Pleurota monochroma Tabell, 2021

Tabell, Jukka, Wikström, Bo, Mutanen, Marko, Bruckner, Harald & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2021, Subspecies of Pleurota bicostella (Clerck, 1759) revisited and descriptions of nine new species in the P. bicostella species group (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea Oecophoridae: Pleurotinae), Zootaxa 4941 (4), pp. 451-486 : 472-474

Pleurota monochroma Tabell , sp. nov.

Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ACW1898

Table 1, Figs. 27 , 45 , 65 , 66

Type material. Holotype ♂ (GP 5311 J. Tabell, DNA sample 23689 Lepid Phyl ): Morocco, High Atlas, 19 km NNE Ouled Berhil, 1000 m, N30.830 W8.390, 2.V.2013, J. Tabell leg. (coll. MZH), BOLD sample ID: MM23689, http: //id .luomus.fi/GBT. 6 Paratype: 1 ♂ (GP 5072, DNA sample 23693 Lepid Phyl), same collecting data as holotype (coll. TAB).

Diagnosis. Externally P. monochroma is somewhat similar to P. gallicella Huemer & Luquet, 1995 and P. murina (white costal line absent), but the forewing is narrower. In the male genitalia of monochroma , the valval lobe is triangular (crescent-shaped in murina , finger-shaped in gallicella ), in the phallus the cornutus is broader and the patch of tiny spines smaller. The 8 th abdominal sternum with three sclerotized patches is characteristic (in murina and gallicella the 8 th sternum is uniformly sclerotized). The female of monochroma is unknown.

Molecular data. Both type specimens of monochroma were sequenced successfully, resulting in 658 bp, fulllength barcode sequences. The nearest neighbour to monochroma is P. karsholti , with a 5.93 % divergence ( Table 1). The barcodes of monochroma exhibit no intraspecific variation.

Description. Adult. Wingspan 15.7–17.2 mm. Labial palpus off-white, mixed with pale brown scales, darker below, long and narrow, 6.5 x as long as diameter of eye (1 st and 2 nd palpomeres), 3 rd palpomere 0.24 x length of 1 st and 2 nd palpomeres. Head off-white, thorax and tegula off-white, suffused with pale brown. Antenna brown, every second antennomere trapezoidal. Forewing narrow, brownish grey; costal and subcostal lines jointed, a narrow pale line medially from base to 0.5; median line white, mixed with pale brown, indistinct, from base to 0.4, discal, discocellular and plical spots dark brown; dorsal half paler, dorsal and outer margins edged with dark brown scales. Fringe pale brown, mixed white. Hindwing pale grey, fringe slightly paler. Abdomen slightly lustrous, greyish brown, each segment with a transverse row of ochre scales.

Male genitalia. Uncus triangular from ventral view, slightly shorter than gnathos, lined with few long and several short bristles, apex with long narrow stout protuberance. Gnathos funnel-shaped from ventral view, broad, distal half surfaced with scobination, apex moderately broad, stout and smooth. Ventral margin of tegumen arched. Valva triangular, evenly tapered towards apex, dorsally surfaced with long bristles, in paratype specimen valva tapered strongly towards apex; sacculus covered with long bristles; valval lobe weakly sclerotized, triangular. Median plate of juxta slightly swollen; posterior lobe robust, long, almost reaching apex of uncus. Phallus slightly arched, with a plate-shaped cornutus and a group of tiny spines.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Biology. The biology is unknown. The type series was collected at light in a dry meadow dominated by Salvia aegyptiaca L. ( Lamiaceae ).

Etymology. Greek ΜΟΝΌχρωΜΟΣ = having one colour. The specific epithet refers to the colour of the forewing.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in the High Atlas Mountains at an altitude of 1000 m.

Figures

FIGURE 65. Neighbor-joining tree based on the barcoding fragment of the COI gene (p-distance model) of all available species of the Pleurota bicostella species group. “MM26262” etc. are BOLD sample IDs.

FIGURE 66. Distribution map of P. illucidella Chrétien, P. lepigrei Lucas and nine new species of the P. bicostella species group. Map based on Google Maps © 2021.

FIGURES 25–32. Adults and labels of Pleurota spp. 25–26. P. kullbergi sp. nov. 25. ♂ paratype. 26. ♀ paratype. 27. P. monochroma sp. nov., ♂ holotype. 28. P. murina sp. nov., ♂ holotype. 29. P. paragallicella sp. nov., ♂ holotype. 30. P. gallicella Huemer & Luquet, ♂. 31–32. P. hastiformis Walsingham. 31. ♂. 32. ♀.

FIGURES 45–46. Male genitalia of Pleurota spp. 45. P. monochroma sp. nov., holotype, GP 5311 J. Tabell. 46. P. murina sp. nov., holotype, GP 5505 J. Tabell.