Megacraspedus glaberipalpus, 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 : 121-122

Megacraspedus glaberipalpus sp. n.

Examined material.

Holotype ♂, "Maroc, Haut Atlas, Toubkal Massif Tamatert near Imlil above Tamatert 27.vii.2008, leg. A. Steiner, 2400 m, 31°9'N, 7°53'W A. Steiner leg." (ZMUC). Paratypes. Morocco. 3 ♂, same data as holotype, but genitalia slide GEL 1245 P. Huemer (TLMF, ZMUC); 1 ♂, High Atlas, Toubkal Massif, Oukaïmeden area, piste Oukaïmeden, Tizi-n-Eddi, 2815 m, 28.vii.2008, leg. A. Steiner (ZMUC); 1 ♂, High Atlas, Oukaïmeden, 2400 m, 7-17.vi.1965, leg. Y. de Lajonquière (SMNK); 2 ♂, 1 ♀, High Atlas, 4 km E Oukaïmeden, 2200m, 10.vii.1975, leg. F. Kasy, genitalia slides Mus. Vind. 16.665 ♂, Mus. Vind. 16.666 ♀ (NHMW); 2 ♂, High Atlas, prov. Al Haouz, Imlil, 1680 m, 30.vi.2016, leg. J. Tabell, genitalia slide GEL 1252 P. Huemer (TLMF, ZMUC); 1 ♂, Middle Atlas, Ifrane, 5-10.vii.1972, leg. F. Hahn (ZSM).

Description.

Adult. Male (Figs 98). Wingspan 13-17 mm. Segment 2 of labial palpus without scale brush, cream-white, mottled with blackish brown on lower, outer and inner surface; segment 3 about same length as segment 2, white. Antennal scape without pecten; flagellum blackish brown, indistinctly lighter ringed. Head cream white; thorax and tegula as forewing. Forewing light yellowish mottled with blackish brown scales, especially at base of costa and in apical area; fold yellow with a black spot; a black spot at end of cell; fringes grey with darker fringe line. Hindwing grey with yellowish grey fringes.

Female (Figure 99). Wingspan 11 mm. Segment 2 of labial palpus cream-yellow, mottled with blackish brown on outer surface. Forewing yellowish with only a few black scales. Hindwing more slender than forewing. Otherwise similar to male.

Variation. The amount blackish brown scales on the forewing varies, giving the wing either a yellowish or light brownish appearance. There is quite a large variation in the wingspan.

Male genitalia (Figs 226-227). Uncus large, broad, approximately 1.7 times as long as maximum basal width, distal part slightly tapered to evenly rounded apex; gnathos hook slender, about length of uncus, slightly curved, apically pointed; anterior margin of tegumen with deep emargination; pedunculi large, suboval, with additonal ridge; valva slender, nearly straight, basally about two-thirds width of uncus base, gradually narrowing to contorted, rounded apical part, extending to about middle of uncus; sacculus short to moderately long, digitate; posterior margin of vinculum with distinct medial emargination, weakly rounded lateral humps, vincular sclerites broadly sub-rectangular, with strongly sclerotised posterior edge; saccus V-shaped, medially weakly bulged, apical third strongly tapered, ratio maximum width to length approximately 0.8, posterior margin with sinusoid mediolateral projections, separated by deep incision, medial part with short, anteriorly forked ridge, lateral sclerites slender, about length of maximum width of saccus; phallus with bulbous coecum, distal two-thirds gradually tapered, weakly S-curved, dorsal and ventral zones sclerotised, a short sclerotised ridge with longitudinal row of about four small teeth subapically on ventral surface, ductus ejaculatorius with broad and elongated sclerotisation.

Female genitalia (Figure 288). Papilla analis medium-sized, apically rounded; apophysis posterior slender rod-like, approximately 3.5 mm long, with short, bifurcate posterior end; segment VIII approximately 1.3 mm long, membranous; subgenital plate with sub-triangular subostial sclerotisation, posteriorly extended into long pointed sclerites, medial flaps delimiting ostium bursae, anterior margin with rod-like edge connected with apophysis anterior, medially with broad and long sinusoid projection; apophysis anterior 1.9 mm, slender, rod-like, distinctly shorter than segment VIII, posteriorly becoming rod-like venula of segment VIII, extending to posterior margin, posterior end with sclerotised broader zone; colliculum moderately long, sclerotised; ductus bursae short, moderately broad; corpus bursae suboval, weakly delimited from ductus bursae, entire length of ductus and corpus bursae approximately 2.5 mm; signum large, sub-triangular plate with strong spines.

Diagnosis.

Megacraspedus glaberipalpus sp. n. is characterised by its light yellow to brownish forewings with two black spots. It is unique in Megacraspedus by the absence of a scale brush at segment 2 of the labial palpi. It otherwise resembles M. steineri sp. n. (Figure 131), but that species has a long scale brush on segment 2 of the labial palpi and three black spots on the forewing. The male genitalia are unmistakable due to the sacculus, the shape of the saccus and the phallus. From the somewhat similar M. gredosensis sp. n. (Figs 175-176) they are e.g., separable by the broader uncus and the very different shape of the phallus. The female genitalia are in particular characterised by the broad posterior end of the apophysis anterior and the strong spines of the signum.

Molecular data.

BIN BOLD:ADF1285 (n = 1). The distance to the nearest neighbour, an unidentified Spilomelinae in BOLD, is 9.3%, the distance to the nearest congeneric species M. cerussatellus is 10.8% (p-dist).

Distribution.

Morocco (High Atlas).

Biology.

Host plant and early stages are unknown. The adults have been collected from the first half of June until late July at altitudes from ca. 1700 m to ca. 2800 m.

Etymology.

The species name is derived from combining of the Latin words glaber (= hairless or smooth) and palpus, referring to segment 2 of the labial palpi being without a scale brush. The name is a noun in apposition.