Megacraspedus ibericus, Huemer, Peter & Karsholt, Ole, 2018

Huemer, Peter & Karsholt, Ole, 2018, Revision of the genus Megacraspedus Zeller, 1839, a challenging taxonomic tightrope of species delimitation (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), ZooKeys 800, pp. 1-278 : 148-149

Megacraspedus ibericus sp. n.

Examined material.

Holotype ♂, "SPAIN [prov.] Málaga 2 km NE Mijas, 560 m, 24.ix.2012 J. Tabell leg." (ZMUC). Paratypes. Spain. 2 ♂, same data as holotype, but genitalia slide Tabell 5016, GU 16/1431 Huemer (TLMF, ZMUC). Portugal. 5 ♂, Serra do Larouco, Montalegre, Trás-on-Montes, 1350 m, 23.ix.2003, leg. M. F. V. Corley, genitalia slides Corley 1753, 1996 (RCMC); 1 ♂, Serra da Estréla, Vale Glaciar do Zêzere, Manteigas, Guarda, 1100 m, 10.ix.2017, J. Rosete (RCJR).

Description.

Adult. Male (Figure 125). Wingspan 12-18 mm. Segment 2 of labial palpus with long scale brush, blackish brown on outer surface, lighter brown on inner surface, white on upper surface; segment 3 longer than segment 2, narrow, white, black at tip. Antennal scape without pecten; flagellum blackish brown. Head white; thorax and tegula as forewing. Forewing light brown mottled with black especially between veins; fold yellow, dorsally edged black; a black spot in fold and two black spots at 1/2 and 3/4 in middle of wing; veins indistinctly whitish; fringes grey. Hindwing grey with lighter grey fringes.

Female. Unknown.

Variation. The species is variable in size. Worn specimens look light brownish.

Male genitalia (Figure 245). Uncus large, sub-quadrate, apical corners rounded; gnathos hook moderately slender, about length of uncus, subbasally bent; anterior margin of tegumen with moderately shallow emargination; valva straight, stout, broader basal part abruptly tapered to digitate distal three-fifths, extending to base of uncus, distal area covered with setae, without separated sacculus; posterior margin of vinculum with rounded lateral humps, vincular sclerites broadly suboval; saccus massive, stout, broadly suboval, tapered distal part, with rounded apex, short, ratio maximum width to length nearly 1, posterior margin arched, with shallow medial emargination, medial part without sclerotised ridge, lateral sclerites moderately short, approximately 0.8 times length of maximum width of saccus; phallus moderately slender, stout, almost straight, suboval coecum weakly defined, digitate distal part about twice length of coecum, with small dorsomedial tooth.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis.

Megacraspedus ibericus sp. n. is characterised by the long segment 2 of the labial palps, the blackish brown antennae, and by the brownish forewings with three black spots and a yellow fold dorsally edged black. It resembles M. spinophallus sp. n. (Figure 53) and M. alfacarellus (Figs 49-50), but these have only two black spots in the middle of the forewings. The male genitalia are unmistakable in the shape of the uncus and the small dorsomedial tooth of the phallus.

Molecular data.

BIN BOLD:ACZ7298 (n = 1). The distance to the nearest neighbour M. violacellum is 7.5% (p-dist).

Distribution.

North Portugal and South Spain.

Biology.

Host plant and early stages are unknown. The adults have been collected in the last third of September at altitudes between 560 and 1350 m.

Etymology.

This species is named after its place of occurrence: the Iberian Peninsula, including Portugal and Spain. The name is a masculine adjective.