Elachista cisoria Kaila, 2018

Kaila, Lauri & Nupponen, Kari, 2018, A review of the Elachista subula Parenti species complex (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae), with descriptions of nine new Palearctic species, Zootaxa 4433 (3), pp. 401-433 : 407-408

Elachista cisoria Kaila , sp. nov.

Figs. 4, 5 , 26, 27 , 51, 52

Material examined. Type material: holotype ♂: Spain, Aragon, 3.5 km SSW Albarracin, 1200 m, 5.vi.2010 J. Tabell leg. (J. Tabell prep. 4635; DNA sample 16263 Lepid. Phyl. ; MZH) . Paratypes (6 ♂ 1 ♀): 1 ♂ with the same collecting data as in the holotype ( DNA sample 16264 Lepid. Phyl ; MZH); Hispania [ Spain], Prov . Granada, Baza, 110 km Nö [NW] Granada, 22.–26. v.1979, 1 ♂, M. & W. Glaser leg. (L. Kaila prep. 5747; SMNK) ; Spain, Aragon, 7 km NW Albarracin , 1100 m, 4.vii.2010, 1 ♂, Z. Tokár leg. (L. Kaila prep. 5920; Coll. Tokár) ; Spain, Aragon, 10 km N. Teruel , 2 ♂ 1 ♀, 1.vi.2006, T. Nupponen leg., (L. Kaila prep. 4703, 4704, 4705; DNA samples 16808–10 Lepid. Phyl.; Coll. Nupponen) ; Spain, 40°25’N 1°04’E, 960–1030 m, Aragon, Prov. Teruel, 9 km NNE Teruel, Villalba Baja, 13.vi.2008, 1 ♂, K. Nupponen leg. (J. Tabell prep. 4662, DNA sample 11416 Lepid. Phyl.; Coll. Nupponen) .

Diagnosis. In many respects, E. cisoria resembles E. subula . For example, they both have a broad phallus as compared to other species in the E. subula species complex. These two species differ in that E. subula has characteristic, sickle-shaped juxta lobes, whereas these lobes are elongate in E. cisoria . Otherwise, they are similar to several other species in the complex. However, the drop-shaped gnathos, and digitate process that is shorter than the juxta lobes, distinguish E. cisoria from these other species. The female genitalia are characterized by the absence of signum, and by the wide antrum, similar to that of E. subula and E. drepanella . In E. drepanella the posterior, rugose and widened part of ductus bursae is 3x as long as wide, in E. subula and E. cisoria 2x as long as wide. These two species are distinguished from each other by the length of antrum, which in E. cisoria is equal in length to the dilated part of the ductus bursae, whereas in E. subula it is 1/3 as long as the dilated part of the ductus bursae.

Molecular characterization. The maximum intraspecific variation among the six included specimens was 0.31 %. Of the species included the closest taxon in terms of similarity of barcodes is E. drepanella (distance 2.18 %).

Description. Forewing length 4–5 mm. Labial palpus straight, white, length equal to diameter of head. Head, neck tuft, thorax, scape and pedicel of antenna white to cream; scape with distinctive pecten formed of elongate, white scales; flagellum brown. Fore- and midleg inwardly dark grey, outwardly white, tarsal articles distally shortly pale; hindleg cream, spurs grey, tibia and tarsus above grey with distally pale tibia and tarsal articles. Forewing ground colour varying from white to pale cream, with variably expressed brownish grey plical spot in the middle of wing length at fold, and similar discal spot at 2/3 wing length; sometimes a few additional scales of similar colour in distal third, basal third of costa narrowly nearly black; fringe white. Hindwing grey with concolorous fringe. Underside of forewing dark grey, in basal third two pale longitudinal lines; fringe white. Underside of hindwing pale grey, translucent, except on costal side where it is dark; fringe pale grey.

Male genitalia. Uncus lobe nearly rounded, as broad as long, ventrally sparsely covered by setae along distal and distolateral margins, lobes slightly apart from each other, depth of incision between them half the length of uncus. Spinose knob of gnathos drop-shaped or oval, slightly longer than width of uncus lobe. Valva 5x as long as wide at its widest point in the distal 3/4; sacculus slightly concave medially, valva otherwise parallel-sided; cucullus indistinctly delineated, rounded. Digitate process 1/ 6x as long as valva; parallel-sided, tongue-shaped, distal 2/3 with setae. Juxta lobe as long as digitate process; median plate of juxta longer than wide, posteriorly with dorsally projected, curved lobe. Vinculum short and broad, U-shaped. Phallus 0.6–0.7x as long as valva, slightly bent; approximately 7x as long as broad at its broadest place at distal 3/5; from distal 1/4 abruptly tapered into strongly sclerotized, acute-tipped apex. From distal 1/4 gradually tapered into sclerotized, acute-tipped apex. Vesica with cornutus that consists of oval, indistinctly delineated, weakly sclerotized plate with one blunt tooth that is almost equal to the plate in size.

Female genitalia. Papillae anales membranous with nearly rounded apex; dorsoventrally with Y-shaped connecting sclerotization. Apophysis posterioris slender, straight, 2x as long as papilla analis. Apophysis anterioris 2/ 3x as long as apophysis posterioris. Ostium bursae rounded, surrounded by horseshoe-shaped sclerotization of sternum 8. Antrum posteriorly somewhat dilated, anteriorly tubular, the length of tubular part equal to that of dilation; anterior to inception of ductus seminalis ductus bursae inflated as wrinkled, oval-shaped dilation, length of which equal to antrum. Narrow part of ductus bursae straight, tubular, membranous, weakly granulose, gradually widened in anterior 1/4, incepted to corpus bursae without abrupt limit. Corpus bursae oval-shaped, very weakly granulose in posterior third, no signum present.

Biology. E. cisoria has only been collected by UV light. The habitat of the holotype is a gentle, south-facing slope with rich vegetation, yet with only few grass species observed, Brachypodium retusum being the most abundant of those. The species has been recorded from altitudes ranging from 960 to 1100 m.

Distribution. Spain.

Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin word cisorium, a kind of cutting instrument. This refers to the acute apex of the phallus.

Figures

FIGURES 2–5. Adults of Elachista spp. Scale 2 mm. 2. E. subula Parenti, ♂ holotype. 3. E. subula ♂ (Russia: S. Buryatia). 4. E. cisoria Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype. 5. E. cisoria Kaila, sp. nov., ♀ paratype (Spain, Aragon, Teruel).

FIGURES 26–27. Male genitalia of E. cisoria Kaila, sp. nov. Left: general image of genitalia, phallus in same scale. Right top: juxta and digitate process. Middle: cornutus as enlarged. Right bottom: phallus as enlarged. 26. Holotype (J. Tabell prep. 4635). 27. Paratype (Spain: Aragon, Nr. Teruel; L. Kaila prep. 4703).

FIGURES 51–52. Female genitalia of E. cisoria Kaila, sp. nov. 51. Overview of the female genitalia (Spain: Aragon, nr. Teruel; L. Kaila prep. 4705). 52. Ostium bursae and colliculum enlarged.