Megacraspedus litovalvellus Junnilainen

Junnilainen, Jari & Nupponen, Kari, 2010, The gelechiid fauna of the southern Ural Mountains, part I: descriptions of seventeen new species (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 2366, pp. 1-34 : 10-11

Megacraspedus litovalvellus Junnilainen sp. n.

Figs. 16–17, 24, 30–31

Type material. Holotype: 3: Russia, S-Ural, Orenburg district, 50°40–45’N 54°26–28’E, 170–230 m, Pokrovka village 20 km S, Schibendy valley, Chalk Hills, 03–07.VI.1998, J. Junnilainen leg. ( JJ, to be deposited in ZMH). Paratypes (84 3, 1 Ƥ; Figs. 16–17): 31 3 same data as holotype ( JJ, ZMH). Same locality as holotype: 03–07.VI.1998 (22 3), 21.VI.1999 (1 3), 22.VI.1999 (1 3), T. & K. Nupponen leg. ( TKN); 10.VI.2001 (1 3), 29.VI.2003 (2 3), 30.VI.2003 (2 3), 01.VII.2003 (23, 1 Ƥ), 02.VII.2003 (1 3), 25.V.2004 (4 3), 27.V.2004 (1 3), 28.V.2004 (11 3), 02.VIII.2005 (1 3), K. Nupponen leg. ( TKN). Russia, S-Ural, Orenburg district: 51°23’N 56°49’E, 130–340 m, Donskoje village 6 km W, Mount Verbljushka, 30.V–02.VI.1998 (2 3), J. Junnilainen leg. ( JJ); 12.VI.1998 (1 3), T. & K. Nupponen leg. ( TKN); 50°58’N 54°25’E, 100 m, near Burannoe village, 20.VI.1999 (1 3), T. & K. Nupponen leg. ( TKN). Genitalia slides: J. Junnilainen prep. no. 0 2012403, 0 2022809, 0 2030201, 0 4022305 (Ƥ); K. Nupponen prep. no. 2/ 07.IV.2008.

Diagnosis. Megacraspedus litovalvellus sp. n. belongs to the same group as M. imparellus (Fischer v. Röslerstamm, 1843). The new species is close to M. imparellus , but can be separated from that by the overall darker forewings and in the male genitalia a distally broader, only gently curved valva without a lobe at inner margin, and a broader sacculus. Also M. majorella Caradja, 1920 belongs to the imparellus -group but differs from the new species by details in the male genitalia such as the square-shaped uncus, the distally straight and evenly thick gnathos, the strongly extended posterior margin of vinculum, the curved distal half of the valva and the straight aedeagus. Externally M. leuca (Filipjev, 1929) also somewhat resembles M. litovalvellus , but differs from it by details in the male genitalia, placing it into the attritellus -group: the gnathos is 1.5x longer, the saccus is very long and evenly broad with a rounded apex (see also the review of the genus above and the redescription of M. attritellus Staudinger, 1871 ( Junnilainen et al. 2010)) .

Description. Wingspan: male 14–16 mm, female 10 mm. Head, thorax and tegulae whitish with scattered brown-tipped scales. Upperside of labial palp white, segment II laterally very broad, with long and brown brush scales; white segment III pointed upwards. Antenna dark brown, ringed paler brown, pecten a row of hairscales. Forewing ground colour whitish ochreous, with densely scattered brown-tipped scales giving an impression of dirty greyish; markings consist of four dark brown spots: indistinct at 0.3 between fold and costa; distinct at 3/ 8 in the middle of fold; distinct at 0.5 and at 0.7 in the middle of wing. Hindwing pale fuscous. Fringe pale fuscous with slight ochreous hue. The female is much smaller in size than the male and wings are slightly reduced (Fig. 17); most probably it is capable of flying only short distances.

Male genitalia (Fig. 24). Uncus slightly longer than wide, distal margin rounded. Gnathos hook moderately narrow and little longer than uncus, gradually curved and tapered towards pointed apex. Tegumen twice as long as broad, anterior margin with relatively low median excavation, pedunculi almost square and turned outwards. Valva extends to apex of uncus; basal half of valva broad with wide excavation at inner margin; distal half club-shaped, almost straight and without lobe at inner margin. Posterior margin of vinculum almost straight, only slightly extended and rounded. Saccus subtriangular with distinctly sclerotized ventromedial ridge, apex more or less pointed. Aedeagus as long as tegumen and uncus together; caecum large and circular; distal part rod-shaped, slightly bent at middle and tapering towards rounded apex, without cornuti or spines.

Female genitalia (Figs. 30–31). Papillae anales evenly broad, as long as apophyses anteriores. Apophyses posteriores 2.5x longer than anteriores. Subostial plate subquadrangular and large. Ostium with subtriangular sclerotized margins; posteriorly elongate and acute-angled, anteriorly blunt. Antrum short and weakly sclerotized. Ductus bursae slightly widening towards corpus bursae. Corpus bursae a long sack; signum broad, dentate plate; posterior margin concave and anteriorly slightly convex.

Bionomy. The type series was collected by artificial light at night and sweeping before sunset, from late May to early August from chalk steppes.

Distribution. Russia (S Ural).

Etymology. Gr. litos = plain, simple, frugal. The species name alludes to the plain valva in the male genitalia, one of the characters separating the new species from its closest relative M. imparellus .

Remarks. Systematically M. litovalvellus should be placed near M. imparellus (Fischer v. Röslerstamm, 1843).

Other type material studied: Holotype of Megacraspedus leuca (Filipjev, 1929) labeled “Munko Sardyk Sajan Mount. | A. Bang-Haas. | Northis leuca Fil. Type N. Filipjev det. | Holotype 3 Northis leuca Filipjev teste K.Sattler, 1978 | Prep.no: 15652 Holotype (underside of label) Northis leuca 3 Filipjev, 1929 Sajan mount. | Megacraspedus leuca 3 (Filipjev, 1929). Piskunov det.1983 | [red label] Holotypus ” ( ZISP). The habitus of M. leuca (holotype, male) is illustrated (Fig. 18), as well as the male genitalia (Fig. 25); specimen labeled “ Russia, Altai Mnts, 50°16–20’N 87°50–55’E, Kuraisky Hrebet 2300 m, 13.VII.2001, K. Nupponen leg.”; Genitalia slide: K. Nupponen prep. no. 3/ 21.X.2008 ( TKN).