Ivanauskiella psamathias ( Meyrick, 1891 )

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 : 139-145

Ivanauskiella psamathias ( Meyrick, 1891)

( Figs 8–11 , 53 , 75 )

Apodia psamathias Meyrick, 1891: 56 . TL: Algeria, Biskra

Aristotelia psamathias ( Meyrick, 1891) : CLARKF (1969: 302) Ivanauskiella psamathias ( Meyrick, 1891) : PlSKUNOv (1990: 309)

Type material examined. LFCTOTYPF: J, ALGERIA: ‘ Biskra,Algeria, 21/4/90 | Apodia psamathias Meyr. , Holotype, J | Meyrick Coll. B.M. 1938-290 | Type | Lectotype | J genitalia on slide 19.ii.1949, J.F.G.C. 9056 | Slide NHMUK 010316668ʼ ( NHMUK).

Additional material examined. ALGERIA: 1 J, ‘ Biskra, [18]97, St[au]d[in]g[er].ʼ (gen. slide 297/20J, OB) ( MfN). TUNISIA: 6 JJ 5 ♀♀, “Mauritania”, Tunesia-Sud, Oasis Tozeur, 28.iv.–11.v.1981, M. & W. Glaser leg. (gen. slide 323/ 19♀, 5/20J, 24/20J, 97/22J, 98/ 22♀, OB) ( SMNK); 12 JJ 28 ♀♀, Nefta area, 1.–4.v.1988, O. Karsholt leg. (gen. slides 4706, 4707 Hendriksen) ( NMPC, ZMKU, ZMUC); 9 JJ, 3 specimens without abdomen, 5 km W Douz, 17.–18.iv.1984, K. Mikkola leg. (gen. slides Hk5534, Hk5444, Hk5547, Hk5548, Hk5549; 5425 OK) ( MZHF, ZMUC); 1 specimen without abdomen, 1 km W. Douz, 19.iv.1984, K. Mikkola leg. ( MZHF).

Diagnosis. Ivanauskiella psamathias is distinctive by having light, greyish-brown forewing with three distinct dark spots in cell, one in fold and two below basal 1/3 of costal margin. Ivanauskiella nigripunctata sp. nov. is similar but smaller (6.5–7.7 mm in wingspan). 3–5 large thorn-shaped and a few small spine-like cornuti in vesica in combination with narrow saccus are characteristic for the male genitalia. Other species of the genus have more, but smaller cornuti. In the female genitalia both signa are rounded and densely covered with short thorns.

Redescription. Adult ( Figs 8–11 ). Wingspan 8.7–10.0 mm. Head, thorax and tegulae covered with white brown-tipped scales, frons white; labial palpus upcurved, segment 2 brown with white basal and apical ring, segment 3 white with brown subapical ring; scape of antenna light brown with base and apex white, flagellum light brown ringed with white; forewing covered with white brown-tipped scales, two distinct brown spots in cell and two spots in fold surrounded with white, indistinct brown spots under 1/3 of costal margin and diffuse white tornal and costal spots at 3/ 4 in some specimens, fringe white, brown tipped; hindwing white.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 53 ). Uncus slender from base to 2/3, then strongly widened towards triangular apex, extending to top of valva, posterior margin weakly serrate; tegumen subrectangular; valva comparatively broad, in middle twice as broad as medial portion of uncus, dorsal margin straight, ventral margin bent, apical 1/3 as broad as top of uncus; sacculus about half length and as broad as valva in middle; vinculum short; saccus very slender, pointed; phallus with 3–5 elongate, needle-shaped and 5–7 very small thorn-shaped spines, distal plate large, of irregular shape.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 75 ). Papilla analis subovate, covered with short hair-like setae and strong basal setae; apophysis posterioris slightly longer than apophysis anterioris; segment VIII weakly sclerotised, subtrapezoidal, slightly broader than long; apophysis anterioris straight; ductus bursae of even width except for gradually broadened anterior portion, colliculum at 1/2 of ductus bursae with one large thorn-shaped sclerite; corpus bursae ovate, both signa rounded serrate plates: anterior one larger than posterior one.

Molecular data. No barcode available.

Biology. Early stages and host-plant unknown. The specimens from Tunisia were collected at light in a semi-desert habitat.

Distribution. The species is restricted to North-West Africa: Algeria and Tunisia (MFYRlCK 1891, CARADIA 1920). Records from Europe and Asia should be referred either to I. turkmenica or I. limoniella sp. nov. or I. occitanica (details under those species). ‘Mauretaniaʼ on the labels on some specimens refers to an old concept of Mauretania, covering all of North-West Africa.

Remarks. Apodia psamathias was described based on two males collected in April 1890 at the oasis of Biskra, Algeria. CLARKF (1969: 302, figs 1–1b) designated one specimen as lectotype and provided a monochrome photographs of the left wings, phallus and ventral view of the male genitalia of this specimen. Photographs of the lectotype in high resolution and a slide of its genitalia have been examined by authors and compared with specimens from Tunisia. Despite the lectotype looking more unicoloured with less distinct spots in the fold, its wing pattern with characteristic markings in the cell corner and apex spotted with white match well ‘fresher ʼ specimens collected in Tunisia. Four large thorn-shaped cornuti in the vesica of the lectotype of A. psamathias also justify its conspecificity with specimens from Tunisia.

Figures

Figs 2–11. Adults of Ivanauskiella species. 2–3 – I. sutteri sp. nov., Crete: 2 – holotype, female (gen. slide 165/20, OB); 3 – paratype, male (gen. slide 6630, R. Sutter). 4–7 – I. bovis sp. nov., Morocco: 4 – holotype, female (gen. slide 164/20, OB); 5 – paratype, female (gen. slide 132/20, OB); 6 – paratype, male (gen. slide 131/20, OB); 7 – paratype, male. 8–11 – I. psamathias (Meyrick, 1891): 8 – lectotype, male, Algeria (gen. slide J.F.G.C. 9056); 9 – male, Tunisia (gen. slide 5/20, OB); 10 – female, Tunisia (gen. slide 98/22, OB); 11 – male, Tunisia (gen. slide 24/20, OB).

Figs 51–54. Male genitalia of Ivanauskiella species. 51 – I. sutteri sp. nov., paratype, Greece, Crete (gen. slide 6630, R. Sutter). 52 – I. bovis sp. nov., Morocco, paratype (gen. slide 131/20, OB). 53 – I.psamathias (Meyrick, 1891), Tunisia (gen. slide 24/20, OB).54 – I. ainella (Chrétien, 1908):paratype, Algeria (gen. slide 139/20, OB).

Figs 74–75. Female genitalia of Ivanauskiella species. 74 – I. bovis sp. nov., paratype (gen. slide 132/20, OB); 75 – I. psamathias (Meyrick, 1891), Tunisia (gen. slide 323/19, OB). a – colliculum (enlarged); b – signum (enlarged).