Elachista cottiella, Kaila & Huemer, 2024

Kaila, Lauri & Huemer, Peter, 2024, Elachista dimicatella sensu auctt. — a complex of neglected species diversity (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae) from European mountain systems, ZooKeys 1212, pp. 179-194 : 179-194

Elachista cottiella sp. nov.

Type material.

Holotype. Italy • ♂; Prov. Torino, Fenestrelle, Umg. Pracatinat, Forte delle Valli [type locality part of Orsiera-Rocciavrè Nature Park] ; 45 ° 2 ' 17 " N, 7 ° 4 ' 14 " E; 1700–1720 m; 02 Jun 2022; P. Huemer leg.; DNA Barcode ID TLMF Lep 32861; TLMF.

Paratypes. Italy • 7 ♂; prov. Torino, N. N. Conca Cialancia, Umg. Lago Lauson ; 2030–2050 m; 44 ° 53 ' 16 " N, 7 ° 7 ' 36 " E; 17 Jul 2022; P. Huemer leg.; DNA Barcode IDs TLMF_Lep_33427 , TLMF_Lep_33428 ; TLMF • 6 ♂ 4 ♀; Piemonte, Provonda → Ciai (Giaveno, to) ; 45 ° 11 ' N, 7 ° 28 ' E; reared from Festuca ovina group; P. Varalda leg.; L. Kaila prep. 6346, 6347, 6380, 6381, J. Tabell prep. 4392, 4654; DNA Barcode ID samples 1641, 1632 Lepid. phyl. (unsuccessful); Elachista dimicatella det. U. Parenti; http//id.luomus.fi/GD1118-1127; MZH • 2 ♂ 2 ♀; Piemonte, Strada Giaveno, Provonda ; 950 m; 25 + 28 May 1989; reared from Avenella flexuosa ; U. Parenti leg; ZSM .

Diagnosis.

Elachista cottiella differs from the closely related E. dimicatella and E. niphadophanes by the entirely grey antennae in both male and female, entirely grey tegulae, a narrower silvery-white medial fascia and smaller and separate subcostal and tornal spots of the forewing, and entirely dark fringe. In the former mentioned species, wing markings are broader with costal and tornal spots medially fused, and the tip of forewing fringe is white. The digitate process is shorter in E. cottiella and E. niphadophanes than in E. dimicatella . The lateral margins of the juxta lobes are more convex in E. niphadophanes than in E. cottiella and E. dimicatella thus making it more round than in the other species. The phallus of E. niphadophanes is shorter than in either other species, 0.6 × as long as valva, basally bulbous. The antrum is significantly longer and narrower in E. cottiella than in E. dimicatella in which it is distinctly convex. Apophyses anteriores are stouter in E. cottiella than in E. dimicatella . The female of E. niphadophanes is unknown.

Description.

Habitus (Figs 5 , 6 ). Wingspan 6.5–8.5 mm (reared specimens), male on average larger than female. Labial palpus ascending, approximately as long as diameter of head, off-white to silvery grey above, broadly dark grey below. Head off-white to creamy, shiny; neck tuft varying from creamy to grey; thorax dark grey, tegula grey. Antenna entirely grey both in male and female. Legs shiny grey; hindleg inwards off-white with also spurs, tibia and tarsal articles distally off-white. Ground colour of forewing very dark brown to nearly black; base sometimes, in female in particular, silvery white on dorsal side; white or silvery, rather narrow transverse fascia of at 1 / 3 forewing length, metallic shine more pronounced in female; similarly coloured subcostal and tornal spot near apex of forewing separate, subcostal spot closer to apex than dorsal spot; fringe as ground colour. Underside of fore- and hindwing dark grey with concolourous fringe.

Male genitalia (Fig. 9 ). Uncus lobes widely apart from each other, separated by convex posterior margin of tegumen, ventrolaterally directed, tongue-shaped, 2 × as long as wide, distally round. Spinose knob of gnathos small as compared to average size within the E. bifasciella group, longer than wide. Valva straight or slightly bent, basal fold of costa extended to distal 3 / 4 of valva where meeting distal lobe and forming variably distinct hump. Digitate process 1 / 5 × as long as valva, parallel-sided, with a few setae distally. Mesial margin of juxta lobes slightly bent to median direction, meeting distal margin at a right angle, distal margin somewhat concave, laterally setose, lateral margin distinctly concave. Vinculum tapered, distally v-shaped, with indistinct median ridge. Phallus as long as valva, broadest in basal 1 / 4, straight, distal end bifurcate; without cornuti; caecum short, rounded, posterior opening dorsally projected.

Female genitalia (Fig. 11 ). Papilla analis round in lateral view; membrane between papillae anales ventrally densely covered by minute spines, evenly setose. Apophysis posterioris as long as papilla analis. Apophysis anterioris 2 / 3 as long as apophysis posterioris, stout. Ostium bursae in anterior margin of tergum 8, posterior margin convex; dorsal wall spinose; antrum elongate, hardly convex, longer than apophysis posterioris; length of colliculum as measured from anterior end of antrum to inception of ductus seminalis almost 2 × as long as apophysis posterioris; ductus bursae otherwise tubular, membranous, as long as antrum + colliculum, incepted in corpus bursae with clear limit; corpus bursae round, with small internal granules; signum elongate, dentate.

Molecular analysis.

BIN: BOLD: AEM 6237 (n = 4). Intraspecific average p - distance within BIN is considerable with 1.1 %, maximum distance is 2.09 %. The nearest neighbour is BIN BOLD: ACG 7227 ( E. wieseriella and an unspecified Elachista sp. ) at a distance of 6.19 %, and E. dimicatella ( BIN: BOLD: AAV 6449) with 6.41 % distance.

Biology.

Host-plants insufficiently documented. All reared specimens available to us have been reared from Avenella flexuosa and Festuca sp. in rubra group. Several host-plants from the Polish Tatra Mountains attributed to the former senior synonym E. dimicatella are not applicable for the new species. However, additional host-plants published by Parenti and Varalda (1994) could all belong to E. cottiella . Elachista cottiella was found on siliceous soil in montane to subalpine open grassland with adults attracted to UV lamps (Fig. 12 ).

Distribution.

Alps. With certainty only known from Piemont (Cottian Alps, Italy) (Fig. 13 ).

Etymology.

The new species name refers to the known distribution area.

Figures

Figure 12. Habitat of Elachista cottiella sp. nov. (Italy, Torino, Lago Lauson).

Figure 13. Proved records of Elachista cottiella sp. nov. (red dots), E. dimicatella (yellow dots) and E. niphadophanes (green dots).

Figures 2–6. Adults. 2 Elachista dimicatella, male, Poland 3 E. dimicatella, female, Poland 4 E. niphadophanes, male, France 5 E. cottiella sp. nov., male, paratype, Italy 6 E. cottiella sp. nov., female, paratype, Italy.

Figures 7–9. Male genitalia, with details enlarged 7 Elachista dimicatella, Ukraine, slide 4827 L. Kaila 8 E. niphadophanes, France, slide 7419 J. Nel 9 E. cottiella sp. nov., paratype, Italy, slide 6347 L. Kaila.

Figures 10, 11. Female genitalia 10 Elachista dimicatella, Ukraine, slide 6383 L. Kaila 11 E. cottiella sp. nov., paratype, Italy, slide 6381 L. Kaila.