Coelopoeta maiadella Kaila, 1995

Kaila, Lauri, 2024, A review of Coelopoetinae (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Pterolonchidae), a moth subfamily confined to western North America, with descriptions of seven new species, Zootaxa 5458 (3), pp. 361-384 : 377

Coelopoeta maiadella Kaila, 1995

Figs. 26 , 36

Coelopoeta maiadella Kaila, 1995: 177

Material examined. Type material. Holotype ♂: Canada, Yukon Territory, 60.75°N, 134.66°W, 20 km SE Whitehorse, light trap, 16.vii.1985 K. Mikkola leg. L. Kaila prep. 6387; DNA voucher FinBOL 2019; http://id.luomus.fi/KZ7712 ( MZH). Other material. Canada, Yukon, 60.9631°N 138.3875°W, Kluane National Park Reserve , north-facing slope of Outpost Mtn., wet tundra, 1625–1775 m a.s.l., 24.vi.2017, afternoon vegetation sweeping, 1 ♂ G.R. Pohl leg., BOLD sample ID: NFRC-2017-01516 ( CNC) .

Diagnosis. C. maiadella is a mottled dark grey species with a distinctive white spot at about 2/3 length of the dorsal margin of the forewing. The dark grey forewing ground colour is unique among Coelopoeta species, in others being white to brown. The male genitalia are characterized by the phallus being 1.3 x as long as the valva; basal opening at 0.25 length of phallus from base, directed ventrad, with a lobe of the manica; distal opening without carina. The termen of the valva is simple, without swellings or folds. The female is unknown.

Redescription. Forewing length 4.5 mm. Labial palpus as long as diameter of head, ascending; labial palpus, head, neck tuft, tegula and thorax grey. Scape of antenna grey above, off-white below, pecten off-white. Flagellum grey, annulated with indistinctly darker-grey rings. Legs grey, tibia and tarsal articles of fore- and midleg distally paler. Forewing and hindwing grey with concolorous fringe; at 2/3 of length of dorsal margin a white spot. Underside of forewing dark grey with concolorous fringe; hindwing grey, fringe varying from white to pale grey.

Male genitalia. Uncus undivided, hook-shaped, evenly tapered and bent dorsad, as long as tegumen. Gnathos as long as uncus, evenly tapered. Height of tegumen a little less than width of valva as seen in lateral view. Valva parallel-sided, a little wider than long. In ventral view weakly bent inwardly in distal third, termen not swollen, without folds. Juxta distally slightly concave, broadest in the middle, evenly tapered to convex anterior margin. Saccus slightly bent dorsad, 3.5 x as long as its width at its narrowest point in middle, apex broadly rounded. Phallus 1.3 times as long as valva, abruptly widening near basal opening that is projected ventrad. Caecum well discernible, manica forming lobe at apex of basal part of phallus. No carina along distal opening.

Female unknown.

Biology. The known habitat is a north-facing slope in wet tundra. One specimen was caught at black light in July, the other swept during afternoon in June. Otherwise the biology is unknown.

Distribution. Known from two localities in Canada: Yukon Territory.

Figures

FIGURES 23–28. Habitus of Coelopoeta spp.All images at the same scale as the first image. Figure 23: C. fulminea sp. nov., ♀, paratype, Canada, British Columbia, Manning Park; Figure 24: C. alboflava sp. nov., ♂, holotype; Figure 25: C. sariae sp. nov. ♂, holotype; Figure 26: C. maiadella Kaila, ♂, holotype; Figure 27: C. fissurina sp. nov., ♂, holotype; Figure 28. C. valalbui, ♂, holotype.

FIGURES 29–38. Male genitalia of Coelopoeta spp. Above lateral view with juxta and one valva excluded; below ventral view, with phallus excluded. Figure 29. C. glutinosi Walsingham. Figure 30: C. aprica sp. nov., holotype; Figure 31: C. phaceliae Kaila, California, Nevada Co.; Figure 32: C. aurora sp. nov., holotype; Figure 33: C. fulminea sp. nov., holotype; Figure 34: C. alboflava sp. nov., holotype; Figure 35: C. sariae sp. nov., holotype; Figure 36: C. maiadella sp. nov., holotype; Figure 37: C. fissurina sp. nov., holotype; 38: C. valalbui sp. nov., holotype.