Metzneria freidbergi, Bidzilya & Karsholt & Kravchenko & Šumpich, 2019

Bidzilya, Oleksiy, Karsholt, Ole, Kravchenko, Vasiliy & Šumpich, Jan, 2019, An annotated checklist of Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera) of Israel with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4677 (1), pp. 1-68 : 39

Metzneria freidbergi sp. nov.

Type material. Holotype ♂, Israel, Mt. Hermon , 2000 m, 22.v.1973 (Freidberg) (gen. slide 134/18, O. Bidzilya) ( TAU) . Paratypes: 1 ♂, same data as holotype ; 2 ♂, 2ex (abdomen missing), same data as holotype but ex. Cousinia hermonis , 1.vi. [1973] (gen. slide 137/18. O. Bidzilya) ( TAU, ZMKU) .

Diagnosis. Light brown forewing with extensive grey pattern along veins and with three distinct black markings are characteristic for the new species. Other species of Metzneria lack distinct black markings ( M. lappella Zeller, 1839 , M. neuropterella Zeller, 1839 ) or are smaller in size ( M. santolinella ( Amsel, 1936) , M. intestinella (Mann, 1864) and others). The male genitalia are recognized by two long and two short cornuti in the phallus in combination with the rounded sacculus. M. ehikeella and M. diamondi Amsel, 1949 are similar in the shape of valva and sacculus but have only two long cornuti in the phallus. M. lappella (Linnaeus, 1758) has usually 4-5 cornuti of subequal length.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 33 ). Wingspan 21.8-23.0 mm. Head and labial palpus yellow-brown, segment 2 mottled with grey on outer side, segment 3 with dark brown medial ring, scape light brown, antennal segments ringed light brown and dark; thorax light brown with dark brown medial line; ground colour of forewing light brown, veins, fold, termen and costal and dorsal margins mottled with grey, black dot in the end of fold near dorsal margin, another black touch in middle and black spot in the corner of cell, cilia grey brown-tipped; hindwing grey.

Male genitalia ( Figs 34, 35 ). Uncus short, broadly rounded; gnathos absent; tegumen trapezoid, anterior margin twice as long as posterior margin; valva narrow, broadened at 3/4 length, dorso-caudal corner rounded, inner margin nearly straight, outer margin curved, apex with pointed tip; sacculus rounded, narrowed apically; saccus triangular; phallus about three times as long as broad, apex elongated, pointed or truncate distally, laterally with sclerotized plate covered with spines, vesica with two long thorn-shaped and two short needle-shaped cornuti.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Biology. Larvae feed on Cousinia libanotis DC. (as C. hermonis ). Adults were recorded from late May to early June at an altitude of 2000 m.

Distribution. Israel: Hermon Mountain.

Etymology. The new species is named after the collector of the type series, Dr. Amnon Freidberg, a well-known Israeli dipterist and enthusiastic collector of insects all over the world, curator of insect collection during many years in the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Israel National Center for Biodiversity Studies and Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University.

Figures

FIGS 31–32. Oxypteryx immaculatella Dgl. 31. Adult, ♂. 32. Male genitalia (gen. slide 124/18. O. Bidzilya). FIGS 33–35. Metzneria freidbergi sp. n. 33. Adult, holotype, ♂ (gen. slide 134/18, O. Bidzilya). 34. Male genitalia, paratype (gen. slide 137/18, O. Bidzilya), 34a. Phallus (enlarged). 35. Male genitalia, holotype (gen. slide 124/18, O. Bidzilya). 35a. Phallus (enlarged).