Megacraspedus kirgizicus, 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 : 143-145

Megacraspedus kirgizicus sp. n.

Examined material.

Holotype ♂, "Kirgisien/ Prov. Batken, Turkestan Geb., S Zardaly, Stat. Korgon HP 19 1750 m 8.6.2010 GPS 39°57'52"N; 70°58'36"E leg. Dr. C. Wieser Kärntner Landesmuseum" "KLM Lep 00111" "GU 16/1406 ♂ P. Huemer" (LMK). Paratypes. Afghanistan. 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 10 km NW Kabul, 1900 m, 1.vi.1965, leg. F. Kasy & E. Vartian, genitalia slides in gylcerin (NHMW). Armenia. 136 ♂, 10 ♀, Goravan vill., S of Vedi, near Goravan Sands Reserve, sandy steppe, 956 m, 31.v.2017, leg. J. Šumpich (NMPC). Kazakhstan. 1 ♂, Charyn River, 1220 m, 1.vi.2014, leg. K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen; 3 ♂, Karatau mts, 50 km N of Turkestan town, 540 m, 8.v.2011, leg. K. Nupponen; 1 ♂, same data, but 11.v.2011; 1 ♂, 160 km E Bozoi settl., Ustyurt plateau, N slope, 205 m, 29.v.2011, leg. K. Nupponen; 1 ♂, Ustyurt Nat. Res., Kendyrli, 115 m, 20.v.2011, leg. K. Nupponen, genitalia slide GU 17/1491 ♂ Huemer; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Ustyurt Nat. Res., Mametkazgan, 80 m, 22.v.2011, leg. K. Nupponen; 1 ♂, 40 km N Suzak settl., Muyunkum sands, 195 m, 10.v.2010, leg. K. Nupponen; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Sengirkum sands, Terekurpa well, 70 m, 27.v.2011, leg. K. Nupponen (all RCKN). Kyrgyzstan. 1 ♀, same data as holotype, but 9.vi.2010; 1 ♀, Prov. Batken, Turkestan mts, valley Kalay Makhmud between Or-mazan-Suu and Alai Maidan HP 24 1800-2000 m, 10.6.2010, leg. Wieser, genitalia slide GU 16/1407 ♀ Huemer; 1 ♀, Prov. Osch, Distr. Kara Suu, Alai mts, S Tarylga, valley Ak Buura, 1550-1750 m, 5.vi.2010, leg. C. Wieser (all LMK); 4 ♂, 1 ♀, Alai mts, Tengiz-Bai Gate, 2800-2900 m, 12.vii.2011, leg. A. Pototski (RCAP, ZMUC); 8 ♂, 4 ♀, Alai mts, road Daroot-Korgon–Tengiz-Bai, 2820 m, 24.vii.2012, leg. A. Pototski (RCAP, ZMUC); 7 ♂, 2 ♀, Alai mts, Tengiz-Bai pass gate, 2820 m, 24.vii.2010, leg. K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen (RCKN, TLMF).

Description.

Adult. Male (Figure 119). Wingspan 19-26 mm. Labial palpus very long, porrect, dark greyish from white black-tipped scales, upper surface white; segment 3 less than one-third length of segment 2, white mottled with black. Antennal scape with single, soft hair; flagellum ringed black and white. Head, thorax and tegula whitish mottled with light grey-brown. Forewing light yellow mottled with black-tipped scales, especially along veins; a broad light grey streak from base to apex; margin of costa white; scattered black scales along termen; fringes light grey. Hindwing grey, with light grey fringes.

Female (Figure 120). Wingspan 23-25 mm. Similar to male apart from having a protruding ovipositor.

Variation. There is a slight variation in the colour of the head, thorax, and tegulae: from almost white to light grey-brown. The single, soft hair at the base of the antennal scape is missing in several of the examined specimens (especially the males), but that may be because the specimens have been damaged.

Male genitalia (Figs 241-242). Uncus sub-triangular, short, with sub-basal lateral flaps, rod-like distal part; gnathos hook massive, much longer and broader than uncus, distal part curved with shovel-shaped apex, pointed in lateral view; anterior margin of tegumen with moderately shallow emargination, medially U-shaped excavation; pedunculi weakly demarcated, suboval; valva straight, basal part wider than distal part, extending to about apex of uncus, apically pointed; distal area covered with setae, without separated sacculus; posterior margin of vinculum with weakly developed oblique lateral humps, vincular sclerites elongated, sub-triangular; saccus sub-triangular, with evenly tapered apex, ratio maximum width to length approximately 0.8, posterior margin arched, with shallow medial emargination, medial part without sclerotised ridge, lateral sclerites long, nearly length of maximum width of saccus; phallus slender, almost straight, suboval coecum about twice width of slender distal two-thirds, distal part with strongly sclerotised ridge and indistinct subapical sclerite.

Female genitalia (Figure 296). Papilla analis laterally compressed, extruding from tip of abdomen, strongly sclerotised, with fine longitudinal lines, large, approximately 1.8 mm long, subapically with emarginated dorsal and ventral edge resulting in acutely pointed apex, ventral edge convex, dorsal margin nearly straight; apophysis posterior stout, rod-like, about 3 mm long, posterior third widened to longitudinal sclerotised zone, anterior end rounded; segment VIII approximately 0.8 mm long, uniformly sclerotised; subgenital plate weakly modified, anterior edge of segment medially slightly convex, small suboval ostium bursae delimited by sclerotised lateral ridge; apophysis anterior rod-like, almost two times length of segment VIII; colliculum small, sclerotised; ductus bursae gradually widening to weakly delimited suboval corpus bursae; entire length of ductus and corpus bursae approximately 3.3 mm; signum moderately small, rounded, spiny plate.

Diagnosis. Megacraspedus kirgizicus sp. n. is characterised by its large wingspan, the very long labial palps, and by the light yellow forewings with a broad light grey streak from base to apex.

It resembles M. podolicus (Figure 92) and M. niphorrhoa (Figs 85-86) but these two species are smaller and have shorter labial palps. The male genitalia are similar to M. argyroneurellus (Figs 243-244) but differ e.g., in the more slender apical part of the uncus and the slender phallus. The female genitalia are unmistakable in the M. lagopellus species group in the shape of the papilla analis and the apophysis posterior, and the very long apophysis anterior.

Molecular data.

BIN BOLD:AAW5664 (n = 6), BOLD:ACB3361 (n = 2). Genetically variable species. The intraspecific divergence of the barcode region is low in both clusters, with mean 0.25% and maximum divergence 0.5 in BIN BOLD:AAW5664 and maximum divergence 0.31% in the second BIN. The maximum distance between both BINs is 2.8%, indicating possible cryptic diversity. The minimum distance to the nearest neighbour M. argyroneurellus is 7.6% (p-dist).

Distribution.

Afghanistan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan.

Biology.

Host plant and early stages are unknown. The adults have been collected from early June to the second half of July at altitudes from ca. 500 to 2900 m. In Armenia the biotope is sandy steppe.

Etymology.

This species is named after one of the countries of occurrence: the Kyrgyz Republic (also known as Kirgizia or Kyrgyzstan). The name is a masculine adjective.