Neurothaumasia cretica, Huemer & Aarvik & Berggren, 2023

Huemer, Peter, Aarvik, Leif & Berggren, Kai, 2023, A new species of Neurothaumasia Le Marchand (Lepidoptera, Tineidae) from Crete, Greece, Zootaxa 5318 (3), pp. 401-410 : 404-408

Neurothaumasia cretica sp. nov.

Figs 2 , 4 , 6–7

Type material. Holotype ♁, Greece, Kreta, Kapsodasos , 0.8 km NNE, 35°12′40′′N, 24°14′24′′E, 930 m, 3.v.2022, leg. Huemer; genitalia slide P. Huemer TIN 99 ♁; DNA barcode ID TLMF _ Lep _34672 ( TLMF) . Paratypes: 1 ♁, 1 ♀, same data as holotype, genitalia slide P. Huemer TIN 101 ♀; DNA barcode IDs TLMF _ Lep _34671, TLMF Lep 32051 ( TLMF) ; Greece, 2 ♁, Crete, Chania Prov., Imbros , 35.2203°N, 24.1629°E, 570 m, 13.ix.2012, leg. L.Aarvik ( NHMO) ; 2 ♁, ditto, but 11.vi.2013, leg. L. Aarvik ( NHMO) ; 1 ♀, ditto, but 15.6.2014, leg. L. Aarvik ( NHMO) ; 1 ♀, ditto, but 20.6.2014 ( NHMO) ; Greece, 1 ♁, Crete, Chania Prov., Chora Sfakion , 35.1966°N, 24.1481°E, 40 m ., 20–30.viii.2018, leg. L. Aarvik ( NHMO) .

Diagnosis. Neurothaumasia cretica sp. nov. differs from the similar N. ankerella by the complete absence of a white dorsobasal patch of the forewing; furthermore, the costal spot at three-quarters is pure white, without a small black intersection; finally, the thorax is entirely black without white mesothoracal spot ( Figs 2, 3 ). Despite of some individual variation of N. ankerella , particularly the overlay of white pattern with brown scales (see Gaedike 2015) these characters are highly diagnostic. The new species is furthermore similar to N. fasciata from the Middle East, which however, is readily distinguished by the distally evenly broad valva, the phallus without basal lobes, and the white fringes of the forewings ( Petersen 1959). Male genitalia ( Figs 4, 5 ) differ from N. ankerella by the broader outer lobes and the denticulate inner lobes of the uncus, and the basally slender gnathos arms, whereas female genitalia ( Figs 6, 7 ) show no diagnostic features. All other species of Neurothaumasia are easily distinguished by strongly deviating phenotypic appearance with different pattern and colour and furthermore several genitalia structures.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 2 ). Forewing length 6.5–7.5 mm; head brush cream-white, laterally and below palpi dark brown scales with a small brush of black scales above compound eye; scapus dark brown coloured, with pecten, flagellum brown-grey; labial palpus dark brown, inner side and apex lighter brown, second segment apically with some bristles; thorax and entirely tegulae black. Forewing black, with clearly defined white pattern; a transverse white fascia at one-third, broader at dorsum and narrowing towards costa; two large, well separated white spots at three-quarters, dorsal one larger and broadly subtriangular, costal subquadrangular; two white and well separated subapical spots, costal one larger; dark brown fringes with some light mottling basally, light greyish-brown distal part separated by dark fringe line; hindwing light greyish-brown with concolourous fringes.

First abdominal segment ( Fig. 8 ). Long apodemes of sternum, typical for the genus, well developed.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 4 ). Uncus bilobed, medially separated by deep incision, inner lobe subtriangular, smaller with apical tooth; outer lobe about three-times width of inner lobe, suboval, with rounded broadly convex outer edge, widely separated from inner lobe by broad excavation; gnathos arms curved, basally slender, distally weakly constricted with subapical connections; vinculum band-like, saccus shorter than valva, basally weakly widened, distal three-quarters rod-like; valva with broad base, gradually narrowing distally, medial portion oval, setose area extended to apex, inner edge subrectangular, apical sixth abruptly tapered, digitate, setose; anellus with pair of apodemes; phallus about lenght of valva, basally with broadly rounded lateral lobes, medial part bulged, distal third slender.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 6 ). Papilla analis oblong, small, ca. 0.14x 0.9 mm; apophysis posterioris extremely long, ca. 3.4 mm; apophysis anterioris ca. 1.65 mm long, posteriorly furcated, ventral branch medially fused to small sclerotized band, with convex lateral and concave medial edges, dorsal branch ending in sclerotized zone; sternum VIII densely covered with microplates, posterior edge with setae; ostium bursae cup-shaped, weakly sclerotized, lateral of ostium bursae edge with few setae; ductus and corpus bursae membranous, entire length ca. 2.60 mm, narrow ductus bursae with small sclerite at entrance of ductus seminalis, sack-like corpus bursae irregularly expanded, signum absent.

Biology. Adults have been collected in early May to June and in August and September at light. Host-plant and early stages are unknown. Similar to N. ankerella which was recently described from the bark of dead Quercus suber ( Huertas Dionisio 2022) but also bred from dead branches of Tilia (Huemer unpubl.), the new species may feed on dead wood.

Distribution. Crete ( Greece). The related N. ankerella is published from mainland Greece but unknown from Crete ( Gaedike 2015).

Etymology. The new species name is a feminine adjective in the nominative singular and refers to the currently known distribution.

Figures

FIGURES 2–3. Neurothaumasia spp., adults. 2. N. cretica sp. nov., holotype, male. 3. N. ankerella, male, Austria, Eckartsau, 15.v.1989 e.l. leg. M. Egger, gen. slide TIN 100 (TLMF). Scale bars = 4 mm.

FIGURES 4–5. Neurothaumasia spp., male genitalia. 4. N. cretica sp. nov., holotype (gen. slide TIN 99). 5. N. ankerella (gen. slide TIN 100). Scale bars = 0.6 mm.

FIGURES 6–8. Neurothaumasia spp., female genitalia/segment VIII and first abdominal segment. 6. N. cretica sp. nov., paratype (gen. slide TIN 101). 7. N. ankerella (gen. slide TIN 102; TLMF). 8. N. cretica sp. n., terga left, sterna right. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.