Elachista buszkoi Sruoga & Kaila, 2019

Sruoga, Virginijus, Kaila, Lauri & Rocienė, Agnė, 2019, The Elachistinae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea, Elachistidae) of Thailand, with description of eight new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 574, pp. 1-34 : 5-8

Elachista buszkoi Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4BD9729D-5F30-468A-ACD3-26722E91E521

Figs 7–13

Diagnosis

Elachista buszkoi Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov. belongs to the E. orba species group (defined by Kaila 2011). It is a small, dark-coloured species with indistinct wing markings. In wing pattern and male genitalia, the new species is comparable to E. commoncommelinae Sugisima & Kaila, 2011 and E. nielsencommelinae Sugisima & Kaila, 2011 known from Australia (for illustrations, we refer to Kaila 2011: pl. 13, figs 14–15; pl. 14, figs 1–2; figs 274–278). However, E. buszkoi Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov. is distinguishable by silvery grey fasciae on forewing, much smaller and wider separate uncus lobes, and more bent phallus.

Etymology

This new species is dedicated to Professor Jaroslaw Buszko, who collected the type material.

Type material

Holotype

THAILAND • ♂; Doi Ithanon ; 1200 m; larva 9 Nov. 2010, ex larva 25 Nov. 2010; J. Buszko leg.; MZH VS1 / 2.04.19.

Paratype

THAILAND • 1 ♂; same collection data as for the holotype; MZH VS2 / 29.03.19 .

Description

Male

EXTERNAL CHARACTERS ( Figs 7–8 ). Forewing length 2.6–2.7 mm; wingspan 5.8–6.0 mm (n = 2). Head: frons shiny, brownish white; vertex and neck tuft brownish black; labial palpus upwards curved, slightly longer than width of head, blackish brown except second segment white above; antenna blackish brown, very weakly annulated with paler rings, somewhat serrate, without pecten; densely ciliated, length of cilia about ½ diameter of shaft. Thorax, tegula and ground colour of forewing brownish black, with two silvery grey, weakly outwardly bent, transverse fasciae at ¼ and ½ of wing; fringe scales greyish brown, fringe line brownish black. Hindwing greyish brown, its fringe scales somewhat paler.

MALE GENITALIA ( Figs 9–13 ). Uncus lobes short, narrow, with broad U-shaped gap between them, bottom of gap reinforced, ventral surface with few short, thin scales. Basal arms of gnathos short, strongly sclerotized; spinose knob of gnathos divided into two large oval lobes. Valva 3.5 times as long as wide, evenly bent, broadest medially, basal fold of costa extended to ½ length of valva, beyond it broad hump; cucullus rounded; sacculus with very small distal spine. Digitate process about 1/5 length of valva, broadest at base, apex with few small setae. Median plate of juxta with prominent dorsally directed pockets in lateral margin ( Fig. 13 ); juxta lobes small, median margin straight, apical margin somewhat convex, with few small setae laterally. Vinculum V-shaped, without median ridge, tapered to short saccus. Phallus 0.8 length of valva, strongly bent at basal 2/5; basal opening posteriorly directed, without caecum; no cornuti present.

Female

Unknown.

Biology

The mined leaves of an unidentified Poaceae sp. were collected in early November. All other known species of the E. orba species group feed on plants belonging to Zingiberales Grisebach or Commelinales Mirb. ex Bercht. & J.Presl. This is the first record of a Poaceae Barnhart feeding species in this group.

Flight period

Based upon the two specimens available, adults fly in late November.

Distribution

So far this species is known only from northern Thailand.

Figures

Figs 7–10. Elachista buszkoi Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (MZH VS1/2.04.19). 7. Adult. 8. Head, latero-frontal view. 9. General view of male genitalia (phallus removed). 10. Phallus. Scale bars: 7–8 = 1 mm; 9–10 = 0.1 mm.

Figs 11–13. Elachista buszkoi Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (MZH VS2/29.03.19). 11. Valvae, juxta and digitate processes. 12. Tegumen, uncus and gnathos. 13. Juxta, tegumen and gnathos, lateral view (in glycerol before permanent mounting in Euparal). Scale bars = 0.1 mm.