Gnathifera montana, Gaedike, 2018

Gaedike, Reinhard, 2018, New data on the taxonomy, distribution and host plants of Australian Epermeniidae (Lepidoptera: Epermenioidea), Zootaxa 4524 (1), pp. 33-50 : 41-42

Gnathifera montana sp. nov.

( Figs 14 , 30 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Australian Capital Territory: “ Mt. Gingera , A. C. T. 5600ft. 22.10.1968, [leg.] V. J. Robinson & I. F. B. Common;” “Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaedike Nr. 9172;” “ Holotypus ♂, Gnathifera montana sp. n., det. R. Gaedike 2018;” ANIC.

Description. ( Fig. 14 ). Wingspan 13 mm.

Head laterally brown-grey, the area from neck to frons light brown; labial palpus on outside brown, on inside nearly white; antenna with pecten, flagellum brown-grey.

Thorax mixed brown-grey and light brown, tegulae darker; forewing with dark brown ground-colour; dorsum from base to 1/2 with narrow pale- to whitish-coloured stripe, interrupted by a dark brown patch at beginning of fringe; an oblique thin light brown dash from base to dorsum at 2/3, a second dash in the middle of wing from 1/2 to the end of cell, at the beginning and at the end with minute black dot; fringe with dark brown scale-line below apex; hindwing shiny white-grey.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 30 ). Uncus broad, apically rounded; gnathos semi-circular, with numerous minute thorns; valva as long as uncus+tegumen, costal and ventral margins parallel, costal edge at 1/3 slightly concave, ventral edge with minute thorn apically, apex truncated, a large band-like bristled area on inside, apodemes prolonged into two narrow digital processes; phallus as long as valva, apical half laterally strongly sclerotized, vesical with hookshaped [partly broken] cornutus.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis. The pale- to whitish-coloured stripe at dorsum of forewing is somewhat similar to the pattern of G. fuscostriata and G. montana , but the genitalia structure is clearly different. This new species is uniquely characterized by the combination of the following characters: long valva with parallel costal and ventral margins and with truncated apex. A minute thorn present ventrally, apodemes prolonged into two digital processes, phallus laterally strongly sclerotized.

Distribution. Australian Capital Territory.

Bionomics. The early stages and host plants are unknown.

Etymology. The species name refers to the location where the type was found.

Figures

FIGURES 13–18. Adults. 13, Gnathifera robinsoni, holotype ♂ CSIRO Exp. Fm., Wilton, N. S. W., 6.4.1972, [leg.] V. J. Robinson, genitalia slide Gaedike Nr. 9165, ANIC. 14, Gnathifera montana, holotype ♂, Mt. Gingera, A. C. T. 5600ft. 22.10.1968, [leg.]V. J. Robinson & I. F. B. Common, genitalia slide Gaedike Nr. 9172, ANIC. 15, Paraepermenia santaliella, ♂, 30°21'S, 139°22'E, 5km SE of Arkaroola Village, S.A., emerged 11., 29.xi.1993, larva in galls of Santalum lanceolatum, leg. E. D. Edwards & E. S. Nielsen, genitalia slide Gaedike Nr. 9179, ANIC. 16, Epermenia exilis, ♂, 2.7km NE of Queanbeyan, 670m, N.S.W., 10.xi.1974, leg. I. F. B. Common, ANIC. 17, Epermenia tasmanica, ♀, 42°10'S, 145°20'E, Strahan, Tasmania, 5.ii.1969, leg. I. F. B. Common, ANIC. 18, Epermenia (Epermeniola) macrodentata, paratype ♀, 13°44'S, 143°20'E, Golden Nugget Ck Camp Site, Mcllwraith Ra., Q[ueensland], 520m, 30 Jun 1989, [leg.] Nielsen, Edwards & Horak, genitalia slide Gaedike Nr. 9186, ANIC.

FIGURES 28–30. Male and female genitalia. 28, Gnathifera fuscostriata, paratype ♀, Murphys Creek nr. Toowoomba, Q. 18 Oct. 1982, [leg.] I. F. B. Common, Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaedike Nr. 9189, ANIC. 29, Gnathifera robinsoni, holotype ♂, CSIRO Exp. Fm., Wilton, N. S. W., 6.4.1972, [leg.] V. J. Robinson, Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaedike Nr. 9165, ANIC. 30, Gnathifera montana, holotype ♂, Mt. Gingera, A. C. T., 5600ft. 22.10.1968, [leg.]V. J. Robinson & I. F. B. Common, Gen.präp. [genitalia slide] Gaedike Nr. 9172, ANIC.