Elachista

Sruoga, Virginijus, 2010, The Elachistinae (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Elachistidae) of Ecuador with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 2524, pp. 33-50 : 40-44

Elachista species VS307

( Figs. 1 , 3 , 32–34 , 37 –40)

Material examined: 1Ψ, Ecuador, Tungurahua Province, Banos env., 10.ii.2007, V. Sruoga leg. Genitalia slide VS307. In VPU.

Diagnosis. Elachista species VS307 belongs to the E. praelineata species group. In wing pattern and female genitalia, this species is comparable to E. praelineata Braun, 1915 and E. radiantella Braun, 1922 , known from the USA (for illustrations, see Braun 1948 and Kaila 1999b). However, E. species VS307 is distinguishable from these two species mainly by the presence of a signum on the corpus bursae.

Female. ( Figs. 32–34 ). Forewing length 3.2 mm; wingspan 7.1 mm (n=1). Head: Frons and vertex whitish grey; neck tuft brownish grey; labial palpus 1.6 times as long as width of head, whitish, third segment brownish grey; antenna brownish grey, basal articles weakly annulated with paler rings. Thorax and tegula grey-brown. Forewing: ground colour grey-brown, basal 1/3 somewhat paler than other parts; base of wing with white spot that expands towards dorsal margin; white transverse fascia from costa to dorsal margin before middle; triangular white spot at 4/5 of costa, with another similar spot just before it in dorsal margin; fringe scales brownish grey with few white scales along apex. Hindwing brownish grey, its fringe scales somewhat paler. Abdomen above grey-brown, whitish below; tergum 7 with very large and dense, brownish grey tuft of hair-like scales ( Fig. 34 ).

Male. Unknown.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 37–40 ). Papillae anales short, triangular, with short but dense setae. Apophyses posteriores slightly longer than apophyses anteriores. Tergite seven reniform, only slightly emarginated apically, 1.5 times wider than long. Ostium bursae situated in intersegmental membrane between sternite seven and eight, rounded, about 1/2 of the distance between apophyses anteriores, with dorsal wall spinose. Antrum cup-shaped, weakly sclerotized, abruptly tapered towards strongly sclerotized and very short colliculum. Ductus bursae and corpus bursae without internal spines; signum small, angulate, narrow, forming dentate plate.

Biology. Unknown.

Flight period. Based upon the single specimen available, adults fly in February.

Distribution. So far this species is known only from Tungurahua Province of Ecuador ( Figs. 1 , 3 ).

Remarks. This species is known from a single female specimen, and another species, E. lata , is described from the same locality based on a single male. These species belong to the same species group, and may be conspecific. Therefore, this taxon is documented, but not named pending the availability of additional male material.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of Elachistinae species in Ecuador., Aloag, Pichincha Province;, Banos, Tungurahua Province;, Huigra, Chimborazo Province.

FIGURES 2 – 4. Collecting localities in Ecuador. 2, type locality of Elachista adunca sp. n. and E. laxa sp. n. on 24 February 2007, 11 km NW Aloag, Pichincha Province; 3, type locality of E. lata sp. n., E. speciesVS 307 and E. phiala sp. n. on 10 February 2007, Banos env., Tungurahua Province; 4, collecting locality of E. saccharella on 11 February 2007, 1 km E Banos, Rio Negro, Tungurahua Province.

FIGURES 32 – 36. Adults of Elachista species. 32, E. species VS 307, adult female. Scale bar 1 mm; 33, same, head, frontal view; 34, same, abdomen, lateral view; 35, E. phiala sp. n., adult female, holotype. Scale bar 1 mm; 36, same, head, frontal view.

FIGURES 37 – 40. Female genitalia of Elachista species VS 307. 37, caudal part of genitalia; 38, ductus and corpus bursae; 39, ostium region; 40, signum. Gen. slide VS 307. Scale bar 0.1 mm.