Gnorimoschema pamira, Bidzilya, Oleksiy, Huemer, Peter, Nupponen, Kari & Sumpich, Jan, 2019

Bidzilya, Oleksiy, Huemer, Peter, Nupponen, Kari & Sumpich, Jan, 2019, A review of some new or little-known species of the genus Gnorimoschema (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) from the Palaearctic region, ZooKeys 857, pp. 105-138 : 105

Gnorimoschema pamira sp. nov. Figs 2, 3, 20, 34

Material examined.

Holotype. TADZHIKISTAN♂; W-Pamir Mts., Pianj/Pamir River by Zugvand village; 37°00'55"N, 72°34'32"E; 2810 m; 25 Jul. 2013; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; gen. slide 402/16, O. Bidzilya; TLMF Lep 21646; NUPP.

Paratypes. 2 ♀; same data as for holotype; gen. slide 401/16, O. Bidzilya; TLMF Lep 21647; NUPP.

Description.

Adult (Figs 2, 3). Wingspan 15.8-16.0 mm. Head covered with white, brown-tipped scales; segment II of labial palpus white mixed with brown, inner surface white, with brush of modified scales on underside, segment III brown with white base and apex, acute, scape brown, densely mixed with white, flagellum grey, black-ringed; thorax white mottled with brown, tegulae with several brown scales; forewing covered with white, black-tipped scales, oblique narrow white fascia from about 1/8 of costal margin to 1/3 of fold, sub-costal vein mottled with brown to 2/3 length, dorsal margin brown under distal half of fold, brown spot in fold, short black streak edged with brown in mid wing, longer black streak with brown scales beneath on 2/3 length in cell, diffuse white sub-apical fascia at ¾ length, costal margin mottled white before apex, fringe white, black-tipped; hindwing and fringe light grey.

Variation.

The black pattern of one female paratype is more extensive making the specimen look darker, white basal fascia indistinct (Fig. 3).

Male genitalia (Fig. 20). Uncus sub-rectangular, apex triangular, pointed; gnathos weakly curved, gradually narrowed apically; tegumen narrow, anteromedial emargination triangular, extending to about half length of tegumen; valva broad at basal half, curved and constricted in middle, apex narrow, rounded; sacculus straight, as broad as valva in its narrowest mid length, distal portion narrow, strongly curved inwards, gap to vincular process very narrow; vinculum broad, posterior margin with deep and broad sub-ovate medial emargination, lateral process short, sub-rectangular, posterolateral corner join with the tip of sacculus; saccus broad on base, sub-triangular, apex rounded, not extended beyond top of pedunculus; phallus broad, s-curved, with pointed apex, caecum inflated, slightly exceeding half length of phallus.

Female genitalia (Fig. 34). Papilla analis elongate, sub-ovate, densely covered with short setae; apophysis posterioris twice longer than segment VIII; segment VIII evenly sclerotized, slightly broader than long in middle; sub-genital plates separated by narrow membranous area covered with fine microtrichia, widened anteriorly to rhomboidal, strongly edged sub-ostial membrane; anterior margin of sternum VIII with distinct triangular anteromedial projection; apophysis anterioris 2/3 length of segment VIII, curved before apex; colliculum large, sub-quadrangular, two times as broad as ductus bursae; ductus bursae narrow, about of even width; corpus bursae pear-shaped, about as long as ductus bursae, signum on the left side near entrance of corpus bursae, base small, distal hook long, narrow, nearly straight except for curved and pointed apical fifth.

Diagnosis.

The new species can be recognized externally by the rather contrasting, greyish-black forewings with well-developed light brown pattern along veins and near dorsal margin. Gnorimoschema cinctipunctella (Erschoff, 1877) is more grey, the light brown pattern is usually less extensive, but some specimens look very similar. Gnorimoschema tabazhok is smaller in size (11.0-15.5 mm), more uniformly grey, black spots are less distinct. Gnorimoschema radkevichi Piskunov, 1980 is smaller in size (12.0-14.0 mm) and has distinct black or light brown spot in the fold. The male genitalia are well recognizable by the sub-rectangular vincular process. Gnorimoschema bodillum Karsholt & Nielsen, 1974 is most similar to the new species regarding the male genitalia, but the vincular process is pointed, triangular rather than sub-rectangular, the sacculus is narrower, the vinculum is deeper emarginated medially and the phallus is narrower. The female genitalia are characterized by the strongly concave and well sclerotized anterior margin of sternum VIII in combination with unmodified sub-genital plate and narrow, straight with slightly curved apex of the signum. Gnorimoschema bodillum is similar but anterior margin of sternum VIII is less concave.

Molecular data.

BINBOLD:ADF4416 (n=2). The intraspecific divergence of the barcode region is 0%. The distance to the nearest neighbour G. vastificum Braun, 1926 is 4.2% (p-dist). This distance is the proportion (p) of nucleotide sites at which two sequences being compared are different. It is obtained by dividing the number of nucleotide differences by the total number of nucleotides compared. It does not make any correction for multiple substitutions at the same site, substitution rate biases, or differences in evolutionary rates among sites.

Distribution.

Tadzhikistan (W Pamir).

Biology.

Host plant unknown. Adults were collected by light in late July at an elevation of 2800 m. The collecting site is the edge between a steep rocky slope and riverside sand dunes with plenty of Salix (Fig. 43).

Etymology.

The species name, a noun in apposition, reflects the distribution of the new species in the Pamir region of Tadzhikistan.