Scythris zhakovi Bidzilya & Budashkin

Bidzilya, Oleksiy V., Budashkin, Yury I. & Zhakov, Aleksandr V., 2017, Checklist of scythridid moths (Lepidoptera, Scythrididae) of Ukraine with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4291 (3), pp. 481-503 : 484-486

Scythris zhakovi Bidzilya & Budashkin , sp. n.

( Figs 1–9 )

Type material. Holotype, ♂, “ Ukraine, Crimea, Arabatskaya Strelka moutH, saline, 28.v.2013, leg. Yu. BudasHkin ” ( KSS) . Paratypes, 11♂, 1♀, same loCation, but 26, 28, 31.v.2013 (BudasHkin) (gen. slide 26/14♀, 36/14♂, 38/14♀, 445/16♂, O. Bidzilya) (KSS); 51♂, 31♀, Ukraine, Crimea, Feodosia distr., Baracol lake , saline, 27.vii–14.viii.2014 (Budashkin) (gen. slide 35/ 14♂, 21/14, 24/ 14♀, O. Bidzilya) ( KSS, ZIN, ZMKU) ; 2♂, 1♀, same loCation, but eX larve From Halimione verrucifera (Bieb.) Aell. , 23, 25.viii.2014 (Budashkin) ( KSS) ; 5♂, 4♀, Ukraine, Crimea, Feodosia reg., Primorsky, Kamyshin lug, saline, 31.viii.2010 (Budashkin) ( KSS) ; 11♂, 6♀, Ukraine, Crimea, JuZHnoje PrisivasH’ye, viC. oF L’vovo vill., saline, 4.iX.2006, 17, 21.v.2013 (BudasHkin) (gen. slide 22/ 14♂, 32/ 14♂, 37/ 14♀, 40/ 14♂, O. Bidzilya) ( KSS) ; 1♂, [ Ukraine, Kherson reg.] Askania Nova [reserve], [??]. v.1923 (Dobrzhansky & Shpet) ( ZMKU) ; 9♂, Kherson reg., Arabatskaya Strelka , viC. oF SCHastlivtsevo vill., saline, 26–28.vi.2013 (BidZilya) (gen. prep. 44/14, O. BidZilya) ( ZMKU) .

Description. ( Figs 1–5 ). Wingspan 10.1–14.0 mm. Head, tegula and tHoraX greyisH brown, witH bronZe sHeen, Collar greyisH wHite, ligHter tHan Head, weakly sHiny, Haustellum brown, mottled witH wHite on base. Antenna brown, lower surFaCe wHite, densely Covered witH wHite Cilia in male. Labial palpus ratHer sHort, siCkle-sHaped, brown mottled witH grey espeCially on inner surFaCe, segment 2 dirty wHite on basal ¼ oF outer surFaCe. Abdomen dark brown, sternum VIII Covered witH wHite Hairs. Forewing ratHer broad and sHort, greyisH brown, witH bronZe sHeen espeCially in basal HalF, indistinCt wHitisH streak on tHe base oF Fold, wHite irregular spot in middle, wHite subapiCal transverse FasCia From ¾ oF dorsal margin nearly to ¾ oF Costa, Folds mottled witH blaCk, wHite sCales under Costal margin espeCially in apiCal ¾ in some speCimens, underside brown witH dirty-wHite sCales in base, wHite along Costa. Cilia ConColourous witH wings but in some speCimens witH several wHite Hairs. Hindwing and Cilia FusCous.

Variation. SubapiCal FasCia varies in widtH and lengtH and is sometimes reduCed to rounded spot near dorsal margin.

Male genitalia ( Figs 6–8 ). UnCus more or less U-sHaped, witH broadly rounded dorsal emargination. Tegumen sub-triangular, sligHtly broader on base tHan long, witH very deep anteromedial emargination eXtending nearly to tHe base oF unCus. GnatHos asymmetriCal, broad, ring-sHaped on base, witH long, narrow rigHt Curved kniFe-sHaped apiCal arm. Valva large, basal HalF broad, distal HalF narrow, densely Covered witH sHort Hairs, apeX rounded, anterior margin witH distinCt medial projeCtion. SaCCus rounded witH narrow medial sClerotiZed band. PHallus long, strongly Curved at 1/3–½ oF its lengtH, base moderately broad, distal ½–¾ narrow, wHip-sHaped. Sternum VIII larger tHan tegumen, sub-triangular, weakly emarginated anteriorly, witH long and narrow medial proCess on posterior margin. Tergum VIII simple, unmodiFied.

Variation. Medial projeCtion oF valva varies Considerably From long and narrow witH pointed apeX to sHort and broad witH broadly rounded apeX. Distal portion oF valva varies in widtH.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 9 ). Sternum VIII well sClerotiZed, trapeZoidal or sub-reCtangular, witH sparse long setae in posterior 3/4, posterior margin weakly emarginataed, witH distinCt sub-reCtangular medial sClerite, posteriomedial Corners rounded, Covered witH sHort setae, anterior margin band-sHaped, well sClerotiZed. Ostium ratHer large, rounded. Antrum sub-triangular, Funnel-sHaped, well sClerotiZed. DuCtus bursae narrow, Caudal portion sClerotiZed and strongly edged. ApopHyses posteriores twiCe as long as apopHyses anteriores. Papillae analis elongate, longer tHan sternum VIII, subovate, weakly sClerotiZed, densely Covered witH sHort setae.

Diagnosis. Comparatively small siZe and well developed dirty wHite markings are CHaraCteristiC For tHe new speCies. It resembles eXternally S. nigridorsella Nupponen, 2007 , espeCially small speCimens oF tHe latter speCies From wHiCH it is indistinguisHable. BotH speCies oCCur sympatriCally and at tHe same time in many loCalities near SivasH Bay. Usually, S. zhakovi sp. n. is smaller, tHe wHite sCales are developed only in subapiCal area under Costal margin, wHereas tHese sCales oFten Cover all tHe distal HalF oF Forewing in S. nigridorsella . Moreover wHite marking are always very distinCt in S. zhakovi sp. n., in Contrast to S. nigridorsella in wHiCH tHey are ratHer diFFuse or nearly reduCed. THe males oF botH speCies Can easily be separated by tHe CHaraCteristiC sHape oF terminal portion oF valvae wHiCH are usually protruded and Clearly visible under a stereosCope: narrow arCuate valvae oF S. zhakovi ( Fig. 5 ) Clearly diFFer From broad prolonged valvae oF S. nigridorsella .

THe new speCies is plaCed in tHe limbella -speCies group based on tHe similar male genitalia and tHe larvae oF botH speCies Feeding on CHenopodiaCeae . However, tHe Female genitalia ContradiCt tHis, resembling tHose oF S. hamardabanica K. Nupponen, 2003 , eXCept tHat tHe posterior margin oF sternum VIII is more weakly ConCave and tHe medial sClerite under tHe posterior margin oF sternum VIII is present.

Distribution. SoutHern Ukraine (KHerson Region), NortH and Eastern Crimea ( Fig. 41 ).

THe speCies inHabits salt marsHes witH Halimione verrucifera wHiCH surround SivasH Bay, in tHe viCinity oF Barakol Lake near Nanikovo village ( Fig. 37 ) and in “KamysHin Lug” loCality near Primorsky village (Eastern Crimea). THe Habitat oF tHe speCies in “Askania Nova” Nature Reserve is unknown.

Ecology. Adults Fly From mid-May to early June and tHen From late July to early oF September probably in two generations. In salt marsHes tHe speCies is restriCted to plaCes, wHere its Host plant Halimione verrucifera ( CHenopodiaCeae ) grows ( Fig. 38 ). THe larvae are biColoured: pinkisH in tHe basal HalF and dirty green in Caudal HalF. THey were observed singly on leaves, Flowers or Fruits under a silken sHelter. THe larvae are very mobile, dropping into tHe plant litter wHen disturbed. THe mature larvae were ColleCted 28.vii.2014 and 14.viii.2014. Pupation oCCured in ligHt semi-transparent wHite CoCoon 15–18.viii.2014. Adults emerged 23.viii.2014 (1 Female) and 25.viii.2014 (2 males). THe pupa most likely overwinters. THe speCies is most abundant in salt marsHes, However, tHe adults were also ColleCted on tHe Flowers oF Atriplex tatarica L. ( CHenopodiaCeae ) in “KamysHin Lug” loCality and in steppe biotopes on Arabatskaya Strelka near SCHastlivtsevo village ( Fig. 39 ). One may suggest tHat A. tatarica possibly is an additional Host plant oF tHis speCies.

Etymology. THe new speCies is named in tHe Honor oF tHe Ukrainian entomologist Aleksandr ZHakov (ZaporoZHie), in reCognition oF His outstanding Contribution to tHe study oF Lepidoptera , espeCially in tHe soutHern Ukraine.

Figures

FIGURE 41. Map of distribution of S. zhakovi and S. psammitis. 1. S. psammitis. Oleshki sand. 2 – 6. S. zhakovi. 2. “ Askania Nova ” Nature Reserve. 3. Vicinity of Schastlivtsevo vill. 4. Vicinity of Lvovo vill. 5. Primorsky vill. 6. Barakol Lake.

FIGURES 1 – 9. Scythris zhakovi Bidzilya & Budashkin, sp. n. 1 – 5. Adults. 1. Holotype. 2. Paratype, male (gen. slide 47 / 14, O. Bidzilya). 3. Head, lateral view. 4. Basal portion of antenna, ventral view. 5. Last abdominal tergum with distal half of valve, dorsal view. 6 – 7. Male genitalia, paratypes. 6. gen. slide 36 / 14, O. Bidzilya. 7. Gen. slide 32 / 14, O. Bidzilya. 8. Sternum VIII. 9. Female genitalia (gen. slide 445 / 15, O. Bidzilya)

FIGURES 37 – 40. Habitats and host plants of Scythris spp. 37. Salt marshes on Barakol Lake, East Crimea, Feodosia distr. Habitats of S. zhakovi, S. aegrella, S. acipenserella, S. sublaminella. 38. Halimione verrucifera, host-plant of S. zhakovi and S. inertella. 39. Steppe in the vicinity of Schastlivtsevo vill., Arabatskaya strelka, Kherson reg. Habitat of S. zhakovi. 40. Oleshki sands, Kherson reg. Habitat of S. psammitis, S. pudorinella and S. sp. pr. hornigi.