Ypsolopha admirandella, Sachkov & Zolotuhin, 2020

Sachkov, Sergey A. & Zolotuhin, Vadim V., 2020, Ypsolopha admirandella sp. n. (Lepidoptera: Ypsolophidae), a new European species from the steppes of Russia, Zootaxa 4822 (4), pp. 588-594 : 589-593

Ypsolopha admirandella sp. nov.

( Figs 2, 5–7 , 15–17 )

Holotype: ♂ ( Fig. 2 ), Russia, Ulyanovsk Region, Nikolaevka District, vic. of Akulovka vill., 20.VI 2001 [V. Zolo- tuhin leg.] ( LSU).

The following labels designate the holotype specimen: white rectangular, printed in black ink in Russian «УлЬЯНовскаЯ обл. | Николаевский р. | Акуловка | 20. VI. 2001 » and white rectangular with black frame, printed in black ink «10788 | Колл. СамГУ». The specimen is supplied with an additional red rectangular label printed in black ink: “ HOLOTYPUS ♂ | Ypsolopha admirandella | Satshkov & Zolotuhin sp. n. “

Paratypes: 2♂♂, same locality as the holotype, 5.VIII.1997 [V. Zolotuhin leg.] ( ZISP) ; ♂, Russia, Ulyanovsk Region, Radistchevo District, vic. of Srednikovo vill., 6.VIII.1995, steppe, leg. V. Zolotuhin ( ZISP) ; ♀, Russia, Ulyanovsk Region, Novospasskoe District, vic. of Vasil’evka vill., 9–10.VI.1998, steppe, leg. V. Zolotuhin ( ZISP) ; ♂, Russia, Ulyanovsk Region, Radistchevo District, vic. of Rjabina station , 5–7.VIII.1998, steppe, leg. V. Zolotuhin ( SarSU) .

Description. Wingspan 18.5–19.0 mm ( Fig 2 .).

Head: pale yellowish gray with slightly raised scales, frons with flattened scales, smooth. Antennae filiform, of the same color as that of head; their basal segment monochrome, yellowish gray; other segments bicolor, basally with a corona of dark-brown scales, apically with a ring of longer whitish scales. Antenna slightly longer than costal edge of forewing. Labial palp short, slightly longer than head, with 3 rd segment shorter than the 2 nd bearing a very long brush of long piliform scales with expanded apices. Palpal scales spotty, pale, apically darker. Maxillary palps reduced, short, also bicolor.

Thorax and legs monochrome whitish. Forewing comparatively narrow with protruded and tapered apex, pale grayish ochreous with dark longitudinal band expanding toward outer edge and disappearing in terminal area, in addition a small black spot situated below the band at the one-third of wing length, surrounded by a paler yellowish ochreous field. Costal area whitish yellow with scattered dark scales, paler than dorsal half of wing. The same whitish yellow scales present in dorsal part of wing. Outer area of wing scattered densely with pale sandy scales bearing an extensive dark spot at their apex; the outer area also scattered with darker spots rendering the area spotty. Cilia basally with dark basal line; another dark line in outer part of cilia consists of scales with dark spots, and 3-rd dark line is situated almost at cilian top. The last consists of longer distal scales with darker apex. Hindwing brownish gray, darker outwards. Cilia pale yellowish with a basal darker band agreeing with the ground colour of hindwing.

Sexual dimorphism is negligible.

Male genitalia ( Figs 5–7 ). Socii gradually tapered toward apex, approximately three times shorter than saccus. Uncus bifid, with its branches lyra-shaped. Gnathos elongate, with a medial oval plate covered by fine spines; length of this plate approximately two times shorter than free branches of gnathos. Valvae oval, in costal margin without an expressed subapical angle. Saccus slender, straight, basally curved dorsad, approximately half as long as aedeagus. Aedeagus slender, straight, two times longer than saccus and approximately 1.5 times longer than valvae. Length of coecum penis one-fifth of the rest of the aedeagus. Anellus covered in fine spines.

Female genitalia ( Figs 15–17 ). Inner part is very long; ductus and bursa stretch along the abdomen reaching its base, proximal end of bursa copulatrix reaching 2 nd abdominal segment. Papillae anales very small and situated on apex of ovipositor, with few or sparse long setae. Intersegmental membrane between papillae anales and 8 th abdominal segment long, forming an extendable ovipositor, with minute sparse sclerotized plaques. Postvaginal plate present, poorly developed, represented by a weakly sclerotized sclerite.Apophyses posteriores very long, narrow, reaching medial part of antrum; apophyses anteriores slightly wider and shorter than apophyses posteriores, branched basally. They attached to median edge of tegumen not to its cranial angle as in most species of the genus. Antrum weakly sclerotized, with a fold covered with minute numerous setae ( Fig. 16 ), bowl-shaped, with slightly wrinkled wall. Ductus bursae membranous, tubular, slightly tapered in its distal section, right before the conjunction with antrum; proximal section near bursa copulatrix strongly bent, coil-shaped. Connection of ductus seminalis near the antrum, slender, membranous. Bursa copulatrix pear-shaped, medium sized, with walls densely covered with small denticles ( Fig. 17 ). Signum bursae band-shaped, its length two-fifth of the bursa, with two well-visible ridges.

Biology. Poorly known. Moths are rather uncommon and very local, connected to clay opening habitats with abundant ephedra ( Ephedra distachya L.) growing on southern and western slopes of ravines in grass and carbonate steppes. The biotope of the holotype is situated at 53°05’N, 47°23’E, 130 m above sea level, representing a well warmed up and insolated slope with sparse steppe vegetation ( Figs 18, 19 ). Main components of this vegetation are different tussock cereals ( Poaceae and Carecaceae), combined with Linum spp., Echium vulgare L., Centaurea spp., Astragalus spp., Thymus pulegioides subsp. pannonicus (All.) Kerguélen (syn.: Thymus marschallianus (Willd.) Soó ), Fragaria moschata (Duchesne) Duchesne , Euphorbia spp., low Allium spp., Jurinea spp. and numerous xerophyte Artemisia species. Ephedra bushes are locally abundant here ( Fig. 19 ), teeming ample fruits in July ( Fig. 20 ). Moths were collected during June and again in early August developing highly likely two generations per season. They unwillingly attracted by light, and were collected/observed mostly before sunset or in early dusk flying low over the grass. During daytime, they supposedly hide in the soil cracks. Host plant is unknown but it is supposedly ephedra, because moths are known only from very local spots with abundant presence of this rare bush, and their characters suggest that they belong to a group of Ephedra -feeding Ypsolopha .

Distribution ( Fig. 21 ). The species is known from three steppe localities in southern part of the Ulyanovsk Region (Middle Volga, eastern part of the European Russia).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin word admirandus —‘amazing’, referring to the unexpected and rather surprising presence of the new species in the otherwise well-studied area.

Diagnosis. We suppose that this new species belongs to the group of species associated with Ephedra ( Ephedra distachya L.) which is widely distributed in the steppes of Middle Volga. In the genitalia structures, the new species resembles several congeners: Y. trichonella ( Mann, 1861) , Y. semitessella ( Mann, 1861) , Y. leuconotella ( Snellen, 1884) , Y. scabrella ( Linnaeus, 1761) , Y. instabilella ( Mann, 1866) , ( Moriuti 1977; Zagulajev 1989; Sohn et al. 2010; Jin et al. 2013).

From the first species Y. admirandella differs by its longer aedeagus and considerably shorter coecum penis, from the second species it differs by its evenly rounded costal edge of valva and longer saccus. From the other congeners the new species differs easily by details of aedeagus and saccus, and from all the above-mentioned species it markedly differs by appearance (dark longitudinal streak is diagnostic in forewing).

Recently, a very similar species of the same group, Y. colleaguella Baraniak, 2007 ( Fig. 1 ) was described from Sarepta in the Lower Volga region (known also from Saisan). It is characterized by more diffuse and smoother wing pattern, parallel uncus branches, shorter saccus and shape of valva ( Figs 11–14 ); the female genitalia of the two species are also distinctly different, also in signum bursae shape ( Figs 11-14 ) being in Y. admirandella elongate and bearing two transversal ribs.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Distribution of Ypsolopha admirandella; star marks the type locality.

FIGURES 1–10. Ypsolopha spp. males. Scale bar 0.5 cm. 1. Y. colleaguella, imago paratype (ZMHUB); 2. Y. admirandella, imago holotype (LSU); 3, 4. Y. colleaguella, genitalia and top of gnathos enlarged (4); 5–7. Y. admirandella, holotype genitalia (5), top of gnathos (6) and uncus branches (7) enlarged; 8. Y. colleaguella, aedeagus and anellus scobination enlarged; 9. Y. admirandella, holotype aedeagus; 10. Y. admirandella, labels of the holotype; orig. and after Baraniak, 2007 (1, 3, 4, 8).

FIGURES 11–17. Ypsolopha spp. female genitalia: 11–14: Y. colleaguella (after Baraniak, 2007). 11. general view; 12. signum; 13. strengthening of the bursa copulatrix, lateral aspect; 14. denticles on corpus bursae. 15–17: Y. admirandella (orig.). 15. general view; 16. anthrum; 17. signum and denticles on corpus bursae.

FIGURES 18–20. Ypsolopha admirandella, biotope in the type locality (photos by Ju. Volkova: 25. July 2019). 18. Akulovka chalk slope; 19. Ephedra bushes directly in the type locality; 20. Fruits of ephedra from Akulovka steppe.