Elachista titanella Kaila & Jalava

Kaila, Lauri, 2007, A taxonomic revision of the Elachista bedellella (Sircom) complex (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae: Elachistinae), Zootaxa 1629, pp. 1-25 : 7

Elachista titanella Kaila & Jalava , stat. n.

( Figs. 7, 8 , 21 , 34–37 , 58 E, F)

Elachista coeneni ssp. titanella Kaila & Jalava, 1994: 100

Material studied. Type material: Holotype, ď: [ USSR] 43°N 43°E C. Caucasus, Kabardino-Balkarskij N. P. 35 km SE mt. Elbrus, subalpine meadows, 2300 m, 9.VII.1990 J. Jalava leg. (L. Kaila prep. 518, MZH). Paratypes: 32 ď with the same label data as in the holotype, but collecting dates between 9.–11.VII.1990) (L. Kaila prep. 371, 387, 516, 517, 520, 3416, 4110, 4111, 4112, MZH).

Diagnosis of male. Elachista titanella is a large species, with forewing length 5–6 mm. Its wing pattern is variable, from almost unicolorous pale ochreous to brownish grey ( Figs. 7, 8 ). In darker specimens the pale fascia and blurred tornal and costal spots are discernible as broad; the costal spot is situated beyond the tornal spot ( Fig. 7 ). As such it is externally similar to E. versicolora sp. n. These species differ from each other by the larger cornutus and the considerably broader juxta lobes of E. versicolora (best observable in lateral view). The dorsally directed sac of the juxta is characteristically sharp distally in E. titanella . Elachista titanella differs from E. lugdunensis by the following traits in the male genitalia: the phallus of E. titanella is narrower and the cornutus is smaller and its tooth is shorter and blunt distally as compared to E. lugdunensis ; the posterior sac of median plate of juxta is pointed distally in E. titanella , blunt in E. lugdunensis ; the juxta lobes are longer and narrower in E. lugdunensis than in E. titanella . The male genitalia of E. titanella are perhaps closest to the externally distinctive E. bedellella with the equally long and stout juxta lobes. The cornutus of E. bedellella is larger, but the tooth in it is smaller than in E. titanella .

Female. Unknown.

Distribution. Only known from Central Caucasus Mts. in Russia.

Remarks. E. titanella was originally described as a subspecies of E. coeneni (syn. of E. lugdunensis ) largely due to the pale and blurred forewing pattern. It is here raised as species on the basis of the differentiating genital characteristics as outlined above.

Figures

FIGURE 58. Male genitalia of Elachista species (phallus in lateral view). A: E. bedellella (Sircom), L. Kaila prep. 3414; B: E. bedellella (Sircom), L. Kaila prep. 3340; C: E. lugdunensis Frey, lectotype, BM 19385; D: E. lugdunensis Frey (paratype of E. coeneni Traugott-Olsen), L. Kaila prep. 4106; E: E. titanella Kaila & Jalava, paratype, L. Kaila prep. 3416; F: paratype, L. Kaila prep. 4111; G: E. antonia sp. n., holotype, L. Kaila prep. 3258; H: paratype, L. Kaila prep. 4388.

FIGURES 7 – 12. External appearance of Elachista species. Fig. 7 and 8: E. titanella Kaila & Jalava, ♂ paratypes (Russia: C. Caucasus); Fig. 9: E. antonia sp. n., ♂ holotype; Fig. 10: E. antonia sp. n., ♂ paratype (Greece, Crete); Fig. 11: E. slivenica sp. n., ♂ holotype; Fig. 12: E. slivenica sp. n., Ψ paratype (Bulgaria, Sliven).

FIGURES 19 – 25. Male genitalia of Elachista species (juxta in lateral aspect). Fig. 19: E. bedellella (Sircom), L. Kaila prep. 4113; Fig. 20: E. lugdunensis (Frey), L. Kaila prep. 4393; Fig. 21: E. titanella Kaila & Jalava, paratype, L. Kaila prep. 4112; Fig. 22: E. slivenica sp. n., paratype, L. Kaila prep. 4386; Fig. 23: E. dorinda sp. n., paratype, L. Kaila prep. 4871; E. versicolora sp. n., paratype, L. Kaila prep. 4109; E. camilla sp. n., paratype, L. Kaila prep. 4115.

FIGURES 34 – 37. Male genitalia of Elachista titanella Kaila & Jalava. Figs. 34, 35: general view, 36, 37: juxta in ventral view. Figs. 34, 36: paratype, L. Kaila prep. 3416; Figs. 35, 37: paratype, L. Kaila prep. 4111.