Falkovitshella hindukushi Passerin d’Entrèves and Roggero, 2013
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222933.2012.763106 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B787A7-FFF2-7912-BEC1-CE2ADD8DFD3F |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Falkovitshella hindukushi Passerin d’Entrèves and Roggero |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Falkovitshella hindukushi Passerin d’Entrèves and Roggero , sp. nov.
( Figures 1A View Figure 1 , 2A–D View Figure 2 )
Diagnosis
The external features of this species are similar to those of many other scythridids so cannot be employed to identify the species with certainty. Most Falkovitshella species have similar external characters ( Passerin d’Entrèves and Roggero 2007a) and so are not easy to identify at species level. However, as is common for Scythrididae , the new species was easily identified by the characteristics of its genitalia (at present, only the male is known). The valvae ( Figure 2D View Figure 2 ) are slightly arched, with an expanded and rounded distal part, and are different from any other Falkovitshella species. In addition, the S8 ( Figure 2C View Figure 2 ) is characteristic, with a deep, narrow incisure on the distal margin. While other Falkovitshella species are known to have deep incisures on the S8, such as F. deserticola (Nupponen) , and F. karvoneni (Nupponen) , it is nevertheless much larger and different in shape; thus, the species cannot be misidentified.
Description
Male ( Figure 1A View Figure 1 ). Wingspan 7.0 mm. Forewing upper surface white, with a golden thick zigzag line extending from the base towards the apex, and a golden oval dot at distal third; fringe white. Hindwing upper surface pearly white, translucent; fringe white. Forewing lower surface yellowish white, and hindwing pearly white lower surface semitransparent. Head white, palpi yellowish white, and proboscis white. Thorax yellowish white. Abdomen white. Legs white, except for tarsi whitish grey. Antenna greyish white, shiny, with antennifer white.
Male genitalia ( Figures 2A–D View Figure 2 ). Uncus (0.19 mm) symmetrical, almost as long as gnathos, Y-shaped, and elongate. Gnathos (0.21 mm) symmetrical, with short and thick proximal arms, and distal arm elongate, down-curved and tapered, with apex pointed. Tegumen (0.26 mm) subtriangular. Phallus (0.28 mm) cylindrical, almost as long as tegumen, slender, down-curved. Juxta laminar, half length of phallus. Vinculum (0.20 mm) less than half length of valvae, subquadrangular. Valvae (0.44 mm) slightly asymmetrical at apex, broad, distally expanded and multilobed, inward bent at its half length, with a rounded papilla at distal two-thirds. S8 (0.46 mm) symmetrical, deeply notched apically, with transverse curved ridge at base. T8 (0.14 mm) membranous, rectangular, with thickened ridge at base.
Female. Unknown.
Type material
Holotype: Male ( SMNK) Afghanistan: northern Afghanistan, Hindukush Doab, 1400 m, 4 June 1956 (Amsel). Genital slide no. 1020 PdE.
Distribution
The species is known only from the type locality in north-eastern Afghanistan .
Etymology
The species was named after the Hindu Kush Range wherein lies the type locality, the village of Doab.
Remarks
Except for F. pediculella (collected from Tunisia), Falkovitshella species have an Eastern Palaearctic distribution, and are primarily found in Central Asia ( Passerin d’Entrèves and Roggero 2007a). The newly described species greatly extends the genus distribution southward, as it was collected in the far east of Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan.
Falkovitshella species share a superficial resemblance to some species that are included in the Scythris caroxylella species-group ( Scythris caroxylella Falkovitsh , S. cramella Nupponen , S. fluxilis Falkovitsh , S. pallidella Passerin d’Entrèves and Roggero , S. parafluxilis Passerin d’Entrèves and Roggero and S. rotundella Nupponen ); however, the actual relationship between these two taxa is subject to debate ( Nupponen 2010; Passerin d’Entrèves and Roggero 2012). Although both taxa have a very elongate and Y-shaped uncus, as well as an elongate, slender tegumen, other characteristics of the genitalia are remarkably different. Males exhibit many noticeable differences, such as: (1) the gnathos arms are narrow and elongate in Falkovitshella , but are shorter and larger in the S. caroxylella species-group; (2) in Falkovitshella the phallus is short, much broader at base and tapering to apex, whereas in the S. caroxylella species-group it is half as long as the valvae, with a similar diameter along two-thirds of the entire valvae length; (3) the valvae in Falkovitshella are inward arched, differently shaped (also, asymmetrical) in the different species, and often with laminar projections, whereas they are symmetrical, subrectilinear and spatulate in the S. caroxylella species-group; (4) in Falkovitshella the S8 is elongate, with an arched, well-sclerotized reinforcement at the base, and often with a deep notch distally, whereas in the S. caroxylella species-group it is triangular, with a blunt, rounded tip; and (5) the T 8 in Falkovitshella is oval-shaped, narrow and elongate, but in the S. caroxylella species-group it is subquadrangular, half as long as the S8, with a large rounded notch at the base. Furthermore, the females also exhibit several differences. For example, the sterigma is usually almond-shaped, very narrow, and well-sclerotized in Falkovitshella , whereas it is a large, sclerotized, subrectangular plate in the S. caroxylella species-group. In addition, the sclerotized parts of the seventh abdominal segment very differently shaped in the two taxa. As a result of these marked differences, species belonging to the S. caroxylella species-group cannot be included in the genus Falkovitshella . Hence, similarities in genital traits must be carefully checked; however, it is hypothesized that such similarities may be examples of convergent evolution.
| SMNK |
Staatliches Museum fuer Naturkunde Karlsruhe (State Museum of Natural History) |
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