Coleophora elea Baldizzone & Huemer, 2024

Baldizzone, Giorgio & Huemer, Peter, 2024, Coleophora elea Baldizzone & Huemer, new species of the Coleophora oriolella Zeller, 1849 species-group (Lepidoptera, Coleophoridae), Zootaxa 5481 (4), pp. 463-470 : 464-467

Coleophora elea Baldizzone & Huemer , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–2 , 4–11 )

Holotype ♂ ( GP Bldz 17624 ♂ - Barcode ID TLMF Lep 27376) “GRAECIA, Peloponnes, NW Arkoudi, 5 m, 21°06’24”E 37°50’56”N, 9. - 10.5.2019, leg. Huemer ”, coll. TLMF.

Paratype: 1 ♀ ( GP Bldz 17623 ♀ - Barcode ID TLMF Lep 27372), same label as the holotype, coll. TLMF .

Diagnosis. Coleophora elea is a small species with a beige, dirty-white suffused overall appearance. Structures of the genitalia resemble those of Coleophora oriolella Zeller, 1849 ( Figs. 12–15 ), a larger species with a different appearance, featuring a yellow forewing with thin silvery white streaks. In comparison to the male genitalia of C. oriolella , those of C. elea sp. nov. has a narrower tegumen in the middle; a larger and more sclerotized valvula with the straight seta on the dorsal side much shorter and not inclined; a shorter cucullus; a less expanded sacculus with a smaller ventral angle of the triangular protuberance; a longer, narrower phallotheca; and a much longer vesica with more robust cornuti that are fused together only at the base. In the female genitalia of C. elea sp. nov., compared to those of C. oriolella , the sterigma is shorter and wider, the spinulate part of the ductus bursae is shorter and the spines of the proximal 2/3 have a wider base; the signum bursae is stockier, with a shorter and wider pedunculate part. Finally, DNA barcodes also indicate a close relationship of C. elea sp. nov. and C. oriolella , but are about 4% different.

Molecular data. Coleophora oriolella and related species, as far as available in BOLD, all cluster separately with a comparatively low intraspecific versus interspecific divergence ( Fig. 16 ). The only exception is a separate cluster of C. oriolella from Spain (BIN: BOLD:ACE9932) which needs to be analysed for possible cryptic diversity. The two available and successfully barcoded specimens of Coleophora elea sp. nov. grouped in a unique BIN, BOLD:AEA1677 with a p-distance to the nearest neighbor, C. oriolella (BIN BOLD:ACE9932), of 4.01%.

Description. Wingspan 9–10 mm. Head white.Antenna white, ringed with dark brown, three basal flagellomeres covered by beige scales; scape beige with a tuft of erect scales dark brown on the internal side and beige with white basal part on external side. Labial palpus approximately 1.5 times the diameter of the eye, white on internal side, beige dorsally and on external side at apex of second segment and on entire third, approximately 0.5 times less long than second segment. Haustellum of normal shape. Thorax and tegula white. Forewing with a mixture of white, dirty white, beige, ochre and brown scales, with a more clearly defined white band along costa, from base to fringe; costal fringe light grey, covered with white scales at base; apical fringe brown; dorsal fringe light grey. Hindwing greyish brown; fringe light grey. Abdomen white.

Abdominal structures ( Figs. 7 , 11 ): No anterolateral struts. Transverse strut thicker with a more curved distal edge in male, thinner and with a straight and more sclerotized proximal edge in female. Tergal discs (3rd tergite) about 1.4 times their width, covered by about 20 spines in male and as long as wide, covered by 35 spines in female.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 4–6 ): Gnathos knob-shaped, ovoid. Tegumen constricted in middle; pedunculus slightly dilated and rounded on external side. Transtilla short, well sclerotized, curved and pointed. Valvula large, well sclerotized, covered with short cilia, with dorsal portion slightly curved, cilia longer, one near base of cucullus, more robust and straighter. Cucullus club-shaped. Sacculus low, robust, strongly sclerotized in ventral part, wrinkled, with a small sharp tooth in ventral angle. Phallotheca conical, more sclerotized on dorsal side. Vesica long, with long coiled appendix; six spiniform cornuti of different lengths, situated at base in a short, slightly curved cluster similar to a claw.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 8–10 ): Papillae anales densely covered with thin curved setae. Posterior apophysis about 2.0 times as long as anterior one. Sterigma dome-shaped, about 1.3 times wider than long, proximal edge almost straight, distal edge deeply hollowed in middle by the sinus vaginalis, with some short setae. Ostium bursae ovoid, with some pointed setae. Colliculum calyx-shaped, approximately as long as sterigma, crossed by final part of medial line which widens terminally, tubular part of colliculum thickened on edges that extend distally to sides of medial line. Ductus bursae long, spiraled in middle: posterior part, completely crossed by medial line, spinulate for a length of approximately 5 times length of sterigma; anterior part of ductus shorter, broad, transparent, and finely spinulate. Corpus bursae large, sac-shaped with leaf-shaped signum with robust pedunculate part.

Bionomy. The early stages and the foodplant are unknown. The new species was collected using light traps in the vicinity of a partially still natural sand dune with adjacent psammophytic and Mediterranean macchia vegetation.

Distribution. Greece, Peloponnese.

Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin eleus [- a, - um], and refers to Elis, a region belonging to the Peloponnese.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Neighbor-Joining tree of selected species of the Coleophora oriolella species group (Kimura 2-parameter, built with MEGA7 (Kumar et al. 2016); Source: DNA Barcode data from BOLD (Barcode of Life Database; Ratnasingham 2018).

FIGURES 1–2. Adults of Coleophora elea sp. nov. 1, male, holotype (9 mm). 2, female, paratype (10 mm). FIGURE 3. Biotope in which the specimens were collected.

FIGURES 4–7. Male genitalia of Coleophora elea sp. nov. 4, GP Bldz 17624, holotype. 5, enlarged detail of valva and phallotheca. 6, enlarged detail of cornuti. 7, abdomen.

FIGURES 8–11. Female genitalia of Coleophora elea sp. nov. 8, GP Bldz 17623, paratype. 9, enlarged detail of sterigma and colliculum. 10, Enlarged detail of signum bursae. 11, abdomen.

FIGURES 12–15. Genitalia of C. oriolella Zeller, 1849. 12, male genitalia, GP Bldz 14285, Italy, Piemonte, Carrega Ligure (AL) 18.VI.2027, leg. C. Cabella, coll. Baldizzone. 13, abdomen. 14, female genitalia, GP Bldz 15462, Italy, Liguria, Conna (SV), 27. V.1982, leg. E. Jäckh, coll. Baldizzone. 15, abdomen.