Exaeretia indubitatella (Hannemann, 1971)

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 : 203

Exaeretia indubitatella (Hannemann, 1971) ( Figs 8–17 )

= Exaeretia fuscogriseella Hannemann, 1990 syn. nov.

Material examined. RUSSIA: ALTAI REPUBLIC: Kosh-Agach Distr., Ukok plateau, 18.vii.2001, 1 Ƌ (photo DEEUR 4538 P. Buchner), (Barcode TLMF Lep 19275), A. Bidzilya leg.; Belyashi (Dzhazator) env. (25 km NW), confluence of Argut and Karagem rivers, 49°51′56″N, 87°10′22″E, rocky steppe, 1400 m, 27.–28.vii.2017, 10 ƋƋ, J. Šumpich leg. ( NMPC); Belyashi env. (56 km SE), Dzhazator valley, 49°38′N, 88°12′E, mountain meadows near Tara river, 2300 m, 25.–26.vii.2017, 8 ƋƋ (Barcode NMPC- -LEP-0150), J. Šumpich leg.( NMPC); Kosh-Agach Distr., Kurai env.(6.5 km SW), 50°10′35″N, 87°53′55″E, grassy steppe, 1550 m, 30.vii.2017, 10 ƋƋ, J. Šumpich leg. ( NMPC); Beltir, 2.–3.vii.2014, 2 ƋƋ, M. Dvořák leg. ( NMPC); Kosh-Agach Distr., Chagan-Uzun env., Krasnaya Gorka hill, 50°05′00″N, 88°25′15″E, rocky steppe, 1870 m, 23.vii.2017, 1 Ƌ, J. Šumpich leg. ( NMPC). TUVA: 75 km NE of Kosh-Agach, Ak-Chol lake, 50°16′43″N, 89°36′44″E, rocky steppe, meadows, 2230 m, 2.–3.vii.2015, 14 ƋƋ (gen.prep. DEEUR 6228 P.Buchner), (Barcode TLMF Lep 23319), J. Šumpich & M. Dvořák leg. ( NMPC).

Molecular data. BIN BOLD: ADF0702 (n = 2, 1 public, 1 from Altai); BIN BOLD: ACS7483 (n = 14, 1 public, 5 from Altai, 1 from Tuva). The distance of the only public Altaic specimen in the first cluster ( BOLD: ADF0702) ( Fig. 10 ) from the specimens in the second cluster ( BOLD: ACS7483) ( Fig. 8 ) is 4.12% on average (maximum 4.70%), and that is why BOLD automatically assigned two BINs. The average intraspecific divergence of the barcode region within the second cluster ( BOLD: ACS7483) is only 0.82% (maximum 1.77%). Despite this difference in barcodes we did not find any difference in the genitalia, and therefore we classify all specimens as one species with the maximum intraspecific divergence of the barcode region of 4.70%.

Distribution. Russia, Mongolia, Afghanistan ( LVOVSKY 2013, LIU & WANG 2010). In Russia distributed only in southern Siberia. From the Altai first reported (without faunistic details) by LVOVSKY (2006) as E. fuscogriseella , and by LVOVSKY (2013) as E. indubitatella . The first exact faunistic records from the Altai were subsequently published by HUEMER et al. (2017). Records from China (Inner Mongolia) published by LIU & WANG (2010) most probably belong to Exaeretia kozhantshikovi Lvovsky, 2013, whose characteristic features of the forewings fully fit with the specimen photos presented in this paper. Also, the records from the Far East published as E. indubitatella ( LVOVSKY 2008) actually belong to this species (cf. LVOVSKY 2013).

Remark. Exaeretia indubitatella was described based on two specimens from Mongolia (12.viii.1965, Z. Kaszab leg., HNHM). In the description, the oblique black streak in R-Cu cell is highlighted. Male genitalia are compared with those of E. stramentella (Eversmann, 1844) [= E. culcitella (Herrich-Schäffer, 1854) ], which are in fact very similar; female genitalia were unknown to Hannemann.

Exaeretia fuscogriseella was described based on one male from Mongolia (without date, ex coll. C. S. Larsen, ZMUC) ( Figs 11, 15 ). In the description, the presence of two black dots in R-Cu cell is mentioned. There is no comparison of E. fuscogriseella with E. indubitatella , only with E. niviferella (Christoph, 1872) , which is difficult to understand, because E. indubitatella is much more similar both in genitalia and external appearance. It is likely that when Hannemann was describing E. fuscogriseella , he forgot to compare it with E. indubitatella , otherwise the description of E. fuscogriseella would never have occurred. Comparison of more specimens of E. indubitatella show distinctly larger variability in external appearance than the differences between the holotypes of E. indubitatella and E. fuscogriseella . The same situation was found in male genitalia ( Figs 14–16 ), but without the correlation between the external and genitalia differences, which is a clear indication of conspecifity, and thus we synonymise E. fuscogriseella with E. indubitatella . Barcode results also confirm this conclusion. Holotypes of E. indubitatella and E. fuscogriseella were successfully sequenced according to the NGS-protocol, and considering the age of these specimens with relatively good results: the holotype of E. indubitatella with 658[89n] bp long sequence, and the more than 100 year old holotype of E. fuscogriseella brought a 325[50n] bp sequence, both enough to show that at least this part of the barcode region is identical (Fig. 18).

Figures

Figs 8–17. Exaeretia indubitatella (Hannemann, 1971). 8–13 – variability of males: 8 – Russia, Altai Mts., Tabazhok River, 4.viii.2016, P. Huemer & B. Wiesmair leg. (TLMF); 9 – Russia, Altai Mts., Dzhazator, the confluence of Argut and Karagem rivers, 27.–28.vii.2017, J. Šumpich leg. (NMPC); 10 – Russia, Altai Mts., Dzhazator, Tara River, 25.–26.vii.2017, J. Šumpich leg. (NMPC); 11 – Mongolia, Sayan Mts., Arasagun-gol (ZMUC) (holotype of E. fuscogriseella Hannemann, 1990) (museum id. Hannemann Gu4885); 12 – Russia, Altai Mts., Seminskiy Pass, 6.vii.2013, H. Blackstein leg. (RCHB); 13 – Russia, S Ural, Amurskii vill., Arkaim Reserve, K. Nupponen leg. (RCKN). 14–16 – male genitalia: 14 – data as fig. 8; 15 – data as fig. 11 (holotype of E. fuscogriseella); 16 – Russia, Tuva, Ak-chol lake, 3.vii.2015, M. Dvořák leg. (NMPC); 17 – female genitalia, data as fig. 8.