Elachista ameteria 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 : 410-411

Elachista ameteria Kaila , sp. nov.

Figs. 9 , 31, 32

Material examined. Type material: holotype ♂: Kazakhstan, 44°24’39’’N 68°40’07”E, 190 m, Muyunkum sands, 40 km N. Suzak settl., 4.v.2012, K. Nupponen leg. (L. Kaila prep. 6070; Coll. Nupponen) . Paratype ♂: Kazakhstan, 48°55’29’’N 58°18’49’’E, 300 m, 17 km NE Emba vill., 18.v.2012, K. Nupponen leg. (L. Kaila prep. 6074; Coll. Nupponen) .

Diagnosis. E. ameteria is a creamy white species, with no markings on forewing, externally possibly indistinguishable from E. drepanella and E. scalpra . The valva of E. drepanella differs from that of E. ameteria in being larger, and in not being narrowed in the distal half. The genitalia of E. ameteria are most similar to those of E. scalpra , in both of which the valva is distally narrower than in basal half. These species differ in the shape of the gnathos which is elongate in E. scalpra , rounded in E. ameteria .

Molecular characterization. No material was available for genetic study.

Description. Forewing length 5–7 mm. Labial palpus straight, white, length equal to diameter of head. Head, neck tuft, thorax, scape and pedicel of antenna creamy white; scape with distinctive pecten formed of elongate, creamy white scales; flagellum cream in basal fifth, otherwise reddish brown. Fore- and midleg inwardly dark grey, outwardly white, tarsal articles distally white; hindleg pale grey, spurs somewhat darker grey, tibia and tarsus above grey with distally pale tibia and tarsal articles. Forewing unicolorous white except basal third of costa narrowly nearly black. Fringe concolorous with forewing. Hindwing almost white 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 darker grey; fringe pale grey.

Male genitalia. Uncus lobe rounded, as broad as long, sparsely covered by setae along distal and distolateral margins, lobes separated by narrow incision, depth of incision between them 1/3 the length of uncus. Spinose knob of gnathos rounded, as broad as uncus lobe. Valva 5x as long as wide at its widest point in the middle, distal half distinctly narrower than basal half; parallel-sided except the narrowing in costa beyond middle of the length. Cucullus indistinctly delineated, elongate. Digitate process 0.25x as long as valva; parallel-sided, distally rounded, distal 2/3 with setae. Juxta lobe as long as digitate process; median plate of juxta rounded, medially with dorsally projected, curved lobe. Vinculum short and broad, U-shaped. Phallus 0.7x as long as valva, straight, gradually tapered towards apex; 9x as long as broad at its broadest place at base, tapered into sclerotized, acute-tipped apex. Vesica with cornutus that consists of oval, indistinctly delineated, weakly sclerotized elongate plate with one or two small, blunt teeth.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Biology. The habitat in Muyunkum sands is a large xerothermic sand dune area with sparse vegetation, and by Emba the species inhabits chalk steppes. The moth flies at dusk and comes to UV light.

Distribution. S. & W. Kazakhstan.

Etymology. The name is derived from the Greek word ameterion, a sickle. This refers to the shape of the distal part of the phallus.

Figures

FIGURES 9–12. Adults of Elachista spp. Scale 2 mm. 9. E. ameteria Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype. 10. E. scalpra Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype. 11. E. mus Parenti, ♂ holotype. 12. E. mus Parenti, ♀ (Kazakhstan, Terektikum sands).

FIGURES 31–32. Male genitalia of E. ameteria 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. 31. Holotype (L. Kaila prep. 6070). 32. Paratype (Kazakhstan: nr. Emba village; L. Kaila prep. 6074).