species is otherwise quite different.

Molecular characterization. No material was available for genetic study.

Description. Wingspan 12.5 mm. Labial palpus white, second segment fuscous below, length 1.2 times diameter of head. Head, neck tuft, thorax, scape and pedicel of antenna white; flagellum brown. Legs outwardly leaden grey, inwardly pale ochreous, hindleg dirty white. Forewing unicolorous white with concolorous fringe, basal fifth of costa grey. Hindwing pale grey with concolorous fringe. Underside of both wings grey with white fringe.

Male genitalia. Uncus lobes 1.5 times as long as wide, distally tapered to nearly rounded apex, mesial margin convex, lateral margin straight. Spinose knob of gnathos rounded. Valva 3/5 as long as tegumen + uncus, 5.7 times as long as broad, straight, parallel-sided; cucullus somewhat dilated, a little bent towards costa. Digitate process tongue-shaped, 0.2 times as long as valva, medially and distally with stout setae. Mesial margin of juxta lobes straight, joining the straight distal margin in a right angle, laterally with posteriorly directed lobe that bears a few setae. Phallus 3/4 times as long as valva, bent, parallel-sided, distally tapered into sharp reinforced apex; one small cornutus formed of weakly sclerotized plate and short and blunt spine.

Female. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Turkey.

Figures

FIGURES 26 – 34. Adults of Elachista spp. Scale 2 mm. 26. E. levasi Sruoga, ♂ holotype (courtesy by V. Sruoga). 27. E. levasi Sruoga, ♂ (Ukraine). 28. E. bazaensis Traugott-Olsen, ♂ holotype. 29. E. bazaensis Traugott-Olsen, ♀ (Spain). 30. E. vartianae Parenti, ♂ (Morocco). 31. E. vartianae Parenti, ♀ (Morocco). 32. E. laterotis Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype. 33. E. cornuta Parenti, ♂ holotype (Iran). 34. E. sitibunda Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype.

FIGURES 83 – 84. Male genitalia of Elachista spp. Left: general image of genitalia, phallus in same scale. Right top: juxta and digitate process. Right bottom: cornutus as enlarged. 83. E. vartianae Parenti, Morocco, L. Kaila prep. 5435. 84. E. laterotis Kaila sp. nov., holotype, L. Kaila prep. 3000.