Ivanauskiella nigripunctata, Bidzilya & Karsholt & Šumpich, 2023

Bidzilya, Oleksiy, Karsholt, Ole & Šumpich, Jan, 2023, A revision of the genus Ivanauskiella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 63 (1), pp. 135-164 : 145-152

Ivanauskiella nigripunctata sp. nov.

( Figs 16–22 , 56–58 , 77–79 , 86–87 )

Type material. HOLOTYPF: J, SPAIN: ALICANTE: Santa Pola, Playa del Pinet, 3809.51N, 0037.54W, 5 m, 5.ix.2005, P. Huemer leg. (Barcode TLMF Lep 03295) ( TLMF). PARATYPFS: 2 JJ 1 ♀, same data as for holotype (gen. slide 156/20J, 157/ 20♀, OB) (Barcode TLMF Lep 03296) ( TLMF); 2 JJ, Santa Pola, 12.vi.2007, J. Šumpich leg. (gen. prep. 23014, JŠ) (Barcode TLMF Lep 25225 [failed]) ( NMPC); 1 J, La Marina, Platje el Pinet , 16.ix.2001, J. Wolschrijn leg. (gen. slide 155/20, OB) ( ZMUC); 1 ♀, same data as for preceding but 10.ix.2002 (gen. slide 136/20, OB) ( ZMUC). MURCIA: 1 J, 4 km S Aguilas Callarcone, 5.–6. vi.2003, H. van der Wolf leg. (gen. slide 5274, Hendriksen) ( ZMUC). ALMERIA: 1 J, Sierra de Alhamilla, route Huebro–Colotivi, 800–900 m, 29.iv.2008, J. Šumpich leg. (gen. prep. 23015, JŠ) ( NMPC); 1 J 2 ♀♀, 6 km SW Tabernas, Mini Hollywood , 400 m, 24.–25.ix.1994, H. van der Wolf leg. (gen. slide Wf 6071) ( ZMUC); 1 J 1 ♀, same data but 15.–16. ix.1995, H. van der Wolf leg. (gen. slide Wf 6081J; gen. slide 151/ 20♀, OB) ( RMNH); 2 ♀♀, Camping Capo de Gata, 8.–9.ix.1997, H. van der Wolf leg. ( RMNH); 1 ♀, El Pozo del Esparto, 10 m, 7.–8.iv.2008, P. Skou leg. (gen. slide 183/22, OB) ( ZMUC). GRANADA: 1 J, Baza, 110 km NE Granada, 7.x.1976, M. & W. Glaser leg. (gen. slide 96/22, OB) ( SMNK).

Diagnosis. This new species is characterised by its white head, thorax and white forewing mottled with light brown and with light brown markings in the cell, fold and under the costal margin. Ivanauskiella psamathias has similar wing pattern but looks darker, the brown suffusion is more developed, the apex is spotted with white, and its wingspan is larger (8.7–10.0 mm contrary to 6.0– 7.1 mm in I. nigripunctata sp. nov.). Ivanauskiella sutteri sp. nov. is similar in having predominantly white appearance, but it is more uniformly coloured without distinct brown markings. Ivanauskiella annekristinae sp. nov. differs in uniformly white segment 2 of the labial palpus and white forewing with large markings. A large number (about 25–30) of dense needle-shaped spines in vesica is characteristic for the male genitalia of I. nigripunctata sp. nov. In the female genitalia the transverse processes of the posterior signum are the most reliable diagnostic characters of this species.

Description. Adult ( Figs 16–22 ). Wingspan 6.0– 9.1 mm. Head white, thorax and tegulae covered with white to light grey, brown-tipped scales; segment 2 of labial palpus brown with white apex, inner surface almost white, segment 3 white with broad brown ring; scape of antenna light brown, flagellum light brown ringed with white; forewing light grey mottled with light brown, two brown spots in cell and two spots in fold, fringe grey, tipped with brown; hindwing grey.

Variability. Two specimens from Almeria collected in early spring, a male from Huebro (gen. prep. 23015, JŠ) and a female from El Pozo del Esparto (gen. slide 183/22, OB), are larger in wingspan (8.5–9.1 mm), greyish (not yellowish) with less distinct markings and the head is covered with grey scales (yellowish in other specimens). These specimens may represent the spring generation, whose specimens can be larger than those of the subsequent generations (personal observations in some other gelechiid species), and they can also differ slightly in external appearance. However, additional material is needed to clarify this assumption. In any case, we found no significant differences in the genitalia.

Male genitalia ( Figs 56–58 ). Uncus very slender from 1/3 to 3/4, apex strongly widened, rounded, extending to top of valva, posterior margin weakly serrate; tegumen subrectangular, slightly broader than medial portion of uncus; valva moderately broad, in middle twice as broad as uncus, gradually bent, top and base as broad as top of uncus; sacculus about half length of valva, as broad as valva in middle; vinculum short; saccus short, shape varying from triangular to almost U-shaped except for pointed apex; phallus with 25–30 dense needle-shaped spines, distal plate ovate.

Female genitalia ( Figs 77–79 ). Papilla analis subovate, covered with short hair-like setae; apophysis posterioris straight, as long as apophysis anterioris; segment VIII weakly sclerotised, subtrapezoidal, slightly broader than long; apophysis anterioris straight; ductus bursae gradually broadening anteriorly, colliculum with two short thorn-shaped sclerites, situated at 1/3 to 1/2 of ductus bursae; corpus bursae egg-shaped, signa paired: anterior one rounded to elongate plate, posterior one elongate plate with two short transverse processes.

Molecular data. BIN: BOLD:AAV7056. The intraspecific average distance of the barcode region is 0% (n = 2). The minimum distance to the nearest neighbour, Teleiopsis terebinthinella (Herrich-Schäffer, [1856]) , is 8.43% (p-dist). The mean distance to the only two hitherto successfully barcoded Ivanauskiella species is 11.62% ( I. limoniella sp. nov.) and 10.93% ( I. occitanica ) (cf. Table 1). In spite of the relatively high genetic distance from other species of Ivanauskiella we do not place it in another genus. One should take into account that the genetic distance between I. limoniella sp. nov. and I. occitanica is also quite high (7.75%, respectively 6.75% according to BOLD) and barcode data of most species of this genus are still not available.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin words ‘ punctum ʼ (= point, spot, speckle) and ‘ niger, - a, - um ʼ (= black), and refers to the black spots in the forewing which are characteristic for the new species; adjective.

Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults were observed from early April to early June and then from September to early October, probably in two generations. Most of the specimens from the type series were collected in salt marshes ( Fig. 89 ).

Distribution. Spain.

Figures

Figs 12–24.Adults of Ivanauskiella species. 12–15 – I. ainella (Chrétien, 1908): 12 – male, paratype, Algeria (gen. slide 139/20, OB); 13–15 – Morocco: 13 – male (gen. slide 180/22, OB); 14 – male (gen. slide 177/22, OB); 15 – female (gen. slide 187/22, OB). 16–22 – I. nigripunctata sp. nov., Spain: 16 – holotype, male; 17 – paratype, female (gen. slide 136/20, OB); 18 – paratype, male (gen. slide 135/20, OB); 19 – paratype, female (gen. slide 151/20, OB); 20 – paratype, male (gen. slide 18084, JŠ); 21 – paratype, male (gen. slide 23015, JS); 22 – paratype, female (gen. slide 183/22, OB). 23–24 – I. annekristinae sp. nov., males, France, Corsica, paratypes: 23 – gen. slide 137/20, OB; 24 – male.

Figs 55–59. Male genitalia of Ivanauskiella species. 55 – I. ainella (Chrétien, 1908), Morocco (gen. slide 180/22, OB). 56–58 – I. nigripunctata sp. nov.: 56 – paratype, Spain (gen. slide Wf 6081); 57 – paratype, Spain (gen. slide 156/20, OB); 58 – paratype, Spain (gen. slide 151/20, OB). 59 – I. annekristinae sp. nov., paratype, France, Corsica (gen. slide 137/20, OB).

Figs 76–77. Female genitalia of Ivanauskiella species. 76 – I. ainella (Chrétien, 1908), Morocco (gen. slide 178/22, OB). 77 – I. nigripunctata sp. nov., Spain, paratype (gen. slide 183/22, OB). a – colliculum (enlarged); b – signa (enlarged).

Figs 78–79. Female genitalia of Ivanauskiella nigripunctata sp. nov., Spain: 78 – paratype (gen. slide 136/20, OB); 79 – paratype (gen. slide 157/20, OB). a – colliculum (enlarged); b – signa (enlarged).

Figs 86–87. Female genitalia of Ivanauskiella albimarginata sp. nov. 86 – Iran (gen. slide 120/23, OB); 87 – Armenia (gen. prep. 23006, JŠ). a – colliculum (enlarged); b – posterior and anterior signa (enlarged).

Figs 88–92. Habitats of Ivanauskiella species. 88 – sands near Vedi in Armenia – habitat of I. albimarginata sp. nov.. 89 – rocky steppe near Tabernas in Spain – habitat of I. nigripunctata sp. nov.. 90 – coast near Pirovac in Croatia – habitat of I. occitanica (Nel & Varenne, 2013). 91–92 – habitats of I. limoniella sp. nov., Russia: 91 – southern Ural, steppe near Kidriasovo; 92 – Altai Mts, Kurai steppe near Kurai village.