Ephysteris (Microcraspedus) insulella Heinemann 1870
Creators: name: Li, Houhun
name: Bidzilya, Oleksiy
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Ephysteris
Ephysteris insulella

description: Ephysteris (Microcraspedus) insulella (Heinemann, 1870)
(Figs. 6, 12, 18, 24)
Lita insulella Heinemann, 1870: 251.
Phthorimaea insulella (Heinemann): Meyrick, 1925: 94. Citations see Povolný, 2002: 91.
Material examined. MONGOLIA: 1 ɗ, W. Mongolia, Khovd aimak, 5 km, E Stanok-Khongo, midd. stream of Khongo-Gol riv., h= 1800 m, 1–2.vii.2003, P. Ustjuzhanin leg., genitalia slide no. 141/06 (ZMKU). CHINA: 1 Ψ, Zepu (Poskam), 1220 m, Xinjiang Autonomous Region, 2.viii.1994, Aisiher Mamati leg., genitalia slide no. L05182; 2 Ψ, Beitun, Xinjiang, 530 m, 22.vii.1994, genitalia slide no. L05194; 4 ɗ, Erdaoqiao, Ejin Qi (Dalain Hob), Inner Mongolia, 927 m, 17–18.vii.2006. Xinpu Wang & Xiangfeng Shi leg.; 1 Ψ, Minqin, Guansu Province, 1343 m, 26.vii.2006, Xinpu Wang & Xiangfeng Shi leg. (NKU).
Adult (Fig. 6). Length of forewing 7.0–8.0 mm. Head, thorax and tegula white. Labial palpus white, strongly upcurved, far projecting over the head; second segment about 1.5 times length of third segment, mottled a few brown-tipped scales on outer surface; third segment with narrow brown subapical ring. Antenna with scape cream, other antennal articles dark-grey with white broad basal rings. Forewing covered with cream, yellow-tipped scales and mottled by rare dark-grey scales in termen and along veins mainly; small dark point at one-third, dark spot at two-thirds length near posterior margin; cilia cream, brown-tipped. Hindwing pale-grey.
Male genitalia (Figs. 12, 18). Posterior margin of sternite VIII with deep triangular incision. Uncus subtriangular, evenly narrowed apically, apex rounded. Gnathos relatively broad, sickle-shaped with broad apex. Tegumen moderately narrow. Valva reaching base of gnathos, evenly curved inwards, of equal width or slightly broadened distally, apex pointed; sacculus narrow, about two-thirds length of valva; paired process on posterior margin of vinculum short and relatively broad, apex with very small outwardly curved tip, medial incision deep, broadly rounded. Saccus gradually narrowed distally. Phallus slightly longer or about as long as tegumen with uncus, weakly curved, almost equal in width, basal fifth rounded, weakly inflated, apex pointed with small subapical teeth.
Female genitalia (Fig. 24). Apophyses anteriores shorter than segment VIII. Segment VIII subrectangular, with moderately broad membranous zone between subgenital plates, its anterolateral corners narrowed and prolonged, forming a semi-ring around ostium bursae. Antrum twice length of apophyses anteriores, as long as or longer than proximal part of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae large, rounded; signum a subtriangular plate, two times longer than broad, basal corners short, triangular, medial process narrow, its proximal part not exceeding basal corners of signum.
Variation. Some specimens are uniformly yellowish-white without brown-tipped scales and dark spots. According to literature sources (Elsner et al. 1999; Povolný 2002) there is slight variation in length of aedaegus; antrum and processes of signum slightly vary in length.
Remarks. Ephysteris (Microcraspedus) insulella is easily recognizable externally by relatively large size of imago and pale, yellowish-white forewing with two dark spots near posterior margin. The male genitalia are characterized by very long and weakly curved phallus in combination with short and broad paired process on posterior margin of vinculum. The female genitalia resemble those of E. (M.) diminutella, but differ in relatively longer signum.
Biology. Host plant unknown. In China adults fly in July–August, altitude 530–1220 m. Distribution: South, South-East and locally in Central Europe, South-East Kazakhstan, South Siberia, Mongolia. In China it was recorded from Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.
description: Published as part of Li, Houhun & Bidzilya, Oleksiy, 2008, A review of the genus Ephysteris Meyrick, 1908 from China, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), pp. 45-56 in Zootaxa 1733 on pages 55-56, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.181377