Ephysteris kullbergi, Bidzilya, Oleksiy & Karsholt, Ole, 2018

Bidzilya, Oleksiy & Karsholt, Ole, 2018, Two new species of Ephysteris Meyrick, 1908, from Asia with brachypterous males (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), Nota Lepidopterologica 41 (1), pp. 107-112 : 108-109

Ephysteris kullbergi sp. n.

Material examined.

Holotype, ♂. "RUSSIA Tuva rep. 50°01'N, 95°03'E, 1150 m, Lake Tere-Khol, sand dunes 9.-12.6.1995 Jalava & Kullberg leg." "genitalia slide 153/16, O. Bidzilya" (MZH).

Paratypes. 29 ♂, 14 ♀, same data as holotype, genitalia slides 4873♂ and 4874♀ O. Karsholt (MZH, ZMKU, ZMUC).

Description.

Adult (Figs 1-2). Male. Wingspan 8-10 mm. Labial palpus cream-white; segment 2 with two black spots on outer surface; segment 3 shorter than segment 2, with a slender basal and a broader apical black ring. Antenna black, ringed with white and grey. Head, thorax and tegulae cream-white mottled with blackish brown; frons lighter. Ground-colour of forewing cream-white, mottled with yellow, orange, brown and black scales; subcostal stripe yellow; four brown and black transverse fasciae near base, at 2/5, 3/5 and near apex all with erect scales; fringe with black-tipped white scales. Hindwing lanceolate, about three-fifths length of forewing, light grey-brown; fringe reduced to some light grey hairs.

Female. Hindwing shorter, length 1.0-1.7 mm, and broader than in male; otherwise similar to male.

Variation. There is some variation in the amount of light and dark scales in the forewings. Worn specimens tend to look paler than fresh ones. There is some variation in the length and shape (more or less rounded) of the hindwing in the females.

Male genitalia (Fig. 3). Uncus sub-triangular; gnathos-hook about length of uncus, slender; valva curved, digitate, not reaching base of gnathos; sacculus narrow, digitate, almost straight, extending beyond middle of valva; posterior margin of vinculum with broad lateromedial humps with dentate posterior margin, medially with short V-shaped emargination; saccus about same length as valva, moderately stout, distally two-thirds with parallel sides before sub-rectangular tip; phallus of similar length as tegumen, almost straight, apical sclerite distinct, weakly inflated coecum about one-fourth length of phallus.

Female genitalia (Fig. 4). Segment VIII with almost evenly sclerotized subgenital plates, smooth; ostium bursae projected anteriorly with oval edge; antrum tubular, short, slightly exceeding apophysis anterioris; apophysis anterioris stout, rod-like, about length of segment VIII; ductus bursae broad; corpus bursae oval; signum about half length of corpus bursae, sub-triangular, medially with longitudinal ridge, anteriolateral lobes short, anteriomedial lobe rather long and pointed.

Diagnosis.

E. kullbergi is characterized by the reduced hindwings in both sexes. It can be separated from other brachypterous Ephysteris species by the more vivid coloration and the many erect brown and black scales in the forewing. The female genitalia are similar to those of several congeners, especially E. diminutella (Zeller, 1847) and E. insulella (Heinemann, 1870), but can be recognized in having the antrum slightly exceeding the apophysis anterioris, and by the short and broad anteriolateral lobes of the signum. The male genitalia are similar to those of several congeners, especially E. diminutella , but can be recognized by having shorter valvae, saccus and phallus and less emarginated posterior margin of the vinculum.

Distribution.

Russia: Tuva Republic.

Biology.

Host-plant and early stages are unknown. The adults have been collected in the first half of June. According to Jaakko Kullberg (in litt.) "These Ephysteris moths were collected with two light traps with tube lamps. The container and funnel were dug in the sandy dunes … The moths start to arrive to the trap in the dusk and were running and jumping in the trap and sheets. The leaps were huge - even 20-25 cm long and as I remember the moths did not use wings when doing it".

The type locality (Figs 7-8) is a huge sand dune area in the south-eastern part of the Tuva Republic close to the border of Mongolia.

Etymology.

The new species is named in honour of one of its collectors, Jaakko Kullberg, Finland.

Remarks.

The type locality of E. kullbergi is spelled "Tore Khol" on some maps ( Kosterin and Zaika 2003: 4).

In the mention of this species Karsholt and Sattler (1998) referred to its locality as "Tuvinskaya Respublika".