Megacraspedus occidentellus, 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 : 71-72

Megacraspedus occidentellus sp. n.

Examined material.

Holotype ♂, "Portugal, Ext. [=prov. Estremadura] Ericeira, 30 m 4.-8.vii.1986 O. Karsholt" "GU 13/1352 ♂ Huemer" (ZMUC). Paratypes. Portugal. 3 ♂, same data as holotype, but genitalia slide 6520 Hendriksen (TLMF, ZMUC); 1 ♂, Estremadura, 3 km E Capo da Roca, 200 m, 8.vii.1986, leg. O. Karsholt (ZMUC).

Description.

Adult. Male (Figure 55). Wingspan 9-12 mm. Segment 2 of labial palpus with moderately long scale brush, brownish on outer surface and on apical half of inner surface, otherwise white; segment 3 white mottled with blackish brown on lower and outer surface and with black tip. Antennal scape without pecten; flagellum dark brown, indistinctly ringed with black. Head, thorax and tegula as forewing. Dorsal half of forewing light yellow, costal half light brown, extending into a dark brown apical streak; costa whitish; fringes light grey. Hindwing grey with light grey fringes. Female. Unknown.

Variation. The few examined specimens show a slight variation in the forewing colour which, however, may be due to a more or less fresh condition.

Male genitalia (Figure 191). Uncus slender digitate, about 3 times longer than maximum basal width, apex rounded; gnathos hook bulky, with longitudinal grooves, slightly longer than uncus, straight, apically strongly sclerotised, pointed; anterior margin of tegumen with deep V-shaped emargination, pedunculi small, drop-shaped; valva straight, stout, extending slightly beyond middle of uncus, distorted apical part rounded; saccular area densely covered with setae, with weakly separated sacculus; posterior margin of vinculum with U-shaped emargination, broadly rounded lateral humps, suboval vincular sclerites with sclerotised posterior edge; saccus semi-oval, apically tapered, about same length and width, posterior edge weakly arched, with shallow medial inci sion, medial part with strongly sclerotised furcated longitudinal ridge, lateral sclerites shorter than maximum width of saccus; phallus stout, inflated coecum about twice width and almost length of distal part, sclerotised ridge in distal part without group of spines medially, ductus ejucalatorius with contorted linear interior sclerotisation.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis.

Megacraspedus occidentellus sp. n. is a rather uncharacteristic Megacraspedus which can be recognized by lacking black dots and whitish coloured veins on the forewing. It is similar, e.g., to the slightly larger M. trineae sp. n. (Figure 46), but can be recognized by its more uniformly coloured dark antennae, and by having the forewing colour separated by a lighter dorsal part and a darker costal part, the latter extending into a dark brown apical streak. The male genitalia differ from other species of the M. pusillus species group in having a slender uncus and in particular the posteriorly deeply incised saccus and the stout phallus with a comparatively large coecum.

Molecular data.

Not available, barcoding failed.

Distribution.

Western Portugal.

Biology.

Host plant and early stages are unknown. The type series was collected in early July at low altitudes.

Etymology.

This species is named after its occurrence at the most western part of continental Europe. The species name is derived from a combination of the Latin occidentalis (meaning western) and the diminutive suffix -ellus. The name is a compound noun.