Elachista antipetra Meyrick

Sruoga, Virginijus & Kus, Arūnas Di Š, 2006, Redescription of the type specimens of the Elachista freyerella species-group (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae: Elachistinae) from India and Sri Lanka, Zootaxa 1350, pp. 33-43 : 34-37

Elachista antipetra Meyrick

( Figs. 1–4 )

Elachista antipetra Meyrick, 1922: 508

Material examined: &, labelled: rounded white label with blue margin “LECTO- | TYPE ”; white rectangle “Shillong | Assam | TBF. 5000’. 10 16”; white rectangle “ Elachista | antipetra | 2/3 Meyrick | E. Meyrick det. | in Meyrick Coll.” B. M. & | Genitalia slide | No. 29573”. In BMNH.

Male. Unknown.

Female. Forewing length 2.8 mm; wingspan 6 mm. Head: Vertex and neck tuft mottled due to grey-brown tips of whitish grey scales; frons whitish grey with some metallic lustre; labial palpus slightly longer than width of the head, strongly diverging, whitish above, fuscous below; flagellum distinctly ringed by whitish and dark brown scales. Thorax: Forewing dark brown, proximal part of wing lighter, sparsely covered with brown scales on greyish ground, wing distinctly darker beyond middle. Transverse fascia antemedian, white and slightly oblique. Blackish brown scales forming blurred patch just beyond fascia and between costal and tornal spots. Costal and tornal spots of same colour as fascia; costal spot slightly closer to the apex of wing. Apical spot small, white. Fringe scales brownish grey, fringe line blackish brown. Hindwing dark brown, slightly lighter Female genitalia ( Figs. 1–3 ). Papillae anales triangular, with short and sparse setae. Apophyses posteriores longer then apophyses anteriores. Abdominal segment VIII narrow.

Ostium bursae with V-shaped, deep, narrow incision; dorsal wall covered by rather strong spines. Antrum prolonged spindle-shaped with a few longitudinal folds. Inner side of antrum with sparse tiny spines (conspicuously smaller than spines on dorsal wall). Anterior margin of sternite VII reinforced. Colliculum shorter than antrum, more sclerotized on one side. Oral part of ductus bursae membranous. Corpus bursae with minute internal spines. Signum in the form of an oval plate with oppositely directed strong thorns and a few smaller teeth.

Distribution. India ( Fig. 4 ).

Biology. The lectotype was captured in mid October; no other information available.

Diagnosis. The most distinctive feature of this species is the deep, narrow incision of the ostium. A somewhat similar incision is present in E. herbigrada Braun, 1925 from U.S.A. and E. nipponicella Sugisima, 2006 from Japan. From these two species E. antipetra differs by size of the internal spines of the antrum: in the ostium region they are stronger and denser, elsewhere they are considerably smaller and sparser ( Fig. 2 ).

Remarks. In addition to the lectotype, there are three specimens (BMNH, all females) collected in India (Khasis, Shillong) identified by E. Meyrick as Elachista antipetra . Two of these (abdomen missing in one) are considerably larger than the lectotype and the third specimen, but they have not been examined by us.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Map of collecting sites of Elachista antipetra (), E. deficiens (), E. quadrata (), E. spiculifera (), E. stichospora ().

FIGURES 1 – 3. Elachista antipetra, female genitalia. 1, general view; 2, antrum; 3, signum. Genitalia slide No. 29573 (BMNH). Scale bar 0.1 mm.