Caryocolum messneri, Huemer, 2020

Huemer, Peter, 2020, Integrative revision of the Caryocolum schleichi species group - a striking example of a temporally changing species concept (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), Alpine Entomology 4, pp. 39-63 : 39

Caryocolum messneri sp. nov.

Material examined.

Holotype ♂, " ITALIA sept. Südtirol / Schnals, Neu-Ratteis, / Fuchsberg, 980 m / 10°56'42"E, 46°40'27"N / 650 m, 28.8.2014 / leg. Huemer " "DNA Barcode / TLMF Lep 16694 " " P. Huemer / GEL 1255 ♂" ( TLMF).

Paratypes: Italy: 1 ♂, same data as holotype, but DNA Barcode TLMF Lep 16694; 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, Südtirol province, Schnalstal, unt. Ladurner, 650 m, 31 Aug. 2019, leg. Huemer, DNA Barcodes TLMF Lep 23981, 23982, 4 gen. slides in glycerin; 1 ♂, Trento province, Villamontagna, 600 m, 17 Aug. 1982, leg. Burmann, gen. slide GU 86/035 ♂ P. Huemer (all TLMF). Bulgaria: 1 ♀, Trigrad env., 1240 m, 4 Aug. 2013, leg. Karsholt & Zlatkov, DNA Barcode TLMF Lep 21297 ( ZMUC). Greece: 1 ♀, Epirus, Mitsikeli Mt. near Joannina, 1400 m, 39°46'15"N, 20°48'20"E, 8 Jul. 2005, leg. Mayr (RCTM).

Diagnosis.

C. messneri differs from C. schleichi by the brown rather than cream-white head, thorax and tegulae. It is usually larger than C. arenariella and C. lamai and the medial spot is less sharply delimited than in C. dianthella . Otherwise, C. messneri cannot be reliably separated from the other species of the complex by external characters, though the usually well developed rusty-brown mottling seems unique. The male genitalia are characterized in particular by the moderately long, pointed dorsal process of the valva, a character which is only shared with C. improvisella , C. arenariella , and C. lamai . However, this process is distinctly shorter than in C. arenariella and C. lamai . The species further differs from C. improvisella in several characters such as the more slender valva with parallel outer edges and a distodorsal bulge, a shorter dorsal process, and the distinctly longer latero-medial processes of the vinculum. The female genitalia are hardly discernible from several other species of the C. schleichi species group though the shortly crescent-shaped base of the signum in combination with the moderately slender signum hook seem characteristic and differ from all other species except for C. improvisella . However, the individual variation of these characters is insufficiently documented due to lack of material.

Description.

Adult (Fig. 11 ). Forewing length ♂ 5.5-6.0 mm, ♀ 5.0 mm. Head with dark grey-brown vertex, mottled with white, frons cream-white; first segment of labial palpus dark brown, second segment cream-white on inner and upper surface, ventral and outer surface predominantly dark brown, dark brown mixed with few whitish scales on segment three; antenna black, weakly ringed paler. Thorax and tegula dark brown anteriorly, posterior half cream with rusty brown mottling. Abdomen cream-white with some grey on ventral surface. Forewing dark brown, mottled with white on dorsal margin; basal two thirds with rusty-brown mottling, particularly white markings; white transverse fascia from fold to costa at one-fifth; white medial spot occasionally extended towards costa and dorsal margin; white costal and tornal spots separate; fringes basally dark brown, distal part paler. Hindwing light grey.

Variation.

In the limited available material, the extent of rusty-brown mottling shows some variation.

Male genitalia

(Figs 18 , 26 ). Uncus broadly sub-quadrangular, posterior corners rounded; lateral sclerites of gnathos distinct, medial part with large minutely spined culcitula; tegumen weakly widened anteriorly, with slightly emarginated anterior margin; transtilla sclerotized, longitudinally folded; pedunculus large, sub-triangular, with sclerotized inner edge; valva nearly straight, long, moderately slender distal part with parallel edges, except for bulged disto-dorsal edge, apex with two processes, stout and moderately long and pointed dorsal process extended to about middle of uncus, broadly digitate ventral process at about right-angles to and slightly longer than dorsal process; sacculus moderately long, slender, with parallel margins, apically pointed; posterior margin of vinculum deeply incised medially, with pair of moderately long digitate processes, pair of latero-medial processes moderately broad, digitate, distinctly projected; saccus slightly longer than valva, slender, gradually tapered to apex; phallus long, slender, nearly straight, apically with area of small cornuti.

Female genitalia

(Figs 33 , 40 , 47 ). Apophysis posterior almost five times length of apophysis anterior; segment VIII without processes, smooth; ostium bursae with short lateral folds; apophysis anterior about length of segment VIII; antrum short, about one-fifth length of apophysis anterior, funnel-shaped; posterior part of ductus bursae with pair of long lateral sclerites extending to about apex of apophysis anterior, membranous part of ductus bursae about length of segment VIII including apophysis anterior; signum on right side of entrance to sub-oval corpus bursae, with broad and shortly crescent-shaped base and moderately slender hook.

Molecular data.

BIN: BOLD:ACT3307. The intraspecific average distance of the barcode region is 1.18%, the maximum distance 1.77% (p-dist) (n = 4). The minimum distance to the nearest neighbor, C. arenariella , is 2.25%.

Etymology.

The species is named in honour of Reinhold Messner, the first climber to ascend all fourteen peaks above 8000 metres sea level and living in the neighborhood of the type locality of the new species.

Distribution

(Fig. 1 ). The species is currently only known from a restricted area in northern Italy (region of Trentino-Alto Adige) and from specimens collected in Slovenia, Bulgaria and Greece.

Bionomics.

Host-plant and early stages are undescribed but it seems most likely that the species shows a similar behaviour as related taxa with a hostplant restriction to Dianthus spp. At the type-locality Dianthus sylvestris Wulfen has been recorded. The adults have been found from mid to late August nearby rocks on siliceous soil where they were attracted to artificial light sources.

Figures

Figure 1. Distribution map of successfully sequenced material of the C. schleichi species group. Map created with SimpleMappr (http: // www. simplemappr. net).

Figures 9 - 12. Adults. 9 Caryocolum lamai, paratype, male, Italy; 10 C. lamai, paratype, male, Italy; 11 C. messneri, paratype, male, Italy; 12 C. habeleri, paratype, male, France.

Figures 17 - 20. Male genitalia. 17 Caryocolum arenariella, Russia, slide GEL 1260 P. Huemer; 18 C. messneri, holotype, Italy, slide GEL 1255; 19 C. lamai, paratype, Italy, slide GEL 1258 P. Huemer; 21 C. habeleri, paratype, France, slide GEL 1289 P. Huemer.

Figures 25 - 28. Male genitalia (details vinculum-valva-complex). 25 Caryocolum arenariella, Russia, slide GEL 1260 P. Huemer; 26 C. messneri, holotype, Italy, slide GEL 1255; 27 C. lamai, paratype, Italy, slide GEL 1258 P. Huemer; 28 C. habeleri, paratype, France, slide GEL 1289 P. Huemer.

Figures 33 - 35. Female genitalia. 33 Caryocolum messneri, paratype, Italy, slide GEL 1295 P. Huemer; 34 C. lamai, paratype, Italy, slide GEL 1286 P. Huemer; 35 C. habeleri, paratype, Germany, slide M 1703.

Figures 40 - 42. Female genitalia (segment VIII). 40 Caryocolum messneri, paratype, Italy, slide GEL 1295 P. Huemer; 41 C. lamai, paratype, Italy, slide GEL 1286 P. Huemer; 42 C. habeleri, paratype, Germany, slide M 1703.

Figures 47 - 49. Female genitalia (signum). 47 Caryocolum messneri, paratype, Italy, slide GEL 1295 P. Huemer; 48 C. lamai, paratype, Italy, slide GEL 1286 P. Huemer; 49 C. habeleri, paratype, Germany, slide M 1703.