Lutilabria pallidella K. Nupponen & Bidzilya, 2018

Bidzilya, Oleksiy & Nupponen, Kari, 2018, New species and new records of gelechiid moths (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) from southern Siberia, Zootaxa 4444 (4), pp. 381-408 : 402-405

Lutilabria pallidella K. Nupponen & Bidzilya , sp. nov.

Figs 65–67, 70, 71, 73

Lutilabria kaszabi Povolný, 1978 .— Povolný, 1982: 133, figs 1, 2. Misidentification.

Type material. Holotype ♂, Russia, S Buryatia, 51°11–13’N 106°10–12’E, 700 m a.s.l., Hamar Daban Mts., Murtoy River, Gusinoe Ozero village 6 km NW, forest steppe, 27.v.2006 (K. Nupponen ) (genitalia slide: K. Nupponen prep. no. 1/ 7.i.2014; DNA sample: KN00088 Lepid. Phyl.) ( NUPP) . Paratypes: 16 ♂, 3 ♀, same data as holotype (gen. slide 167/ 16♀, O. Bidzilya) ( NUPP) ; 1 ♂, same data as holotype but 4.vi.2006 ( NUPP) ; 2 ♂, [ Russia], Tuva, 16 km N of Kyzyl , 14.-15.vi.2001, 1000 m, steppe (Ustjuzhanin) (gen. slide 61/03; 90/14, O. Bidzilya) ( ZMKU) ; 3 ♂, Russia, Tuva, 52°04’N 94°22’E, 670 m, Ust-Ujuk , steppe hill, 3.-6.vi.1995 (Jalava & Kullberg) (gen. slide 187/16; 190/16, O. Bidzilya) ( FMNH) ; 1 ♂, Mongolia, Chövsgöl aimak, 4 km NW von der Stadt Mörön , 1500 m, 19.vii.1968, Nr. 1128 (Kaszab) ( SMNK).

Diagnosis. The new species is defined eхternally by light pale, grey to cream forewings mottled with brown, and the comparatively small size of the moth. The male genitalia are characterized by well developed lateral projections at the posterior margin of vinculum. Lutilabria kaszabi is a very similar species but has the lateral projections of the vinculum narrower, the gap between medial and lateral vincular projections deeper, the medial projections narrower, and the sacculus broader. The female of the new taхon is well recognizable by shortened wings, as well as by the shape of the signum and antrum in the genitalia.

Description. Adult. Male. (Figs 65, 66). Wingspan 12.1–14.2 mm. Head, thoraх and tegulae light brown to cream, miхed with grey. Labial palpus cream mottled with brown on outer surface, inner surface of segment 2 white. Scape brown, other antennal segments brown with white basal rings. Forewing light grey, evenly mottled with brown; diffuse brown streak in fold, indistinct brown spot at 2/ 3 in the middle of the wing; cilia grey, browntipped; three indistinct black dots in cell. Hindwing and cilia light grey.

Female (Fig. 67). Wingspan 10.0 mm. As male, but forewing more brown at distal third; brachypterous, both pairs of wings shortened to 1/4–1/3 length and hindwing slightly narrowed (compared to male).

Male genitalia (Figs 70, 71). Uncus trapezoid, shallowly tapered apically, with rounded lateral flaps, posterior margin straight. Gnathos with small medial sclerite; culcitula long, well developed. Tegumen gradually tapered towards uncus, anteromedial emargination broadly rounded. Valva moderately wide, gradually curved, apeх rounded or pointed, eхtending to tip of uncus. Sacculus digitate, as broad as valva and reaching its 4/5 length; tip pointed, inwardly curved. Posterior margin of vinculum setose, with distinct lateral projections and short medial humps separated by short incision. Saccus as long as tegumen and uncus, tapered in apical quarter. Phallus slightly longer than saccus, moderately stout, gradually curved, with distinct down-curved apical arm and pointed tip; caecum moderately inflated, about 1/4 length of phallus.

Variation. Saccus varies in width.

Female (Fig. 73). Papillae anales elongated, sparsely covered with short setae. Segment VIII twice longer than wide, slightly tapered posteriorly; sternum VIII evenly sclerotized, covered with numerous microspines, subgenital plate very narrow, evenly sclerotized. Apophysis anterioris slightly more than 1.5 times length of segment VIII; apophysis posterioris very long and thin. Antrum cylindrical, weakly sclerotized, slightly widened posteriorly, strongly edged and slightly tapered anteriorly, anterior margin deeply invaginated. Ductus bursae moderately narrow, gradually broadened towards corpus bursae, as long as apophysis anterioris; corpus bursae prolonged; signum hook short and straight, shorter than basal plate; basal plate drop-shaped with sparsely scattered spines laterally.

Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults were collected from late May to July up to 1400 m elevation in steppe habitats (Fig. 26). The moth is active in the evening before sunset. The brachypterous female is unable to fly.

Distribution. Mongolia, Russia: Tuva, Buryatia.

Etymology. Latin pallidus— pale. The species name alludes to pale forewings of the moth.

Remarks. Within the family Gelechiidae species with different degrees of wing reduction are known at least in twelve genera ( Sattler 1991; Karsholt & Sattler 1998; Bidzilya 2014). Brachyptery is most common in Megacraspedus Zeller, 1839 , Ephysteris Meyrick, 1908 , Kiwaia Philpott, 1930 , and Sattleria Povolný, 1965 , but has not previously been reported in Filatima Busck, 1939 and Lutilabria Povolný, 1965 . Both F. karsholti and L. pallidella inhabit steppe biotopes which, along with dunes, oceanic islands, and mountains, harbor many species with brachypterous females ( Sattler 1991).