Pleurota atlasensis Tabell, 2019

Kaila, Lauri, Mutanen, Marko, Sihvonen, Pasi, Tyllinen, Juha & Tabell, Jukka, 2019, Characterization of Pleurotinae, with review of Pleurota species close to P. aristella (Linnaeus) from Morocco (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Oecophoridae), Zootaxa 4545 (4), pp. 451-477 : 469

Pleurota atlasensis Tabell , sp. nov.

Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ADA3031

Table 1, Figs. 18, 19 , 41 , 45 , 48

Type material. Holotype ♂ (GP 5507 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24612 Lepid Phyl ): Morocco, High Atlas, 6 km NW Ouirgane, N31°12´32´´, W8°4´48´´, 30.V. 2015, 850 m, C. Hviid, O. Karsholt & K. Larsen (coll. ZMUC), BOLD sample ID: MM24612 . Paratypes: 1 ♂ (DNA sample 24614 Lepid Phyl ), Morocco, High Atlas, 9 km NW Ouirgane, N31°12´24´´, W8°4´33´´, 30.V.–3.VI. 2015, 970 m, C. Hviid, O. Karsholt & K. Larsen (coll. TAB) ; 1 ♀ (GP 5545 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24613 Lepid Phyl ), Morocco, High Atlas, 2 km N Asni, N31°15´54´´, W7°58´64´´, 31.V.2015, 1125 m, C. Hviid, O. Karsholt & K. Larsen (coll. TAB) .

Diagnosis. Broader wings distinguish P. atlasensis from other similarly coloured species, such as P. macrosella , P. staintoniella (known from north-western Algeria and north-eastern Morocco), and P. ochreopalpella , the last known from northeastern Morocco. The male genitalia are similar to those of P. macrosella , but the uncus is shorter, the posterior lobe broader, the valval lobe shorter, and the cornutus larger. In the female genitalia, the short, narrow branch of apophysis anterioris and narrow anterior and posterior signa are characteristic.

Molecular diagnosis. All three specimens of P. atlasensis were sequenced, and each yielded in a 658 bp, fulllength DNA barcode fragment. The nearest neighbour to P. atlasensis is P. ochreopalpella with a 1.71% divergence. The barcodes of P. atlasensis exhibit 0.46 % maximum intraspecific variation (Table 1).

Description. Adult. Wingspan 23–25 mm. Labial palpus 7.4 x as long as diameter of eye (1 st and 2 nd segments), 3 rd segment 0.37 x length of 1 st and 2 nd segments, off-white, laterally and ventrally brown, mixed with white and brown scales, apical lateral spot blackish brown, large. Antenna pale brown. Head, tegula and thorax off-white, mixed with pale beige. Forewing moderately broad as compared with related species (width to length ratio 0.25), pale yellowish beige; costal line white, extending almost from base to 0.8; subcostal line yellowish beige, slightly expanded towards apex; median line white, moderately broad, nearly parallel-sided. Fringe pale beige. Hindwing pale grey, fringe pale brownish grey, white at outer margin. Abdomen slightly lustrous, pale grey, each segment with transverse row of ochre scales.

Male genitalia. Uncus thimble-shaped dorsoventrally, lined with several short and few long bristles, apical half more strongly sclerotized. Gnathos almost twice as long as uncus, funnel-shaped dorsoventrally, medially covered with small scales, apex blunt. Valva upwards oblique, ventral margin slightly convex, costa straight; sacculus narrow. Anterior extension of juxta narrow, straight; median part chaliced; posterior lobe reaching apex of uncus. Valval lobe elongate, distally covered with several small nodules and short bristles, ventral margin narrowly folded, dorsal margin distinctly concave. Vinculum U-shaped. Phallus curved, apex tapered, with one robust plate-shaped cornutus surrounded by numerous tiny spines, apical 0.2 dorsally covered with small spines.

Female genitalia. Papillae anales ovoid, covered with bristles of different length. Apophyses long; posterior apophysis 6 x as long as papilla analis and 1.55 x as long as anterior apophysis. Segment 8 elongated longitudinally, rectangular, membranous, dorsolaterally reinforced by sclerotized band, ventrally sparsely covered with bristles at apex, ventral longitudinal sclerotization narrow, slightly shorter than segment 8, branch of anterior apophysis narrow and short. Antrum tubular, parallel-sided, slightly shorter than segment 8, membranous, anterior 0.33 more sclerotized. Ductus bursae membranous, slightly expanded towards corpus bursae. Corpus bursae ovoid, with one robust arched signum, all protuberances narrow, and two elongate leaf-shaped signa.

Biology. Unknown. The specimens were collected during a short period in May and June at light.

Distribution. Known only from a few closely situated localities in the High Atlas mountains at altitudes between 850 m and 1125 m.

Derivation of name. The specific name refers to the geographical origin of the species, the Atlas mountains.

Figures

FIGURE 48. Neighbour joining tree, conducted under Kimura 2-parameter model, of ten taxa of Pleurota aristella group, based on sequences of COI gene. The values by the nodes indicate node bootstrap supports as based on 500 replicates.

FIGURES 16–21. Adults of Pleurota spp. 16–17. P. ochreopalpella sp. nov. 16. ♂ paratype. 17. ♀ paratype. 18–19. P. atlasensis sp. nov. 18. ♂ holotype. 19. ♀ paratype. 20–21. P. staintoniella Baker. 20. ♂. 21. ♀. Scale bar 5 mm.

FIGURES 40–41. Male genitalia. 40. P. ochreopalpella sp. nov., GP 5704 J. Tabell. 41. P. atlasensis sp. nov., GP 5507 J. Tabell.

FIGURES 43–45. Female genitalia. 43. P. lacteella sp. nov., GP 5429 J. Tabell. 44. P. moroccoensis sp. nov., GP 5456 J. Tabell. 45. P. atlasensis sp. nov., GP 5545 J. Tabell.