Megacraspedus orenburgensis Junnilainen & Nupponen

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 : 13-14

Megacraspedus orenburgensis Junnilainen & Nupponen sp. n.

Figs. 20–21, 27

Type material. Holotype: 3 (Fig. 20): Russia, S-Ural, Orenburg district, 50°40–45’N 54°26–28’E, 170–230 m, Pokrovka village 20 km S, Schibendy valley, 21.VI.1999, T. & K. Nupponen leg. ( TKN, to be deposited in ZMH). Genitalia slide: J. Junnilainen prep. no. 0 3022405. Paratype (Fig 21): same locality as holotype, 02.VIII.2005 (1 3), K. Nupponen leg. Genitalia slide: K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/ 17.IV.2006 ( TKN).

Diagnosis. M. orenburgensis sp. n. belongs to the attritellus -group. Externally it is very close to M. multispinella (see above), and cannot be safely determined without examining the genitalia. M. orenburgensis differs from other members of the group by details of the male genitalia: the distal part of the valva is curved with numerous warts at the inner margin, and the distal part of the aedeagus has long sclerotized stripes and a row of coremata-like teeth.

Description. Wingspan 11.5–14.5 mm. Head and thorax greyish white. Antenna brown, weakly ringed with black. Pecten a row of hairscales. Labial palp: segments I and III white; segment II laterally mixed with white and brown hairscales, upperside white. Forewing lanceolate; ground colour greyish white, overlaid with brown-tipped scales giving an impression of yellowish grey; markings consisting of four roundish spots: at 1/ 3 between fold and costa, at 2/ 5 in fold, at 1/2 and 3/4 at midwing. Hindwing white. Fringe white with indistinct greyish line in the middle.

Male genitalia (Fig. 27). Uncus slightly longer than wide, subrectangular, posterior corners rounded. Gnathos hook robust, sclerotized, curved 70° at 2/7 from base, medial part straight, distal 1/8 curved upwards and tapered, apex pointed. Tegumen less than 2x as long as broad, with rather deep median excavation at anterior margin, pedunculi subtriangular. Valva extending to middle of uncus; basal half robust with moderately large and distinct excavation at outer margin; bent inwards at 0.75, distal half warty at inner margin, apex blunt. Posterior margin of vinculum almost straight. Saccus broad, almost as long as valva, ventromedial sclerotization absent, tapered towards rounded apex. Aedeagus as long as tegumen and uncus together; caecum bulbous; distal part thick and straight, broadest at middle, lateral sides along distance with sclerotized and folded stripes, another side with six sclerotized and coremata-like teeth forming a longitudinal row.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Bionomy. The specimens were collected by sweeping just before sunset in a chalk steppe.

Distribution. Russia (S Ural). Only known from the type locality.

Etymology. The name of the species refers to its geographical origin, Orenburg district in the Southern Ural Mountains.

Remarks. Systematically M. orenburgensis should be placed near M. attritellus and M. multispinella .