Elachista moroccoensis Traugott-Olsen, 1992

Kaila, Lauri, 2015, The Elachista dispunctella (Duponchel) complex (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae) revisited, with exceptional level of synonymy, Zootaxa 3980 (3), pp. 301-358 : 322

Elachista moroccoensis Traugott-Olsen, 1992

Figs. 20 , 77

Elachista moroccoensis Traugott-Olsen, 1992: 235 .

Material studied. Type material. Holotype ♂ labelled: Type [rounded with red margin]; Genital praeparat n. E. 29.6.90 sex: ♂ E. Traugott-Olsen, Wing praeparat B. 5.7.90 sex: ♂ E. Traugott-Olsen; Morocco 1400-2000 m, Tinerhir area 12.IV.1989 Zool. Mus. Copenh. Exp.; Elachista moroccoensis sp. n. det. E. Traugott-Olsen; DNA sample MM16868 Lepid. Phyl. ( ZMUC).

Diagnosis. E. moroccoensis (only male known) appears to be indistinguishable from E. parvula (see above).

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. Morocco.

Remarks. The single known specimen is indistinguishable from E. parvula . Its status as distinct species, at least for time being, is nevertheless preferred due to the wide difference in its barcode as compared to the haplotypes of E. parvula samples from a wide area. Being already named, it is in accordance with nomenclatorical stability to maintain the current status instead of establishing an uncertain new synonymy on the basis of a single specimen. E. parvula , though widespread, is only known north of Mediterranean and eastward from there, while the single known specimen of E. moroccoensis is from North Africa.

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 24. External appearance of Elachista spp. males. 14. E. dalmatiensis Traugott-Olsen, holotype. 15. E. grandella Traugott-Olsen (Hungary). 16 – 19. E. parvula Parenti. 16. ♂ (Liguria, from type locality). 17. E. parvula Parenti ♀ (Greece). 18. E. minusculella Traugott-Olsen, holotype. 19. E. blancella Traugott-Olsen, holotype. 20. E. moroccoensis Traugott-Olsen, holotype. 21. E. anitella Traugott-Olsen, holotype. 22 – 24. Elachista maboulella, all males. 22. E. catalunella Traugott-Olsen, holotype. 23. E. gerdmaritella Traugott-Olsen, holotype. 24. E. gielisi Traugott-Olsen, holotype. Scale bar 2 mm.

FIGURES 76 – 77. Male genitalia of Elachista spp. 76. E. parvula Parenti, holotype of E. minusculella Traugott-Olsen. 77. E. moroccoensis Traugott-Olsen, holotype.