Sattleria cottiella, Huemer, Peter & Hebert, Paul D. N., 2011

Huemer, Peter & Hebert, Paul D. N., 2011, Cryptic diversity and phylogeography of high alpine Sattleria — a case study combining DNA barcodes and morphology (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 2981, pp. 1-22 : 11-15

Sattleria cottiella sp. nov.

( Figs 4 , 14 , 28–29 )

Type material. Holotype 3, ‘ Italien, Prov Cuneo Colle Valcavera 2420 m N 44°23,0´E 07°06,2´27.7.2009 Mayr Toni leg.’ ( TLMF).

Paratypes. Italy: 5 3, same data as holotype ( RCTM); 1 3, same data, but 4.8.2008, leg. Huemer ( TLMF); 1 3, same data, but 23.7.2009, leg. Huemer ( TLMF); 7 3, same data, but 2.8.2010, leg. Huemer ( TLMF); 4 3, same data, but leg. Wieser (LMK); 13 3, Prov. Cuneo, Demonte NW, Colle Fauniera, 2480-2500 m, 3.8.2008, leg. Huemer, gen. slides GEL 1144, GEL 1146 ( TLMF); 20 3, same data, but 28.7.2009, leg. Skou & Skule ( ZMUC).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 4 ). Head cream-coloured; labial palpus cream-coloured, with brown mottling on outer surface, tip of segment three darker brown; antenna blackish brown; thorax and abdomen light grey-brown, mixed with some rusty-brown. Wingspan 3 15.0–17.0 mm; forewing light brownish grey, rusty brown along fold and in medial part of the forewing, indistinct angulate light grey fascia at 4/5; black markings: dash in fold, subcostal spot at 2/5 and angulated spot at 3/ 5 in middle of forewing, furthermore some black mottling at base and along costa, termen with black dots; fringes concolorous with ground colour, weakly defined fringe line present; hindwing light grey with concolorous fringes. Female unknown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 14 , 28–29 ). Uncus with evenly rounded apex; gnathos hook strong, culcitula large; tegumen anteriorly widened, broadly and deeply emarginated anterior margin; pedunculi long, slender; valva long, slender, extending almost to apex of uncus, almost straight; sacculus shorter than valva, evenly tapered to apical point, basally without lobe; vinculum deeply emarginated with pair of long, forked processes; primary process basally broad, distal half needle-shaped, almost level with apex of sacculus; secondary process stiletto-shaped, about one-half length of distal half of primary process, arising at acute angle of about 60° from basal half of primary process, distal half with weakly serrated inner margin; saccus slightly shorter than primary vincular process, slender sub-rectangular with cut-off apex; anellus with pair of small, rounded, centrally perforated sclerites; phallus slender, nearly straight, without medial projection, coecum weakly inflated, apex with curved sclerotized arm.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Sattleria cottiella sp. nov. is externally very similar to other small species in the genus, particularly S. izoardi , S. marguareisi and S. pyrenaica which are on average smaller with 14.0–16.0 mm ( S. izoardi ), 15.0–16.0 mm ( S. marguareisi ) and 16.0 mm ( S. pyrenaica ) respectively. It differs from these taxa in its peculiar forked vincular processes: S. pyrenaica has a shorter and broader primary process and a broader secondary process which arises from the former at a right angle ( Fig. 13 ); S. izoardi has a longer primary process and a distinctly longer secondary process of about 2/3 length of distal half of the former and arising from it at an acute angle of about 30° ( Figs 15 , 30–31 ); finally S. marguareisi differs in the unforked vincular processes replaced by a suboval secondary lobe ( Fig. 16 ). Intraspecific divergence at COI is absent (n=5), whereas mean interspecific divergence is 1.91% to the nearest neighbour ( S. marguareisi ).

Bionomics. Host-plants and early stages are unknown. The adults have been collected from late July to early August in the first half of the night at light. Habitats are alpine scree and rock formations on limestone with sparse vegetation at elevations from about 2400 m to 2500 m.

Distribution. Only known from the southern part of the Cottian Alps (Prov. Cuneo, Italy), in a limited area in the surroundings of Colle Fauniera—Colle Valvacera.

Etymology. The specific name derives from the Ligurian prince Cottius, referring to the distribution area of this species, the Cottian Alps.

Remarks. S. cottiella sp. nov. was initially misidentified as S. izoardi on external appearance, but its status as a distinct species was first revealed by DNA barcoding and subsequently confirmed by detailed morphological analysis. Pl. 20, Fig. 205c in Huemer and Karsholt (2010) refers to the new species and has to be corrected accordingly.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Adults of Sattleria. 1 – 2, S. melalecuella (Constant), 1, 3, 2, Ƥ; 3, S. karsholti sp. nov., 3, holotype; 4, S. cottiella sp. nov., 3, holotype; 5, S. izoardi Huemer & Sattler, 3; 6, S. graiaeella sp. nov., 3, holotype; 7, S. basistrigella Huemer, 3; 8, S. triglavica Povolný, 3.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Male genitalia of Sattleria. 13, S. pyrenaica (Petry), slide GEL 279; 14, S. cottiella sp. nov., paratype, slide GEL 1144; 15, S. izoardi Huemer, holotype, slide GEL 1145; 16, S. marguareisi Huemer & Sattler, paratype, slide GEL 150.

FIGURES 28 – 31. Male genitalia of Sattleria (details of valva-vinculum complex). 28, S. cottiella sp. nov., paratype, slide GEL 1144; 29, ditto, paratype, slide GEL 1146; 30, S. izoardi Huemer & Sattler, holotype, slide GEL 1145; 31, ditto, slide GEL 1049.