Agonopterix kyzyltashensis, Buchner & Šumpich, 2020

Buchner, Peter & Šumpich, Jan, 2020, Depressariidae (Lepidoptera) of the Russian Altai Mountains: new species, new records and updated checklist, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 60 (1), pp. 201-244 : 213-217

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.37520/aemnp.2020.013
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8B1A2630-FD4F-4592-9116-BAE629B235F4
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/CE1DC375-E333-FFF1-EC72-DBDDFC2CBC5F
treatment provided by	Tatiana
scientific name	Agonopterix kyzyltashensis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Agonopterix kyzyltashensis sp. nov.

( Figs 48–55 View Figs 48–53 View Figs 54–60 , 61–63 View Figs 61–69 )

Type material. HOLOTYPE: Ƌ ( NMPC), RUSSIA: ALTAI REPUBLIC: Chagan-Uzun env., Krasnaya Gorka hill, 50°05′00″N, 88°25′15″E, rocky steppe, 1870 m, 29.vii.2017, J. Šumpich leg., gen. prep. DEEUR 7751 GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: RUSSIA: CHELYABINSKAYA DISTRICT: Nikolaevka, 52.23°N, 57.16°E, 3.vii.1997, 1 Ƌ (barcode TLMF Lep 19231), gen.prep. DEEUR 4587, L. P. Kaitila leg. ( RCLK). ORENBURG DISTRICT: Malaja Hobda river, Shkunovka, 50.77°N, 55.37°E, 1.ix.2000, 1 Ƌ (Barcode TLMF Lep 19250), 1 ♀, gen. prep. DEEUR 4596 (♀) and DEEUR 4597 (Ƌ), K. Nupponen leg. ( RCKN); Schibendy valley, 20 km south Prokrovka, 50.67°N, 54.45°E, 2.vii.2003, 1 Ƌ, photo DEEUR 6477, K. Nupponen leg. ( RCKN); Verbljushka Mt. near Donskoe village, 51.38°N, 56.82°E, 30.viii.2011, 1 Ƌ (Barcode TLMF Lep 07116), gen. prep. DEEUR 1048, Ľ. Srnka leg. ( RCLS); Guberlja, 51.29°N, 58.18°E, 14.vii.2015, 1 ♀, photo DEEUR 4296, H. Roweck & N. Savenkov leg. ( ECKU). KYRGYZSTAN: Tien-Shan mts., Baydulu range, Dolon pass, 2835 m, 41.83°N, 75.79°E, 5.viii.2010, 1 Ƌ (barcode TLMF Lep 19339), gen.prep. DEEUR 4661, K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg. ( RCKN).

Description. Adult ( Figs 48–53 View Figs 48–53 ). Wingspan 20–24 mm. Head warm medium brown, face light greyish brown. Segment 2 of labial palp pale yellowish brown on inner side, speckled dark brownish grey ventrally and on outer side, segment 3 pale yellowish with fleshy tinge, completely without dark scales or a few at very tip. Antenna blackish. Thorax medium yellowish brown with diffuse darker longitudinal line in middle in anterior half, becoming generally darker towards anterior and lateral edges, with orange tinge at anterior edge, posterior crest absent, colour of tegulae similar to head and thorax. Forewing medium warm brown, with scattering of dark fuscous scales in low numbers, becoming more numerous distally. Basal field similar to ground colour; costa with blackish dot at base; costal spots indistinct or absent; terminal spots blackish; blackish dot in cell at 1/3, another at end of cell at about 3/5, both small with diameter of about 0.20–0.25 mm, without white elements; dark fuscous to blackish stripe from close to base of dorsum to first cell spot gradually fading along its length, forming distinct stripe parallel to costa with width of about 1/5 of forewing width ( Fig. 48a View Figs 48–53 ); another longitudinal stripe is developed in dorsal third, originating at 1/4 with width of about 1/5 of forewing width, it extends to 2/5, here it becomes a little weaker or even interrupted ( Fig. 48b View Figs 48–53 ), then it extends by becoming slightly broader to 3/5–2/3 where it again becomes weaker or even interrupted ( Fig. 48c View Figs 48–53 ), and it continues by becoming distinctly broader and reaches half of forewing width before it ends subterminally, only along veins dark elements nearly reach termen ( Fig. 48d View Figs 48–53 ); fringe dark greyish brown, basal row of fringe scales with paler tips, forming distinct fringe line; underside brownish grey, with concentration of darker brown scales near basal half of costa, termen with small blackish interneural dots. Hindwing greyish brown, little darker towards termen, veins contrasting by being darker; fringe similar to ground colour, rather dark grey in distal half of hindwing, with one distinct fringe line. Underside medium greyish, darker along costa, with distinct blackish interneural dots. Abdomen light yellowish grey on upperside, light brown with 2 distinct dark lateral lines on underside. Legs covered with mix of pale yellowish and dark grey scales, but tibia and tarsus of fore- and midlegs predominantly dark grey.

Variation. The dark fuscous to blackish fascia from basal field to basal dot and the longitudinal stripe in dorsal third show some variation in width and intensity; also the number of fuscous scales scattered through the pale ground colour varies ( Fig. 52 View Figs 48–53 ).

Male genitalia ( Figs 54–55 View Figs 54–60 ). Socii medium-sized, broadly elliptic, 0.5–0.6 mm wide and 0.6 mm long, uncus triangular, indistinct, gnathos narrowly elliptic, medium-sized, 0.2 mm wide and 0.5 mm long, overtopping socii in standard preparation by about third of its length. Transtilla narrow, not widened medially with width of about 0.05–0.06 mm, transtilla lobes semi-elliptic, 0.3 mm wide and 0.2–0.3 mm long, gap between them 0.15–0.20 mm. Anellus medium-sized, round, length/width 0.6/ 0.6 mm, gap to transtilla 0.2 mm, caudal margin with distinct elliptic bulge towards transtilla on either side and 0.20–0.25 mm deep V-shaped central incision in between, filled with thin membrane, anellus lobes medium-sized, elliptic, with distinct bulge towards transtilla which gives them semicordate appearance, length 0.4–0.5 mm, width 0.20–0.25 mm. Valva about 2.3 mm long, 1.0– 1.1 mm broad at base, tapering to about 0.9 mm at origin of cuiller, then widening a little before evenly tapering to its tip. Cuiller of medium width with about 0.1 mm diameter in its middle, slightly tapering in distal half, slightly to moderately outcurved in its middle (15–40°), distal half straight, ending about 0.2 mm before costa of valva. Aedeagus 1.3–1.4 mm long, in lateral view bent (50–55°), diameter 0.2 mm except for somewhat swollen basal part, where it reaches 0.3 mm, sclerotised basal parts with total length of about 0.5 mm, free section about 0.2 mm, in ventral view about as wide as in lateral view, tapering to sharp tip in its terminal 1/4, free part of basal sclerotisation 0.2 mm wide at its base, expanding to 0.3 mm and terminating with shallow V-shaped excavation. Vesica (uneverted) with numerous tiny cornuti in group of about 1/3 of aedeagus length.

Female genitalia ( Figs 61–63 View Figs 61–69 ). Papilla analis about 1.1–1.2 mm long and 0.6 mm broad in lateral view, posterior apophysis 1.6–1.7 mm. Sternite VIII 0.7 mm long, maximum width 1.8–2.0 mm in standard preparation, anterior apophysis 1.0– 1.1 mm. Proximal edge of sternite VIII evenly concave, with 0.20–0.25 mm long fold on either side, may be rather thick in its middle with width up to 0.05 mm, but appearance also depends on preparation details, distance between inner ends of folds 0.15–0.20 mm. Ostium slightly distal to middle of sternite VIII, round with diameter of about 0.3 mm, area of stronger sclerotisation between ostium and distal edge of sternite VIII. Ductus bursae starting with width of about 0.1–0.3 mm without distinct structures apart from numerous tiny dots, after about 1.0 mm the tiny dots disappear and ductus widens up to 0.5 mm, showing rather rough irregular folds, after another about 1.0 mm it slightly constricts and irregular folds get tighter, and again after about 1.0– 1.5 mm it widens to corpus bursa with length/width ratio of about 2/1 and length up to 3 mm, signum elliptic with longitudinal/transverse expansion of 0.2/ 0.6 mm with about 15–20 triangular teeth, in longitudinal axis narrow process on either side can be developed or not. Origin of ductus spermathecae very close to ostium and ending with about 6–8 turns. Although width and details of structure of ductus and corpus bursae reflect life history, especially whether the specimen has mated or not, the division of ductus bursae into 3 different sections is distinct, but it is not an exclusive feature of this species as it is found in most species of the Agonopterix pallorella group, further details see in Differential diagnosis.

Differential diagnosis. Externally, the new species is very distinct due to the dark longitudinal stripe in rear half of forewing, which tends to be divided in 3 sections and with width increasing from base to termen ( Figs 48, 52–53 View Figs 48–53 ). Only some forms of A. pallorella (Zeller, 1839) may be similar with a risk of confusion if the specimens are not in good condition, but here the dark longitudinal stripe is restricted to basal 2/3 of forewing ( Figs 70–71 View Figs 70–77 ) and genitalia of both sexes are clearly different. In A. kaekeritziana (Linnaeus, 1767) the dark elements are mixed with rusty brown and more or less restricted to a spot distal to the dot at the end of cell ( Fig. 73 View Figs 70–77 ), rarely the dark elements are extended, but always with a clear concentration distal to the cell dot ( Fig. 72 View Figs 70–77 ); genitalia are similar in males and barely separable in females. In A. pullella Hannemann, 1971 ( Figs 74–75 View Figs 70–77 ), forewings show warm medium brown to dark brown ground colour with groups of darker scales forming irregular narrow transverse bands but longitudinal dark stripes are absent, so external appearance is very different from A. kyzyltashensis but genitalia are not separable. Agonopterix straminella (Staudinger, 1870) is a further species with nearly inseparable genitalia but its forewing appearance is clearly different with yellowish ground colour without longitudinal dark elements ( Figs 76–77 View Figs 70–77 ).

Male genitalia of the new species are inseparable from those of A. pullella ( Figs 56–57 View Figs 54–60 ). In cases of doubt diagnosis must be based on external appearance. Agonopterix straminella ( Fig. 59 View Figs 54–60 ) also shows very similar male genitalia, in the specimens that could be compared only the shape of the basal process of aedeagus is clearly different in being much longer and its ending not convex in A. straminella , but it is not known whether this feature is reliable in all cases. Agonopterix kaekeritziana ( Fig. 60 View Figs 54–60 ) usually differs in cuiller being slightly S-curved, although the shape of cuiller is variable within this species and specimens where it is only outcurved can be found, but they are rare and in combination with external appearance a safe determination should be possible. Agonopterix pallorella , where some forms can be rather similar to A. kyzyltashensis externally, has cuiller with triangular swelling in the apical half ( Fig. 58 View Figs 54–60 ), which separates it clearly from all the other species of the A. pallorella group.

Female genitalia of A. pallorella , which is externally the most similar species within this group, are safely separable by the absence of folds on the proximal edge of sternite VIII and the presence of an oblique fold on either side of ostium ( Figs 64, 68–69 View Figs 61–69 [red arrows]), while in A. kyzyltashensis the folds lateral to the ostium are absent, but a pair of folds is developed near the middle of the proximal edge of sternite VIII ( Figs 61–63, 66–67 View Figs 61–69 [red arrows]). If these structures are used for determination it should be kept in mind that they are not distinct sclerotisations, and also the term “fold” is not strictly correct, it would be better to call them gullies, ditches or pits. When compressed, these structures may become folds and therefore more distinct than before, but sometimes they become smooth and then they may be nearly invisible. Despite this disadvantage, these structures are very helpful features to distinguish Agonopterix species by female genitalia, because sometimes this area is the only one with clear differences between the species.

Molecular data. BIN BOLD: ACF7591 (n = 3, 1 public, 0 from Altai). The average intraspecific divergence of the barcode region is 0.51% (maximum 0.76%).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Altaic name of the collecting place (Kyzyltash = Krasnaya Gorka in Russian = Red Mountain in English); adjective.

Biology. Food plant unknown so far, but with all species of the A. pallorella group feeding on Asteraceae , it is likely this is also the case with A. kyzyltashensis .

Distribution. Russia (southern Ural: Chelyabinskaya and Orenburg districts; the Altai Republic), Kyrgyzstan (Tien-Shan Mts.).