A taxonomic revision of the Elachista bedellella (Sircom) complex (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae: Elachistinae)
Author
Kaila, Lauri
text
Zootaxa
2007
1629
1
25
journal article
48872
10.5281/zenodo.179345
74dc0081-b0fa-4e32-bf1b-4fd8546ea577
1175-5326
179345
Elachista titanella
Kaila & Jalava
, stat. n.
(
Figs. 7, 8
,
21
,
34–37
,
58
E, F)
Elachista coeneni
ssp.
titanella
Kaila & Jalava, 1994
: 100
Material studied.
Type
material:
Holotype
, ď: [
USSR
] 43°N 43°E C. Caucasus, Kabardino-Balkarskij N. P.
35 km
SE mt. Elbrus, subalpine meadows,
2300 m
,
9.VII.1990
J. Jalava leg. (L. Kaila prep. 518,
MZH
).
Paratypes
: 32 ď with the same label data as in the
holotype
, but collecting dates between
9.–11.VII.1990
) (L. Kaila prep. 371, 387, 516, 517, 520, 3416, 4110, 4111, 4112,
MZH
).
Diagnosis of male.
Elachista titanella
is a large species, with forewing length
5–6 mm
. Its wing pattern is variable, from almost unicolorous pale ochreous to brownish grey (
Figs. 7, 8
). In darker specimens the pale fascia and blurred tornal and costal spots are discernible as broad; the costal spot is situated beyond the tornal spot (
Fig. 7
). As such it is externally similar to
E. versicolora
sp. n.
These species differ from each other by the larger cornutus and the considerably broader juxta lobes of
E. versicolora
(best observable in lateral view). The dorsally directed sac of the juxta is characteristically sharp distally in
E. titanella
.
Elachista titanella
differs from
E. lugdunensis
by the following traits in the male genitalia: the phallus of
E. titanella
is narrower and the cornutus is smaller and its tooth is shorter and blunt distally as compared to
E. lugdunensis
; the posterior sac of median plate of juxta is pointed distally in
E. titanella
, blunt in
E. lugdunensis
; the juxta lobes are longer and narrower in
E. lugdunensis
than in
E. titanella
.
The male genitalia of
E. titanella
are perhaps closest to the externally distinctive
E. bedellella
with the equally long and stout juxta lobes. The cornutus of
E. bedellella
is larger, but the tooth in it is smaller than in
E. titanella
.
Female. Unknown.
Distribution.
Only known from Central Caucasus Mts. in
Russia
.
Remarks.
E. titanella
was originally described as a subspecies of
E. coeneni
(syn. of
E. lugdunensis
) largely due to the pale and blurred forewing pattern. It is here raised as species on the basis of the differentiating genital characteristics as outlined above.