Elachista cultella 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 : 421-423

Elachista cultella Kaila , sp. nov.

Figs. 20 , 44, 45

Material examined. Type material: holotype ♂: Mongolia: 43°21’N 103°11’E, 1700 m, Omnogov Aimak, Bayandalai, Somon Zoolen uul, 27.–30.v.1997, Yu. Marusik leg. (L. Kaila prep. 4328; MZH) . Paratypes (5 ♂): 3 ♂ with the same collection data as in the holotype (L. Kaila prep. 3940, 4332, 4333; MZH); Mongolia, 48°22’N 106°18’E, 1100 m, Tov Aimak, 18.–23.vi.1997, 2 ♂, Yu. Marusik leg. (L. Kaila prep. 4334, 4335; MZH).

Diagnosis. E. cultella is a small species with creamy white forewing ground colour with pronounced discal and plical spots and a few scattered grey scales in distal third of forewing. The large uncus lobes distinguish this species from most others. This trait somewhat resembles E. acutella , in which the uncus lobes are much narrower. The separation of these species is further explained in the diagnosis of E. acutella .

Molecular characterization. No material was available for genetic study.

Description. Forewing length 4 mm. Labial palpus straight or upcurved, white, length nearly equal to diameter of head. Head, neck tuft, thorax, scape and pedicel of antenna white; scape with distinctive pecten formed of elongate, white scales; flagellum brown. Fore- and midleg inwardly dark grey, outwardly white, tarsal articles distally pale; hindleg pale grey, spurs nearly black, tibia and tarsus above grey with distally pale tibia and tarsal articles. Forewing creamy white, basal third of costa narrowly dark grey. Plical and discal spots distinctive, rounded, dark grey. Some scattered grey scales on distal third of wing. Fringe concolorous with forewing ground colour. Underside of forewing grey, fringe along costa and apex yellow, otherwise pale grey. Hindwing translucent, pale grey with concolorous fringe. Underside grey on costal half, otherwise translucent, pale grey with concolorous fringe.

Male genitalia. Uncus lobe large, a little longer than wide, sparsely covered by setae along distal and lateral margins, lobes separated by V-shaped incision, depth of incision half of the length of uncus. Spinose knob of gnathos rounded. Valva narrow, elongate and straight, 6x as long as wide in the widest point a little basal to middle; cucullus indistinctly delineated, elongate, distally somewhat broadened, apically rounded. Digitate process narrow, parallel-sided, 0.2x as long as valva, distal 2/3 with setae. Juxta lobe somewhat longer than digitate process, median margin nearly straight, meeting distal margin at a right angle; distal margin with a few setae in its median part. Median plate of juxta narrowed posteriorly, with dorsally projected lobe. Vinculum broad, U-shaped. Phallus 0.7x as long as valva, slightly bent, 7– 8x as long as broad at its broadest place near base, tapered into sclerotized, acute-tipped apex. Vesica with cornutus that consists of oval, indistinctly delineated, weakly sclerotized elongate plate with one blunt tooth.

Female. Unknown.

Biology. Unknown. The specimens have been collected at altitudes ranging from 1100 to 1700 m.

Distribution. Mongolia.

Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin word cultellum, a small knife. This refers to the acute apex of the phallus.

Figures

FIGURES 17–20. Adults of Elachista spp. Scale 2 mm. 17. E. semnani Parenti, ♂ holotype. 18. E. platamodes Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype. 19. E. acutella Kaila, ♂ (Kazakhstan, Emba river). 20. Elachista cultella Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype.

FIGURES 43–45. Male genitalia of Elachista spp. Left: general image of genitalia, phallus in same scale. Right top: juxta and digitate process. Right bottom: phallus as enlarged. 43. E. acutella Kaila. Holotype (L. Kaila prep. 3990). 44. E. cultella Kaila, sp. nov. Holotype (L. Kaila prep. 4328). 45. E. cultella Kaila, sp. nov. paratype (Mongolia: Tov Aimak; L. Kaila prep. 4334).