Elachista bigorrensis Traugott-Olsen, 1990

Kaila, Lauri, Baran, Tomasz & Mutanen, Marko, 2015, A revision of the Elachista dispilella complex (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Elachistidae), Zootaxa 3963 (4), pp. 517-560 : 535

Elachista bigorrensis Traugott-Olsen, 1990

Figs. 11 , 91

Elachista bigorrensis Traugott-Olsen, 1990: 56

Material studied. Type material. Holotype ♀: Holo-type [rounded with red margin], Pyrenees Cent.: Pic du Midi de Bigorre 2400 m 3.VIII.1981, S. France: Sattler, Tuck & Robinson B.M.1981–313; Elachista bigorrensis n. sp. det. Traugott-Olsen. B.M. Genitalia slide 24887 ( BMNH).

Diagnosis. According to Traugott-Olsen (1990), E. bigorrensis is a medium-sized, silky white species. The female holotype is not shiny (silky), but rather chalky white, reminiscent of pale specimens of E. festucicolella . The male genitalia (not studied) are as in E. festucicolella , but the cornutus group is as follows according to Traugott-Olsen (1990) “one large separate cornutus and a conglomeration of 7–8 smaller cornuti on a common base and a multitude of spines along the conglomeration. This account also agrees with the variation observed in E. festucicolella apart from the multitude of spines. However, figures 57 and 75 of Traugott-Olsen (1990), drawn from the same genitalia slide, do not match each other regarding the cornutus group, and the row of spines is indecipherable in these images. R. Puplesis, having checked the same slide, states as a personal communication in Sruoga (2000) the following: “the first four cornuti are very large, remaining 4–5 ones are in the conglomeration and are evidently smaller, with no mention of spines. Since the shape and size of the cornutus group and its possible accessory spines are apparently unclear to decipher with certainty from the only slide available, the examination of this character is pending further material. The female genitalia are identical to E. festucicolella . A potentially diagnostic character between these taxa is the size of the phallus, which is always shorter than the valva in E. festucicolella , but as long as the valva in the illustration of male E. bigorrensis by Traugott-Olsen (1990).

Molecular characterization. No material was available for genetic study.

Biology. Unknown.

Distribution. France.

Remarks. Parenti (1981) included in the type series of E. klimeschi specimens from French Pyrenees, close to the type locality of E. bigorrensis . The identity of these specimens should be re-assessed.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 13. Adults of Elachista spp. Scale 2 mm. 2. E. dispilella Zeller, ♂ lectotype (image in greyscale). 3. E. dispilella Zeller ♂ (Poland, Torún). 4. E. dispilella Zeller (holotype ♂ of E. steueri Traugott-Olsen). 5. E. dispilella Zeller (holotype ♂ of E. jaeckhi Traugott-Olsen). 6. E. dispilella Zeller (holotype ♂ of E. gebzeensis Traugott-Olsen). 7. E. curonensis Traugott- Olsen, ♂, holotype. 8. E. festucicolella Zeller, ♂ lectotype. 9. E. festucicolella Zeller, ♂ (Poland). 10. E. festucicolella Zeller, ♀ (Poland). 11. E. bigorrensis Traugott-Olsen, ♀, holotype. 12. E. distigmatella Zeller, ♂ lectotype. 13. E. distigmatella Zeller, ♂ (Italy).

FIGURES 91 – 92. Female genitalia of Elachista spp. 91. E. bigorrensis Traugott-Olsen, holotype, B. M. 24887. 92. E. distigmatella Frey, Finland, L. Kaila prep. 3089.