Elachista, Treitschke, 1833

Kaila, Lauri, 2015, The Elachista dispunctella (Duponchel) complex (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae) revisited, with exceptional level of synonymy, Zootaxa 3980 (3), pp. 301-358 : 303-308

Characterization of the E. dispunctella complex

The E. dispilella group in a broad sense belongs to those species of the subgenus Aphelosetia that have a dorsally directed tongue- or funnel-shaped appendix in the median plate of the juxta (see Kaila (1997, 2007), Kaila & Sugisima (2011), Kaila et al. (2015) for further details). The E. dispunctella complex can be characterized as consisting of those species of the E. dispilella group that do not have a distolaterally pointed apex on the lobes of the uncus ( E. dispilella complex s. stricto, sensu Traugott-Olsen 1990) and the vesica of the phallus with cornuti absent. This is an artificial division aimed to be a practical way to divide the large species diversity of the E. dispilella group into manageable units. Some species, like E. arenbergeri Traugott-Olsen, 1988 , could be included in the E. dispilella complex as defined by Traugott-Olsen (1990) on the basis of the shape of the uncus, but due to the absence of a cornutus was placed in the E. triseriatella complex ( Traugott-Olsen 1988), here merged to E. dispunctella complex. For consistency, this placement of E. arenbergeri is followed here.

The species of the E. dispunctella complex are white or pale yellow, with varying extent of scattered dark scales that often concentrate to form an indistictly delimited plical spot in the middle of wing length at fold and a discal spot at two-thirds of wing length. The scattered scales often serve as a guide to differentiate the members of the E. dispunctella complex from other species of the E. dispilella group, which almost always have only the two spots as their sole forewing pattern or are unicolorous white or pale yellow ( Kaila et al. 2015). Several species close to E. triseriatella have somewhat shiny white forewing ground colour. The general pattern of wing venation is similar to that of nearly all representatives of Elachista subgenus Aphelosetia (cf. Traugott-Olsen & Nielsen 1977).

Classification

The following 19 named species are recognized as valid:

Elachista dispunctella ( Duponchel, 1843)

Elachista dalmatiensis Traugott-Olsen, 1992

Elachista grandella Traugott-Olsen, 1992

Elachista parvula Parenti, 1978

Elachista moroccoensis Traugott-Olsen, 1992

Elachista anitella Traugott-Olsen, 1985

Elachista maboulella Chrétien, 1915

Elachista disemiella Zeller, 1847

Elachista tribertiella Traugott-Olsen, 1985

Elachista glaseri Traugott-Olsen, 1992

Elachista hispanica Traugott-Olsen, 1992

Elachista berndtiella Traugott-Olsen, 1985

Elachista triseriatella Stainton, 1854

Elachista andorraensis Traugott-Olsen, 1988

Elachista elsaella Traugott-Olsen, 1988

Elachista arenbergeri Traugott-Olsen, 1988

Elachista deresyensis Traugott-Olsen, 1988

Elachista oukaimedenensis Traugott-Olsen, 1988

Elachista galactitella ( Eversmann, 1844)

Key to the species

The genitalia of the single known specimen of E. andorraensis are incomplete, disabling its differentiation from E. triseriatella . In the material examined there are two additional taxa that potentially belong to unnamed species. They are included in the key as well. Some species seem to differ from others only by morphology of one sex; therefore both male and female characters are used as intermixed in the key.

1. Forewing fringe scales distally grey at termen.............................................................. 2

- Forewing fringe scales white, sometimes with single dark grey or brown tips of otherwise white scales................. 3

2. Juxta lobes with at least 5 distinct setae; female bursa oval........................................... E. disemiella

- Juxta lobes without, or with at most two small setae; female bursa divided into two portions separated by median narrowing........................................................................................... E. maboulella

3. Digitate process twice as long as juxta lobes.......................................... E. parvula , E. moroccoensis

- Digitate process at most as long as juxta lobes............................................................... 4

4. Phallus longer than valva...................................................................... E. hispanica

- Phallus at most as long as valva.......................................................................... 5

5. Uncus lobes narrow, three times as long as wide.................................... E. triseriatella , E. andorraensis

- Uncus lobes at most twice as long as broad................................................................. 6

6. Phallus with curved apex................................................................................ 7

- Phallus with straight-cut apex........................................................................... 12

7. Digitate process laterally oriented........................................................................ 8

- Digitate process posteriorly oriented....................................................................... 9

8. Forewing unicolorous; uncus lobes twice as long as broad........................................... E. galactitella

- Forewing scattered with brown scales; uncus lobes as long as broad................................... E. deresyensis

9. Length of phallus 5/6 of valva; juxta lobes as long as digitate process.................................. E. berndtiella

- Length of phallus at most 2/3 of valva; juxta lobes shorter than digitate process................................... 10

10. Digitate process elongate, at least three times as long as wide........................................... E. elsaella

- Digitate process broad and triangular, length at most twice its width at base....................................... 11

11. Juxta lobes reduced..................................................................... E. oukaimedenensis

- Juxta lobes developed, as large as digitate process............................................. E. sp. nr. E. elsaella

12. Juxta lobes longer than uncus lobes............................................................ E. berndtiella

- Juxta lobes shorter than uncus lobes...................................................................... 13

13. Uncus lobes laterally produced, elongate, with pointed apex......................................... E. arenbergeri

- Uncus lobes posteriorly directed, with rounded or at most slightly lateroposteriorly conical apex...................... 14

14. Phallus as long as valva...................................................................... E. dispunctella

- Phallus shorter than valva............................................................................. 15

15. Valva somewhat S-shaped, narrowest medially; phallus basally broader than apically......................... E. glaseri

- Valva straight or parallel-sided; phallus slender, near parallel-sided............................................. 16

16. Uncus lobes as long as broad.................................................................... E. anitella

- Uncus lobes longer than broad.......................................................................... 17

17. Valva 3X as long as its width basally............................................. E. grandella , E. sp. nr. grandella

- Valva 4X as long as its width basally..................................................................... 18

18. Valva 4X as long as digitate process............................................................ E.dalmatiensis

- Valva 5X as long as digitate process............................................................ E. tribertiella