Elachista marusiki 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 : 423-424

Elachista marusiki Kaila , sp. nov.

Figs. 21 , 46

Material examined. Type material: holotype ♂: Mongolia: 48°22’N 106°18’E, 1100 m, Tov Aimak, 18.– 23.vi.1997, Yu. Marusik leg. (L. Kaila prep. 4336; MZH).

Diagnosis. E. marusiki is a small species characterized by a large gnathos similar to E. scalpra , a long and narrow digitate process and especially the long phallus, length of which is over 0.8 the length of the valva. Nearly equally long phallus only occurs in E. acutella whose uncus lobes are significantly longer and narrower than in E. marusiki .

Molecular characterization. No material was available for genetic study.

Description. Forewing length 3 mm. Labial palpus 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 chalky white, basal third of costa narrowly dark grey, no other pattern visible; fringe conclorous with forewing. Underside of forewing grey, fringe scales on apex basally yellow, distally white, fringe otherwise white. Hindwing translucent, pale grey with concolorous fringe. Underside grey on costal half, otherwise translucent, pale grey with concolorous fringe.

Male genitalia. Uncus lobe a little broader than long, sparsely covered by setae along distal margin, lobes separated by V-shaped incision, depth of incision 1/4 of the length of uncus. Spinose knob of gnathos large, ovalshaped; its width equal to width of uncus lobe. Valva elongate and straight, 4.5x as long as wide in the widest point a little basal to middle; cucullus indistinctly delineated, distally rounded. Digitate process narrow, parallel-sided, 0.25x as long as valva, distal 2/3 with setae. Juxta lobe as long as digitate process, medially produced, with a few setae at its longest point; median margin basally a little convex and rugose, otherwise straight; distal margin nearly straight. Median plate of juxta narrowed posteriorly, with dorsally projected lobe. Vinculum narrow, V-shaped. Phallus over 0.8x as long as valva, slightly bent, slender, 13x 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 altitude of 1100 m.

Distribution. Mongolia.

Etymology. E. marusiki is named after Yuri Marusik, a Russian arachnologist who collected the single known specimen.

Figures

FIGURES 21–23. Adults of Elachista spp. Scale 2 mm. 21. E. marusiki Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype. Left: lateral view, middle: dorsal view. 22. E. spinipyra Kaila, sp. nov., ♂ holotype. 23. E. spinipyra Kaila, sp. nov., ♀ paratype (SW Kazakhstan, Ustyurt Nat. Res.).

FIGURES 46–48. Male genitalia of Elachista spp. Left: general image of genitalia, phallus in same scale. Middle: cornutus as enlarged. Right top: juxta and digitate process. Right bottom: phallus as enlarged. 46. E. marusiki Kaila, sp. nov. Holotype (L. Kaila prep. 4336). 47. E. spinipyra Kaila, sp. nov. holotype (L. Kaila prep. 6120). 48. E. spinipyra Kaila, sp. nov. paratype (Turkmenistan: Repetek; L. Kaila prep. 4789).