Sattleria karsholti, 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 : 7-8

Sattleria karsholti sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 12 , 24–25 )

Type material. Holotype 3, ‘ Italia sept. Prov. Bergamo Alpi Orobie Val d´Arera 2100 m 14.- 15.8.1992 leg. Huemer’ ‘ BC TLMF Lep 1439’ ( TLMF).

Paratypes. Italy: 1 3, same data as holotype, gen. slide GEL 1132 ( TLMF); 7 3, Prov. Trento, Adamello, Mandron, 2800 m, 30.7.- 1.8.1964, leg. Burmann, gen. slides GEL 131, LMP 52, LMP 71 ( LNK; TLMF; ZMUC); 2 3, same data, but end 7.1967, leg. Burmann; 1 3, same data, but 2700 m, mid 8.1958, leg. Burmann, gen. slide LMP 89 ( LNK); 1 3, same data, but 2500 m, 15.8.1985, leg. Schütz ( RCTG); 1 3, same data, but 2600 m, 15.8.1989, leg. Schütz ( RCTG); 1 3, Prov. Verona, Monte Baldo, Telegrafo, 2150 m, mid 7.1969, leg. Burmann, gen. slide LMP 74 ( LNK); 1 3, Prov. Verona, Monte Baldo, Cima Valdritta, 2200 m, 15.7.1987, leg. Huemer & Tarmann, gen. slide GEL 162 ( TLMF); 1 3, Prov. Verona, Monte Baldo, Longino, 2200 m, 29.6.1985, leg. Tarmann ( TLMF).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 3 ). Head cream-coloured, rarely mid-brown, labial palpus cream-coloured, with few mid-brown scales on outer surface, tip of segment three brownish; antenna blackish brown; thorax and abdomen mid-brown, mixed with some rusty brown. Wingspan 3 17.5–20.5.0 mm; forewing ground colour underlies some variation, from light creamy brown to darker grey-brown, rusty brown along subcosta, fold and in basal half of forewing, medial part of wing intensively mottled cream, indistinct angulate cream fascia at 4/5 inwardly bordered by irregular transverse dark brown fascia; 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 12 , 24–25 ). 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, nearly straight; sacculus shorter than valva, evenly tapered to apical point, basally without lobe; vinculum deeply emarginated with pair of long processes; primary process long and broadly digitate, distal half with few fine setae, apically weakly narrowing, almost level with apex of sacculus; secondary process short, sub-triangular spine, arising at right angle in basal third of primary process; 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, with small medial projection, coecum weakly inflated, apex with short and straight sclerotized arm.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Sattleria karsholti sp. nov. is externally very similar to other medium-sized species of the genus, particularly to the south-western alpine population of S. melaleucella . However, S. melaleucella has a longer and more slender primary process of the vinculum, a longer spine-like secondary process and a large medial projection of the phallus ( Figs 9–10 , 26–27 ). In the somewhat similar S. arcuata , the primary vincular process is needleshaped and serrated ( Fig. 11 ). Intraspecific divergence at COI is absent in the two specimens examined whereas interspecific divergence is 2.34% to the nearest neighbour S. marguareisi . The minimum distance to the allegedly conspecific S. melaleucella is higher at 4.11%.

Bionomics. Host-plants and early stages are unknown. The adults have been collected from the end of June to mid-August. Habitats are alpine scree and rock formations primarily on limestone, but the species also occurs on siliceous soil with sparse vegetation at elevations ranging from about 2200 m to 2800 m.

Distribution. Only known from a small section of the southern Alps, ranging from Monte Baldo in the west to Pizo Arera in the east (Prov. Trento, Verona, Bergamo, Italy).

Etymology. The species is named after our colleague and friend Ole Karsholt (Zoological Museum, Copenhagen) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to European lepidopterology.

Remarks. S. karsholti sp. nov. was hitherto considered as the geographical form “C” of S. melaleucella , representing this species in the southern Alps ( Pitkin and Sattler, 1991; see discussion). Despite the presence of several distinctive morphological characters, Pitkin and Sattler (1991) hesitated to introduce a new name in the absence of further evidence indicating species status.

Pl. 21, Fig. 207c in Huemer and Karsholt (2010) depicts S karsholti sp. nov. and not S. melaleucella .

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 9 – 12. Male genitalia of Sattleria. 9, S. melaleucella (Constant), slide LMP 76; 10, ditto, slide LMP 102; 11, S. arcuata Pitkin & Sattler, paratype, slide GEL 159; 12, S. karsholti sp. nov., paratype, slide LMP 71.

FIGURES 24 – 27. Male genitalia of Sattleria (details of valva-vinculum complex). 24, S. karsholti sp. nov., paratype, slide LMP 74; 25, ditto, paratype, slide LMP 71; 26, S. melalecuella (Constant), slide LMP 76; 27, ditto, slide LMP 102.