Exaeretia allisella Stainton, 1849

Buchner, Peter & Šumpich, Jan, 2020, Depressariidae (Lepidoptera) of the Russian Altai Mountains: new species, new records and updated checklist, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 60 (1), pp. 201-244 : 203

Exaeretia allisella Stainton, 1849

( Figs 1–7 )

Material examined. RUSSIA: ALTAI REPUBLIC: Belyashi (Dzhazator) env. (25 km NW), confluence of Argut and Karagem rivers, 49°51′56″N, 87°10′22″E, rocky steppe, 1400 m, 27.–28.vii.2017, 1 Ƌ (Barcode NMP- C-LEP-0166), J. Šumpich leg. ( NMPC); Shebalino Distr., Cherga vill. (8 km W), 51°34′04″N, 85°28′33″E, rocky slopes, steppe, 580 m, 8.–9. vii.2019, 1 Ƌ 1 ♀, J. Šumpich leg. ( NMPC).

Molecular data. BIN BOLD: ABA 0482 (n = 2, 2 public, 1 from Altai); BIN BOLD: AAD3659 (n = 9, 9 public, 0 from Altai). The distance of the cluster with the specimens from the Altai and Switzerland ( BOLD: ABA 0482) from the second one with north European specimens is 3.41%. That is the reason why BOLD automatically created two BINs. However, we did not find any noticeable differences in habitus and genitalia compared with European specimens. Therefore we classify all specimens as one species where the maximum intraspecific divergence of the barcode region reaches 3.56%.

Distribution. Palaearctic, absent in southern Europe. In Russia widely distributed but not previously recorded from the Altai Mountains ( LVOVSKY 2008, 2013). The first record for the Altai Republic.

Remark. Exaeretia liupanshana Liu & Wang, 2010 was described from Mt. Liupan, Ningxia Huizu Autonomous Region, in China. This species is indistinguishable in habitus and male genitalia from E. allisella ; the main difference was presented primarily in the size of signum in female ( LIU & WANG 2010). However, we examined four females collected at the same place in Switzerland (Ardez, Graubünden) and found high variability in this character ( Figs 5–6 ). The occurrence of two different closely related species in such a small area is highly unlikely. Our provisional conclusion therefore is that the difference in the size of signum falls within the intraspecific variability, and E. liupanshana should be synonymised with E. allisella .

Unfortunately, we have insufficient specimens named E.

liupanshana and no type material available for detailed comparison. For this reason we do not propose this synonymy in this paper.

Figures

Figs 1–7. Exaeretia allisella Stainton, 1849. 1–2 – Russia,Altai, Cherga, 8.–9.vii.2019, J. Šumpich leg. (NMPC): 1 – male; 2 – female; 3 – male genitalia, Denmark, Jylland, Glatved, 3.viii.1973, E. S. Nielsen leg. (TLMF). 4–7 – female genitalia compared to show intraspecific variability (scale bar = 1.0 mm for all slides): 4 – Russia, Altai, Cherga, 8.–9.vii.2019, J. Šumpich leg. (NMPC); 6–7 – Switzerland, Graubunden, Ardez, 17.viii.2005, P. Sonderegger leg. (NMBE); 7 – Russia, Primorsky krai, Khasanskiy Region, Mramorny, 12.viii.2012, K. Larsen leg. (RCKL).