Zarcinia walsinghami (Caradja, 1920) Mey, 2022

Mey, Wolfram, 2022, Taxonomic notes on Palearctic taxa of Galacticidae, a little-known family of Lepidoptera (Galacticoidea), Nota Lepidopterologica 45, pp. 169-190 : 169

Zarcinia walsinghami (Caradja, 1920) comb. nov.

Figs 13-14 , 33-35 , 42-44 , 49

Galactica walsinghami Caradja, 1920: 90, type locality: Inderskysche Salzsteppe, Uralsk [Kazakhstan], lectotype designation by Shovkoon in Trofimova et al. (2017): 456. Galactica walsinghami ab. pluripunctella Caradja, 1920 [infrasubspecific]: 90, type locality: Kalmykov, invalid lectotype designation by Shovkoon in Trofimova et al. (2017): 456, synonymised with G. walsinghami by Anikin et al. (2006).

Galactica walsinghami : Mey (2004), Anikin et al. (2006), Knyazev et al. (2016), Trofimova et al. (2017).

Calantica bootella Turati, 1926: 68, type locality: [Libya], Porto Bardia, synonymised by Turati 1930: 77-78

Zarcinia melanozestas Meyrick, 1935: 556, type locality: Daghestan [Russia], synonymised by Anikin et al. 2006: 466

Material examined.

type material, lectotype ♂, Kazakhstan, “Indersky/Salzsee/23.vi.[19]07” [hand-written on white paper], genitalia slide G. Friese 862, ( MGAB); Paralectotype ♂, “Uralsk/29.vi.[19]07” [hand-written on white paper], genitalia slide Friese 863 ( MGAB); Holotype ♀, ab. Zarcinia melanozestas pluripunctella , “Kalmykov/26.vi.[19]07”, genitalia slide G. Friese 861 ( MGAB); Lectotype ♀ of Zarcinia melanozestas , genitalia slide 7475, (BMNH) [examined]; 1 ♀, South Kazakhstan, Kzyl-Orda, 170 m, 44°51'N, 65°31'E, 01.v.1993, leg. M. Danilevsky , ex. coll. Schintlmeister, genitalia slide Mey 01/04 ( MfN); 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Kazakhstan, Atyrau Region, 47°16'N, 53°50'E, 9.v.2007, leg. Trofimova & Shovkoon (coll. Shovkoon); 1 ♂, Kazakhstan, Kyzyl-Orda region, Karatup peninsula of Aral Lake, 46°20'N, 59°43'E, 26.v.2006, leg. Trofimova & Shovkoon (coll. Shovkoon); 3 ♂, Kazakhstan , Mangistau , Ustyurt Nature Reserve , Karynzharyk Sand , Saksorka well, 43°17'N, 53°33'E, 5.v. 2010, 580 m, leg. Knud Larsen , genitalia slide male 4151 KL (coll. K. Larsen); 1 ♂, Russia, Orenburg Region, Sol' -Ileck area , 50°38'N, 54°42'E, leg. Shovkoon (coll. Shovkoon) .

Diagnosis.

Zarcinia walsinghami resembles Z. stshetkini sp. nov. The males differ in the form of the valva and the size of the phallus. In the female genitalia, the bulla seminalis is present in Z. walsinghami and absent in Z. stshetkini sp. nov.

Description.

Adult (Fig. 13 ). Length of forewing 8-9 mm, wingspan 17-20 mm (n = 3); head white, frons with appressed scales, vertex and scapes with semi-erected scales; labial palpi longer as eye-diameter, straight, white and with a brown patch on second segment; unscaled proboscis pale grey; antennae filiform, 0.5 of forewing length, finely ciliated on ventral side; tarsomeres of fore and mid-legs brown on dorsal side, tips white, hind legs white, spurs 0.2.4.; forewing white, with numerous small, black spots, forming no distinct streak in basal half; hindwing white, pale brown towards tips, fringes white; wing venation as in Fig. 32 with accessory cell in forewing and M present in cell, hindwing with M3 and Cu1a fused over a short distance; one frenular bristle in male, three in females; white scales of retinaculum on underside of Sc.

Male genitalia (Figs 33-35 ). Tergal plate of segment VIII nearly triangular with broad base and acute apex in dorsal view; pleurae membranous; segment IX vestigial, gnathos a pair of asymmetrical, triangular pieces, valvae long, dorsal process trapezoid, directed distad, apical part as long as dorsal process; phallus tubular, thin and curved, as long as half of valva length, connected sub-basally with bifid anellus.

Female genitalia (Figs 42-44 ). Tergum VII with median, shallow groove extending beyond caudal margin; distal margin of sternum VII in ventral view asymmetrical, ostium bursae with sclerotised rim, on right hand side in intersegmental membrane, close to sternal margin, ductus bursae longer than bursa, signa in oval bursa copulatrix absent, bulla seminalis present, inserted to ductus bursae close to ductus seminalis.

Biology.

The species was reared by Knyazev et al. (2016), who also described the larvae. The food plant was identified by as Limonium caspicus Willdenow, a species with a wide distribution around the northern part of the Caspian Sea to southern Siberia and Kazakhstan. The larvae live in webs spun throughout the affected leaves and flowers (Fig. 49 ). When fully crown the larvae spin cocoons between leaves and inflorescences of the host plant and overwinters in this stage. Judging from collecting dates of adults, the species probably has two generations per year.

Distribution

(Fig. 17 ). Dagestan, eastern Russia, Kazakhstan.

Remarks.

Galactica walsinghami was described from specimens from Indersky Salt Lake near Uralsk in northern Kazakhstan. The species remained uncollected for more than 100 years. Anikin et al. (2006) synonymised Zarcinia melanozestas Meyrick, 1925 with G. walsinghami without providing evidence and data from freshly collected specimens, but mentioned Limonium gmelini ( Plumbaginaceae) as the host plant of the species. The type locality of Z. melanozestas in Dagestan is Khasaviurt Town (= Chasav`urt, 43°15'N, 46°37'E, 121 m), which is situated on the western side of the Caspian Sea. The collecting site lies in the arid steppe zone, which reaches the foothills of the eastern Caucasus in this area. Knyazev et al. (2016) reported localities and specimens collected in Western Siberia and mentioned the general occurrence of the species in the steppe zone of Eastern Russia ( Sinev 2008), western Siberia and northern Kazakhstan.

Photos of adults were published by Knyazev et al. 2016 and Anikin et al. 2017. The male genitalia were photographed by D.S. Shovkoon from genitalia slides made by G. Friese. The latter author designated a lectotype (Nr. 862) and paralectotype (Nr. 863) but did not publish the designations. The photo of the male paralectotype is provided in Fig. 35 .

Turati (1930) synomymised his species Calantica bootella Turati, 1926 with B. walsinghami . This action was initiated by a proposal of Caradja, who considered both species as conspecific. The synonymy was assumed by comparing images of adults and was not based on examination of the genitalia, which is the only way to determine generic affiliations in this family. The synonymy is therefore doubtful. The species is either a synonym of H. caradjae , Z. ghorella , Z. nigrosignatella , Z. variinotella or represents a distinct species.

Figures

Figure 17. Distribution of Homadaula punctigera (Rebel), Zarcinia stshetkini sp. nov. and Z. walsinghami (Caradja) in Central Asia.

Figure 49. Larva and larval webs of Zarcinia walsinghami (Caradja) on flowers of Limonium caspicus (photo: SA Knyazev).

Figures 9 - 16. Adults of Zarcinia spp. 9 - 10. Z. ghorella (Amsel), holotype and label; 11 - 12. Z. stshetkini sp. nov., male holotype and label; 13 - 14. Z. walsinghami (Caradja), male paralectotype and label; 15. Z. stshetkini sp. nov., female, Afghanistan; 16. Zarcinia sp., female, Iran (photos by W. Mey).

Figure 27 - 35. Zarcinia spp., male genitalia of Z. stshetkini sp. nov., holotype; 27. Lateral; 28. Phallus and anellus, ventral; 29. Segment VIII, caudal; 30. Ventral; 31. Dorsal; 32. Wing venation; 33 - 35. Male genitalia of Z. walsinghami (Caradja); 33. Tergal plate, dorsal; 34. Valva, lateral; 35. Genitalia of paralectotype, caudal (genitalia slide Friese 863).

Figures 36 - 48. Female genitalia of Zarcinia spp., 36 - 38. Z. ghorella (Amsel), holotype; 36. Lateral; 37. Ventral; 38. Segment VII, dorsal; 39 - 41. Z. stshetkini sp. nov.; 39. Ventral; 40. Lateral; 41. segment VII, dorsal; 42 - 44. Z. walsinghami (Caradja), Kzyl-Orda; 42. Lateral; 43. Ventral; 44. Segment VII, dorsal; 45 - 47. Z. nigrosignatella (Chretien); 45. Ventral; 46. Lateral; 47. Segment VII, dorsal; 48. Zarcinia sp., Iran, ventral view.