Eulamprotes occidentella Huemer & Karsholt, 2011

Huemer, Peter, Elsner, Gustav & Karsholt, Ole, 2013, Review of the Eulamprotes wilkella species-group based on morphology and DNA barcodes, with descriptions of new taxa (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 3746 (1), pp. 69-100 : 85-90

Eulamprotes occidentella Huemer & Karsholt, 2011

Eulamprotes occidentella Huemer & Karsholt 2011: 218 , figs 1–2, 9–10, 21, 23, 25.

Examined material. Italy (n=45), France (n=3) (see Huemer & Karsholt (2011)).

DESCRIPTION.—Adult ( Figs 13–14 ). Male. Wingspan 10–11 mm. Segment 2 of labial palpus black; segment 3 grey, darker on lower and outer surface. Antenna black, ringed with light grey on basal half and whitish grey towards tip. Frons cream-white with black margins; neck, thorax and tegula black. Forewing black with silvery markings: an oblique streak from 1/6 at costa to 1/ 5 in middle of wing; a streak from middle of costa reaching half way towards dorsum; a tornal spot separated from pre-apical costal spot, the latter being white towards costa and silvery at base; a few silvery scales in apex and along termen; cilia blackish grey. Hindwing about as broad as forewing, dark grey, with grey cilia. Abdomen black, darkest on underside.

Female. Wingspan 8 mm. Antenna almost uniformly black in basal half, ringed black and white in middle; apical quarter white. Forewing broadest towards base, gradually tapering towards tip; costal spot silvery white (not bicoloured). Hindwing lanceolate, about two-thirds length of forewing. Abdomen black; posterior part of each segment silvery white; tip cream-white. Otherwise similar to male.

Variation. The frons can be more or less covered with black scales. The silvery spots in the forewings vary slightly: the basal streak can be divided into two, and the costal and tornal spots can be almost confluent.

Male genitalia ( Figs 32–33 ).—Segment VIII with two pairs of coremata in intersegmental membrane, grouped into short tufts of moderately broad and lanceolate scales respectively. Uncus a tiny process, apically with two long setae; tegumen short, sub-rectangular, a sclerotized belt (gnathos) connects the dorsolateral corners of the tegumen, from these corners two moderately long and rather stout setae are arising, anterior margin weakly cut-out, pedunculi small; valva long and moderately slender, weakly curved with convex dorsal (outer) and concave ventral (inner) margin, distally evenly tapered to pointed apex, valva in large part covered with setae; separate plate-like sclerite at base of valva, covered with few setae; sacculus a distinct, moderately small and setose lobe; saccus about as long as distance from anterior margin of vinculum to tip of valva, basally moderately broad, distally strongly tapered; phallus sub-cylindrical, apical quarter abruptly tapered, about one-third width of its anterior part; vesica with a number of small grains.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 54 ).—Apophysis posterioris slender, rod-shaped, about four times as long as segment VIII; segment VIII with evenly and smoothly sclerotized posteriolateral part, otherwise membranous; ostium bursae laterally with sclerotized folds; apophysis anterioris slender, rod-shaped, about three times as long as segment VIII; ductus bursae long and slender, posterior half with slender, oblong sclerite extending beyond apex of apophysis anterioris, anterior half membranous, gradually expanded; corpus bursae sub-oval, slightly larger than segment VIII; signum a distinct sub-oval plate, anteriorly with a small spinal process.

DIAGNOSIS.— E. occidentella is similar to E. libertinella . It can be separated from that species by being slightly smaller, by having blackish labial palpi, a dark neck and by having silvery (instead of silvery white) markings in the forewing. Females of E. occidentella have (like E. mirusella sp. nov.) hindwings of about two-thirds the length of the forewing, whereas in E. libertinella they are no longer than the breadth of the forewing. The male genitalia are virtually indistinguishable from those of E. baldizzonei sp. nov. The female genitalia differ from those of most other species with known females in the singular anterior spine of the signum, from the overall similar E. mirusella sp. nov. in the more rounded plate of the signum with shorter spine.

GENETIC DATA.—The intraspecific divergence of the barcode region is low, ranging from 0%–0.15% (average distance 0.05%) (n=5). The distance to the nearest neighbour E. libertinella is 8.85%.

DISTRIBUTION.— E. occidentella is restricted to a small section of the south-western Alps, namely the Cottian Alps ( Italy, France).

BIOLOGY.—Host-plant and early stages unknown. The adults have been observed from late July to early August. The males are occasionally attracted to light but can also be found during the day by searching vegetation. The brachypterous female has been observed attracting males in the early morning at sunrise (Huemer & Karsholt 2011). E. occidentella was found on alpine scree with patchy vegetation on calcareous soil at high altitudes above the timberline.

Figures

FIGURES 13 – 21. Adults of Eulamprotes spp. 13, E. occidentella Huemer & Karsholt, paratype, ♂ (Italy); 14, ditto, paratype, ♀ (Italy); 15, E. atrifrontella sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (Turkey); 16, E. wieseri sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (Kirgizia); 17, E. altaicella sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (Russia, Altai); 18, E. kailai sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (Kirgizia); 19, E. libertinella (Zeller), ♂ (Italy); 20, ditto, ♀ (Switzerland); 21, E. gemerensis sp. nov., paratype, ♂ (Slovakia). Scale bar = 2 mm.

FIGURES 28 – 33. Male genitalia of Eulamprotes spp. 28, E. mirusella sp. nov., holotype, (France) gen. slide GEL 1196 P. Huemer; 29, ditto, phallus; 30, E. baldizzonei sp. nov., paratype, (Italy) gen. slide GEL 1197 P. Huemer; 31, ditto, phallus; 32, E. occidentella Huemer & Karsholt, paratype, (Italy) gen. slide GEL 1143 P. Huemer; 33, ditto, phallus.

FIGURES 54 – 55. Female genitalia of Eulamprotes spp. 54, E. occidentella Huemer & Karsholt sp. nov., paratype, (Italy) gen. slide GEL 1141 P. Huemer; 55, E. libertinella (Zeller), (Austria) gen. slide GEL 1142 P. Huemer.