Megacraspedus sumpichi, Huemer, Peter & Karsholt, Ole, 2018

Huemer, Peter & Karsholt, Ole, 2018, Revision of the genus Megacraspedus Zeller, 1839, a challenging taxonomic tightrope of species delimitation (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), ZooKeys 800, pp. 1-278 : 90-92

Megacraspedus sumpichi sp. n.

Examined material.

Holotype ♂, "HISP.Prov.d.Granada Sierra de Baza 1300 m 18.7.1987 leg.G. Baldizzone E.Traugott-Olsen" "P.Huemer GEL 1244 ♂" (TLMF). Paratypes. Spain. 2 ♂ prov. Alicante, 8 km N Albatera, 300 m, 28.iv.2008; 1 ♂, same data, but 5.v.2008; 5 ♂, 1 ♀, same data, but 4.viii.2010; 4 ♂, prov. Alicante, Santa Pola env., S of Balsares, salt marshes, 12.vi.2007, lg. J. Šumpich (all NMPC); 2 ♂, prov. Alicante, Rebate, 26.vi.1989, leg. B. Å Bengtsson, genitalia slide Bengtsson 3267 (RCBB, ZMUC); 1 ♂, prov. Alicante, 5 km NE El Campello, Buscot, 50 m, 2.v.1997, leg. P. Skou (ZMUC); 1 ♂, prov. Alicante, La Marina, 9-12.vi.2007, leg. A. Cox (ZMUC); 1 ♂, Almería, Capo de Gata, 23.vi.1989, leg. B. Å. Bengtsson (ZMUC); 1 ♂, prov. Almería, 10 km E Bedar, El Pinar, 325 m, 19-27.iv.2001, leg. P. Skou & B. Skule (ZMUC); 1 ♂, prov. Almería, El Pozo del Esparto, 10 m, 27.v.2006, leg. P. Skou (ZMUC); 1 ♂, prov. Almería, 1 km SW Tabernas, 370 m, 8.viii.2014, leg. J. Tabell (ZMUC); 1 ♂, prov. Almería, Sierra de Alhamilla, Huebro, 800-900 m, 29.iv.2008, leg. J. Sumpich; 2 ♂, prov. Almería, Sierra Cabrera, Mojácar env., El Agua del Medio, 50-150 m, 4.v.2008, leg. J. Sumpich; 1 ♂, prov. Almería, Tabernas env., Rambla de Tabernas 400 m, 3.viii.2010, leg. J. Šumpich (all NMPC); 1 ♂, prov. Almería, Sierra de Alhamilla, Nijar env., 560 m, 30.iv.2008, leg. Z. Tokár, genitalia slide GU 14/1382 Huemer (ZMUC); 16 ♂, 1 ♀, same data, but 13-14.vi.2007, leg. J. Šumpich (NMPC); 5 ♂, 3 ♀, prov. Almería, Sierra de Alhamilla, Turrillas env., route Colativi, 1000 m, 15-19.vi.2007, leg. J. Šumpich (NMPC);1 ♂, prov. Almería, Sierra de Alhamilla, 10 km N Nijar, 10.v.2014, leg. A. Stübner (ZSM); 3 ♂, 4 ♀, prov. Granada, Sierra del Chaparral, 900 m, 8-12.vii.2007, leg. G. Jeppesen, genitalia slides 6494 ♂, 6496 ♀ Hendriksen (TLMF, ZMUC); 2 ♂, prov. Granada, Moscaril, 500 m, 8-12.vii.2014, leg. G. Jeppesen, genitalia slide GU 15/1397 Huemer (TLMF, ZMUC); 3 ♂, prov. Granada, Benamaurel, 3-4.vi.2015, leg. H. Roweck & N. Savenkov; 1 ♂, prov. Alicante, Sierra de Crevillente, 400 m, 5.vi.2016, leg. H. Roweck & N. Savenkov (all ECKU); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, prov. Málaga, 3 km W Sedella, La Rahige, 650 m, 25.vii.2003, leg. P. Skou (ZMUC); 3 ♂, prov. Murcia, Sierra Espuña, 25.vi.1989, leg. B. Å. Bengtsson, genitalia slide Bengtsson 3269 (RCBB, ZMUC); 1 ♂, prov. Murcia, Mazzaron, Bolnuevo, 10 m, 25.v.1998, leg. P. Skou (ZMUC); 1 ♀, prov. Zaragoza, Mequinenza env., 80 m, 14.vii.2010, leg. Z. Tokár (RCZT).

Description.

Adult. Male (Figure 70). Wingspan 10-12 mm. Segment 2 of labial palpus with long scale brush, light brown on outer, lower and inner surface, white on upper surface; segment 3 white. Antennal scape without pecten; flagellum blackish brown, indistinctly ringed lighter. Head thorax and tegula whitish. Forewing light grey-brown with scattered black scales, especially along apical margins; costa white; fold and veins indistinctly white; a few black scales along termen; fringes grey. Hindwing light grey with whitish fringes.

Female (Figure 71). Similar to male.

Variation. There is some variation in the amount of grey-brown scales in the forewing. In specimens with many such scales the white veins look more distinct. Worn specimens become whitish.

Male genitalia (Figs 204-205). Uncus moderately slender, 1.5 times as long as maximum basal width, sub-ovate, gradually tapered to evenly rounded apex; gnathos hook slender, approximately 1.3 times length of uncus, weakly curved, with pointed apex; anterior margin of tegumen with deep and broadly rounded emargination, short ridges from anterior edge converging towards middle; pedunculi small, with additional sclerite; valva, straight, stout, extending beyond middle of uncus, apex rounded, saccular area densely covered with setae, without separated sacculus; posterior margin of vinculum with shallow emargination, indistinct lateral humps, vincular sclerites broadly sub-ovate, with weakly sclerotised posterior edge; saccus moderately short and broad, V-shaped, ratio maximum width to length nearly 1, posterior margin weakly bulged, with straight mediolateral projections, separated by shallow incision, medial part smooth, without sclerotised ridge, lateral sclerites approximately 0.7 times length of maximum width of saccus; phallus slightly shorter than tegumen, weakly curved medially, with bulbous coecum, distal three-fifths slender, with weakly rod-like sclerotisation ventrally, subapical area slightly contorted, ductus ejaculatorius with interior sclerotisation.

Female genitalia (Figure 279). Papilla analis small, apically rounded; apophysis posterior slender rod-like, approximately 2.1 mm long, with short, bifurcate posterior end; segment VIII approximately 0.7 mm long, membranous; subgenital plate with sub-triangular subostial sclerotisation, posteriorly extended into pointed sclerites delimiting sub-ovate ostium bursae, anterior margin with rod-like edge connected with apophysis anterior, medially with broadly sinusoid projection; apophysis anterior slen der, rod-like, slightly shorter than segment VIII, posteriorly becoming rod-like venula of segment VIII, extending to posterior margin; colliculum short, sclerotised; ductus bursae very short, gradually widened into oblong and weakly delimited corpus bursae, entire length of ductus and corpus bursae approximately 1.5 mm; signum small, spiny, transverse plate with strong lateral thorns.

Diagnosis.

Megacraspedus sumpichi sp. n. is characterised by its relatively small size, by the white head and the light grey-brown forewings without black dots and with white costa. It is very similar to M. dejectella (p 85). The male genitalia differ from related species particularly in the V-shaped and smooth saccus. The female genitalia are similar to those of M. lanceolellus (Figs 267-268) but differ in the much shorter apophysis posterior and the shorter sinusoid anteriomedial projection of segment VIII. From the more closely related M. dolosellus (Figs 271-274) they differ in the shorter apophysis anterior and posterior and the absence of large medial flaps, delimiting the ostium bursae.

Molecular data.

BIN BOLD:ACM1096 (n = 5). The intraspecific divergence of the barcode region is considerable with mean 1.7% and maximum divergence of 2.5%. The distance to the nearest neighbour M. cerussatellus is 11.4% (p-dist).

Distribution.

Southern Spain.

Biology.

Host plant and early stages are unknown. The adults have been collected from late April to early August at altitudes from sea level to 1300 m, indicating possible bivoltinism. Some specimens were collected in salt marshes.

Etymology.

The species name (a noun in the genitive case) is dedicated to Jan Šumpich, Czech Republic, who collected part of the type series and numerous other Megacraspedus specimens used for our study.