Elachista filicornella Kaila 1992
Creators: name: Kaila, Lauri
name: Baran, Tomasz
name: Mutanen, Marko
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Elachistidae
Elachista
Elachista filicornella

description: Elachista filicornella Kaila, 1992
Figs. 24, 75–76
Elachista filicornella Kaila, 1992: 191.
Material studied. Type material: Holotype ♂: USSR 435’NN 7715’E Kazakhstan, Zailiskiy [now Transili] Alatau, Alma-Atinskij Nat. Pk., 1700 m, steppe/ Carex, 14.VII.1990 L. Kaila leg.; L. Kaila prep. 559; HOLOTYPE Elachista filicornella Kaila (MZH). Paratypes (11 ♂): the same locality and year, 23.VI., 2 ♂, L. Kaila prep. 359, 558; 26.VI., 2 ♂, L. Kaila prep. 660, 3417; 2.VII., 3 ♂, L. Kaila prep. 557, Elachista manni det. E. Traugott-Olsen; L. Kaila prep. 3416, DNA sample 21308 Lepid. Phyl., 14.VII., 4 ♂, L. Kaila prep. 393, 394, 556 (MZH).
Diagnosis. Elachista filicornella is a unicolorous pale yellow species, resembling E. flavescens. The latter species has distinctly serrate antennae that distinguishes it from all other species except E. implana. The labial palpi of E. filicornella are relatively short, not longer than the diameter of the head. The valvae of E. filicornella are relatively broad, somewhat reminiscent of those of E. dispilella. These species are readily distinguished by the larger phallus, and much larger cornutus group of E. dispilella as compared to E. filicornella. The male genitalia of E. filicornella are closer to those of E. distigmatella. The uncus lobes and the valva of E. filicornella are somewhat narrower than in E. distigmatella. The distal margin of the juxta lobes is concave in E. distigmatella, convex in E. filicornella. The female of E. filicornella is unknown.
Molecular characterization. The analyzed two specimens of E. filicornella did not show intraspecific variability. The genetically closest species was E. turkensis with 5.39 % minimum distance to E. filicornella.
Redescription. Wingspan 8–9 mm. Labial palpus creamy white, variably fuscous below, length equal to diameter of head. Head, neck tuft, thorax, scape and pedicel of antenna creamy white; flagellum dark greyish brown. Foreleg inwardly leaden grey, legs otherwise ochreous white. Forewing unicolorous, pale yellow with concolorous fringe, basal fourth of costa grey. Hindwing creamy white with concolorous fringe. Underside of both wings pale grey with concolorous fringe, except along costa and termen of forewing creamy white.
Male genitalia. Uncus lobes twice as long as wide, sickle-shaped, somewhat tapered distally, mesial margin convex, apex acute. Spinose knob of gnathos oval-shaped. Valva less than twice as long as tegumen + uncus, 4.5 times as long as broad, straight and parallel-sided; sacculus slightly dilated; cucullus elongate. Digitate process tongue-shaped, 0.2 times as long as valva, medially and distally with stout setae. Juxta lobes with a few setae, mesial margin straight, joining the convex distal margin in a right angle. Phallus 0.8–0.9 times as long as valva, bent, parallel-sided; cornutus cluster formed of about six basally weakly joined, slender spines, basal spines short, distal one as long as diameter of phallus.
Female. Unknown.
Biology. The specimens were caught in flight at sunset and attracted to UV light during night. The habitat is a south-facing slope with lush and diverse meadow vegetation; most of the specimens were caught at a somewhat moist site along a seasonally dry creek. The immature stages are unknown.
Distribution. Kazakhstan: Transili Mts.
description: Published as part of Kaila, Lauri, Baran, Tomasz & Mutanen, Marko, 2015, A revision of the Elachista dispilella complex (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Elachistidae), pp. 517-560 in Zootaxa 3963 (4) on pages 546-547, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3963.4.3, http://zenodo.org/record/253431