Elachista capricornis 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 : 16-18

Elachista capricornis Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F8E10FCC-EE74-4D48-AA41-A70E8D882B7E

Figs 40–50

Diagnosis

Elachista capricornis Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov. is a small species with peculiarly coloured forewings ( Fig. 40 ) and a dorsoventrally flattened head. In wing pattern and male genitalia, the new species is comparable to E. heteroplaca (for illustrations, we refer to Kaila 1998: figs 1–5), E. oryx Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov. and E. pellineni Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov., known from the same locality as E. capricornis Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov. However, the new species is distinguished most easily by its larger, distinctly curved, S-shaped spine of valva.

Etymology

The species name is derived from the Latin ‘ capricornis ’ (a goat-antelope with short sharp horns) in reference to the horn-like spines of valvae.

Type material

Holotype

THAILAND • ♂; Lampang, Muban Phichai ; 18°18ʹ15ʺ N, 99°31ʹ 06ʺ E; 8 Jan. 2014; M.J. Pellinen leg.; MZH VS2 / 21.11.18.

Paratypes

THAILAND • 1 ♂; same locality as for holotype; 12 Jan. 2012; M.J. Pellinen leg.; MZH VS2 / 22.11.18 • 1 ♂; same locality as for holotype; 23 Jan. 2013; M.J. Pellinen leg.; MZH VS3 / 22.11.18 • 1 ♂; same locality as for holotype; 31 Jan. 2012; M.J. Pellinen leg.; VMU VS4/ 22.11.18 • 1 ♂; same locality as for holotype; 23 Feb. 2019; M.J. Pellinen leg.; MZH 6178 .

Description

Male

EXTERNAL CHARACTERS ( Figs 40–41 ). Forewing length 2.5–2.8 mm; wingspan 5.6–6.2 mm (n = 4). Head: frons shiny, creamy white; vertex and neck tuft brownish white, some scales with dark brown tips; labial palpus upwards curved, about 1.6 times as long as width of head, creamy white, third segment medially with few dark brown scales on outer side; scape creamy white below, with few dark brown scales above, without pecten; flagellum creamy white below, greyish brown above, weakly annulated with paler rings, somewhat serrate in distal ½, last flagellomere creamy white. Thorax and tegula intermixed with greyish brown and dark brown scales. Forewing: ground colour greyish brown, costa narrowly dark except at 1/₅ where indistinctly delimited oblique white streak and at 2/5 where larger oblique white streak almost reaches fold; in the middle of wing at fold dark brown spot formed of slightly raised scales; tornal area whitish; narrow longitudinal blackish brown stripe to apex of wing; fringe scales brownish grey, fringe line blackish brown. Hindwing and its fringe scales brownish grey.

MALE GENITALIA ( Figs 42–50 ). Uncus lobes widely apart from each other, elongate, basally dilated, distally distinctly broadened, ventral surface densely covered with long, hair-like scales. Tegumen short, anterior margin dorsomedially strongly and widely indented, almost meeting posterior margin. Basal arms of gnathos very long, basally strongly melanized, and strongly bent towards posterior direction, apically fused and covered with several tiny spines; spinose knob small, spinose area directed apically. Costa of valva weakly concave; from distal fold of costa long, strongly sclerotized spine, length of which nearly ½ of that of valva. Cucullus divided into two lobes: wide triangular lobe where sacculus meets cucullus, and another slightly longer, narrow lobe in costal side. Digitate process short and wide, triangular, devoid of setae. Median plate of juxta with two pockets: anteriorly directed very small, triangular pocket at ventral side, and posteriorly directed large and wide one at dorsal side. Juxta lobes medially strongly produced, median margin straight and distinctly sclerotized, distal margin with few tiny setae and dorsally directed large group of long hair-like scales. Vinculum long, v-shaped, tapered to short and broad saccus. Phallus about 1.25 length of valva, basally dilated, bent at basal ¼ and more distinctly bent at apical 1/10; caecum short, rounded; proximal part of phallus with sclerotized ridge forming two lobes, one small, nipple-shaped at basal end of phallus, and larger one, prolonged at basal 1/10 of phallus; vesica with group of minute spines and one long, bent cornutus.

Female

Unknown.

Biology

Unknown. The specimens have been attracted by artificial light.

Flight period

Based upon specimens available, adults fly in January.

Distribution

So far this species is known only from northern Thailand.

Figures

Figs 40–43. Elachista capricornis Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov. 40–41. Male paratype. 40. Adult. 41. Head, latero-frontal view. 42–43. Holotype, ♂ (MZH VS2/21.11.18). 42. General view of male genitalia (phallus removed). 43. Phallus. Scale bars: 40–41 = 1 mm; 42–43 = 0.1 mm.

Figs 44–50. Elachista capricornis Sruoga & Kaila sp. nov., male genitalia. 44–46, 48–49. Paratype, ♂ (MZH VS2/22.11.18, in glycerol before permanent mounting in Euparal). 44. Lateral view. 45. Juxta and gnathos, lateral view. 46. Proximal part of phallus. 47, 50. Holotype, ♂ (MZH VS2/21.11.18, in glycerol before permanent mounting in Euparal). 47. Distal part of phallus. 48. Juxta region. 49. Uncus lobes, dorsal view. 50. Distal part of abdomen. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.