Megacraspedus attritellus Staudinger, 1871

Junnilainen, Jari, Karsholt, Ole, Nupponen, Kari, Kaitila, Jari-Pekka, Nupponen, Timo & Olschwang, Vladimir, 2010, The gelechiid fauna of the southern Ural Mountains, part II: list of recorded species with taxonomic notes (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) 2367, Zootaxa 2367 (1), pp. 1-68 : 12-13

Megacraspedus attritellus Staudinger, 1871

Figs. 6 & 10

Ajat river 03–05.VII.1997 (1♂); Arkaim 08–09.VII.1997 (1♂), 23.VII.1998 (1♂); Burannoe 07.VIII.2005 (3♂♂), 18.VIII.2006 (3♂♂), 19.VIII.2006 (1♂); Chalk Hills 21.VIII.2006 (1♂); Verbljushka 28.VII.2000 (1♂), 17.VIII.2006 (1♂). Genitalia slides: J. Junnilainen prep. no 02022502, 03022401; K. Nupponen 2/ 11.X.2005 . One further genitalia preparation preserved in glycerol.

Other material studied. 1♂ (paralectotype) from Staudinger type series labelled “Origin, Staudinger” ( MNHB), genitalia slide: J. Junnilainen prep. no. 03022304. 2♂♂ labelled “coll. Duske ” ( ZMH) .

Remarks. The collected material, as well as the type series from the vicinity of Volgograd (Sarepta), contains only male specimens. The female is unknown. The adults have been observed in grassy steppes. The external appearance of the adult (Fig. 6) and the male genitalia (Fig. 10) are illustrated.

Description of male. Wingspan 10.5–12.0 mm. Head mixed light brown and ochreous. Antenna brown, weakly ringed paler. Pecten a row of hair scales. Labial palp segment II laterally dark brown, basally mixed with white, upperside and distal scales pure white; segment III white, short and slender. Thorax covered with mixed light and dark brown scales. Legs outwardly covered by brown-tipped pale scales, inwardly whitish fuscous. Forewing lanceolate, ground colour white, costal, dorsal and apical areas with brown-tipped scales giving an impression of yellowish brown; markings consisting of four dark brown spots: at 0.2 and 0.4 in fold, and at 0.5 and 0.8 at midwing; second spot often united with first and/or third one, forming longish speckle in fold; fringe pale grey with dark longitudinal stripe at middle. Hindwing pale fuscous.

Male genitalia. Uncus a large squarish plate, distal margin slightly concave at middle. Gnathos hook robust, strongly curved at 0.25 from base, distal 0.75 almost straight and gradually widening towards apex, apex sharp and pointed upwards. Tegumen 1.5x as long as broad, tapering at middle, anterior margin with relatively low median excavation. Valva as long as tegumen, with distinct basal excavation at outer margin; basal 0.6 straight, at 0.6 from base bent inwards, distal 0.4 slightly tapering towards rounded apex. Posterior margin of vinculum extended and rounded with low medial incision. Saccus about 0.7x length of valva, with distinctly sclerotized ventromedial ridge, apex rounded. Aedeagus as long as valva, caecum roundish, distal 0.7 rod-like with strong tooth at 0.75, apical 0.25 slightly tapering towards apex.

Distribution. Russia (Lower Volga, S Ural). A record from Turkey ( Anikin & Piskunov 1995) requires verification.