Elachista sitibunda Kaila

Kaila, Lauri, Baran, Tomasz & Mutanen, Marko, 2015, A revision of the Elachista dispilella complex (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Elachistidae), Zootaxa 3963 (4), pp. 517-560 : 555-556

Elachista sitibunda Kaila , sp. nov.

Figs. 34 , 86

Type material. Holotype ♂: Uzbekistan, Shamansay, Kyzylkum desert, 12.V.1965, Falkovitsh leg., L. Kaila prep. 5760 ( ZIN). Paratypes (3 ♂): 2 ♂, same collection data except 13.VI.1970 and 19.VI.1970, L. Kaila prep. 5761, 5916 ( ZIN, MZH); Kazakhstan, 4227’51’’N, 6741’17’’E, NNE Kyzylkum desert, 220 m, 40 km W. Koksarai village, 2. V.2010, 1 ♂, K. Nupponen leg., L. Kaila prep. 5916 (Coll. Nupponen).

Diagnosis. Elachista sitibunda is a medium-sized creamy-white species with faint pale brown plical and discal spots on the forewing. The male genitalia are characterized by a single cornutus that is much larger than in related species, except for E. cornuta . These two species differ by the shape of the gnathos, which is considerably wider in E. cornuta , as well as by the shape of the cornutus, which has a spine as long as the width of the basal plate of the cornutus in E. cornuta , significantly shorter than the basal plate of the cornutus in E. sitibunda .

Molecular characterization. No material was available for genetic study.

Description. Wingspan 9 mm. Labial palpus porrect, creamy white, length equal to diameter of head, apical scales of second segment elongate. Head, neck tuft, thorax, scape and pedicel of antenna creamy white; flagellum greyish brown. Fore- and midleg grey, hindleg ochreous, spurs and tarsal articles slightly darker brown. Forewing creamy white with concolorous fringe, plical and discal spots faintly visible, pale brown, plical spot often absent, basal fifth of costa dark grey. Hindwing white with concolorous fringe. Underside of forewing varying from ochreous to pale grey with white fringe, hindwing nearly white, fringe concolorous.

Male genitalia. Uncus lobes broad, as wide as long, mesial margin convex, apex pointed and laterally directed, lateral margin straight. Spinose knob of gnathos nearly rounded, slightly broader than long. Valva as long as tegumen + uncus, 4 times as long as broad at its broadest point; sacculus dilated, cucullus elongate. Digitate process tongue-shaped, 0.25 times as long as valva, medially and distally with stout setae. Juxta lobes devoid of setae, mesial and distal margin rounded without distinct limit. Phallus 0.75 times as long as valva broad, apex pointed and shortly reinforced; basal opening posteriorly oriented, caecum absent; one large cornutus with oval and plate-shaped part and apically directed, stout spine, length of which 0.5 times of the width of the basal plate of cornutus.

Female. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan.

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 85 – 86. 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. 85. E. cornuta Parenti, paratype, U. Parenti prep. 944. 86. E. sitibunda Kaila sp. nov., holotype, L. Kaila prep. 5762. Middle bottom: cornutus, paratype, L. Kaila 5760.