Scythris tridentata Passerin d’Entrèves & Roggero, 2012

D’Entrèves, Pietro Passerin, Bengtsson, Bengt Å. & Roggero, Angela, 2012, Taxonomic note on Scythris pangalactis Meyrick 1933, with the description of a new species from Iran and a new synonymy (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Scythrididae), Zootaxa 3323, pp. 50-56 : 52-54

Scythris tridentata Passerin d’Entrèves & Roggero sp. nov.

( Figs 2 B, 3C–D)

Type material. Holotype ɗ [ MIZT] Iran, Belutschistan, Jranshar, 800 m, 22–30.iv.1954, Richter u. Schäuffele leg. (Genital slide 848 PdE). Paratypes 2 ɗɗ [ MIZT] SO Iran [Djiroft] Anbar-Abad, 21–30.iv.1956, W. Richter leg. (Genital slides 841 and 850 PdE); 1 ɗ [ MIZT] SO Iran [Djiroft] Anbar-Abad, 1–18.v.1956, W. Richter leg. (Genital slide 849 PdE); 1 ɗ [ MIZT] Belutschistan, Jranshar, 800 m, 11–21.iv.1954, Richter u. Schäuffele leg. (Genital slide 843 PdE); 1 ɗ [ MIZT] Belutschistan, Jranshar, 800 m, 22–30.iv.1954, Richter u. Schäuffele leg. (Genital slide 847 PdE); 1 ɗ [ NHRS] Baloutchistan, Bender Tchahbahar, leg. Brandt, 1937 (Genital slide 9463 PdE); 1 ɗ [ HMIM] Sistan & Baluchestan Prov., 18 km W Iranshahr, Rig-Kaboud, 500 m, 15.v.1972, Abai, Ebert leg. (Genital slide 1397Alipanah).

Etymology. The species is named after the characteristic trident-like gnathos of the male.

Diagnosis. Scythris tridentata is similar to S. pelinaula , although S. tridentata males have a lighter complexion. Only the males of the two species are compared, as female S. tridentata sp. nov. remain unknown. Although there are similar features shared by the two species ( Fig. 2 ), distinct characters, such as the shape of S8 and T8, allow us to separate them ( Fig. 3 ). S8 is longer and narrower in S. pelinaula than in S. tridentata , which has shorter prongs and a more spatulate apex. In T8, the simple lateral expansion is near the apex in S. tridentata , but in S. pelinaula , it is larger and lamina-shaped. In S. tridentata , the T8 apices are shorter. The proximal part of the valvae of S. pelinaula is more rounded and more dorsally expanded than those of S. tridentata ( Fig. 3 B and C). The valvae apex is narrow and arched in S. tridentata and larger and rectilinear in S. pelinaula . The tegumen and vinculum are similar in the two species. The shape of the phallus is similar in both species, but the fusion is more sclerotized and longer in S. tridentata than in S. pelinaula . As a general rule, the S. tridentata male genitalia are smaller and more elongate than those of S. pelinaula .

Description. Wingspan 12–16 mm. Male ( Fig. 2 B). Forewing upper surface from white to evenly cream coloured; long and yellowish cream fringe. Hindwing upper surface yellowish white, glossy, with a yellowish cream fringe. Forewing and hindwing lower surface yellowish white, and glossy. Head yellowish white with white palpi and very light brown proboscis. Cream-white thorax and abdomen. Legs cream-white with white tarsi. Antenna almost as long as forewing, evenly very light brown, scape white. Male genitalia ( Fig. 3 C–D). Uncus almost as long as tegumen, narrow, apex sharp and slightly arched. Gnathos bearing three sender and sharp prolongations, the medial one larger and longer than lateral ones and down-arched at tip. Tegumen slender, triangular. Valva short and subtriangular, apex sharp, narrow and down-arched, with long setae; medial edges of valva fused almost entirely, the lateral nooks well-developed. Phallus short and thick, joined to valvae near the apex through a well-sclerotized juxta extending backward. Vinculum broad, partially fused with valvae. S8 subtriangular, apex prolonged in two diverging, short and spatulate prongs. T8 constituted by two symmetrical Y-shaped portions, inner prongs partially fused at apex. Female. Unknown. Female genitalia. Unknown.

Biology. The immature stages are unknown. The species was collected in April and May. The host plants are unknown.

Distribution. The species is known only from SE Iran. At present the species can be catalogued as a reduced endemism with a Saharo-Sindic distribution.

Remarks. In the original description of S. friedeli from Ifrane, Morocco ( Bengtsson 1997b: 130) six paratypes from Iran and Jordan were also listed. Bengtsson reported that all the paratypes are preserved in the Passerin d’Entrèves collection (now in MIZT). The inclusion of these specimens in the type series of S. friedeli must be erroneous because they have obvious external differences from S. friedeli . According to Bengtsson (1997b), the S. subfasciata species-group - in which S. friedeli belongs - comprises six small species with dark forewings. The males have a large uncus, a wishbone-like gnathos, and triangular valvae. The only two known females ( S. anthracodes and S. subfasciata ) are characterized by a conspicuous sterigma. By contrast, S. pelinaula and S. tridentata sp. nov. are both large with cream or very light brown forewings, and the males have reduced genitalia with three characteristic processes on the gnathos that have never been reported for the other species of the S. subfasciata species-group. Furthermore, the valvae of S. pelinaula and S. tridentata sp. nov. are partially fused along the medial edge, and both have peculiar-shaped phalluses, previously unknown in scythridids. The the shape of the sterigma in the female of S. pelinaula differs from those of the two known females of S. subfasciata species-group.

After a careful analysis of external and genital features, we conclude that the S. friedeli paratypes from Iran and Jordan are not conspecific with the holotype from Morocco. Two specimens (a male from the Dead Sea and a female from S Iran) were identified as S. pelinaula , and the other four are included above in the S. tridentata sp. nov. type series.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Facies. A, S. pelinaula; B, S. tridentata. Scale bar = 2 mm.

FIGURE 3. S. pelinaula. A, S 8 and T 8. B, complex uncus-gnathos-tegumen-phallus-vinculum; S. tridentata. C complex uncus-gnathos-tegumen-phallus-vinculum. D, S 8 and T 8. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.