Istrianis kyrgyzsquamella Bidzilya & Karsholt, 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Bidzilya, Oleksiy
name: Karsholt, Ole
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy

description: 19. Istrianis kyrgyzsquamella sp. nov.
Material examined. Holotype ♂, Kirgizia, 25 km S Kara-Balta, Sosnovka, 12.viii.1987, Lvovsky (gen. slide 58/ 11, O. Bidzilya). Paratypes: 1♂, 2♀, same data as holotype (gen. slide 59/11♀, 258/ 12♂, O. Bidzilya, ZIN-00006); 1♂, same data but 11.viii.1987 (gen. slide 106/13, O. Bidzilya); 1♀, same data but H= 1100 m, 11.viii.1987 (Nikiforova) (all ZIN); 1♀, SE Kazakhstan, Tcharyn river valley, 15 km w Tchundzha, Jasenevaja roshcha, 24.06.1990 (Pljushch) (ZMKU-00039); 2♀, same data, but 15.vi.1991 (Ustjuzhanin) (gen. slide 259/12, O. Bidzilya) (ZMKU-00038) (all ZMKU).
Adult (Figs 48, 49). Male. Wingspan 10.5–12.0 mm. Head whitish, brown-tipped, frons light grey, labial palpus white with narrow black basal and wide medial rings, upper side off-white; scape black, other antennal segments black with white basal rings; thorax and tegulae grey, black-tipped. Forewing covered with grey, blacktipped scales, costal margin and subcostal area whitish except for black dots at base and black mark in middle of costa, diffuse black pattern of irregular shape at ¾ of costa expanded towards half length of dorsal margin, long narrow black dash in fold, light ochreous subcostal streak to 1/3, single raised ochreous scales in the end of cell, indistinct ochreous streak in apical area, apex and base of wings whitish, cilia grey, black-tipped; underside brownish with black pattern from base to 2/3–3/4 except for subcostal and subdorsal margin; hindwing brownish, black pattern extended from half width of base to nearly half length of dorsal margin, pencil of white hairs in anal area, cilia grey.
Female. As male, but wings are uniformly grey on underside; abdominal segments I–IV black.
Variation. The degree of development of black pattern varies between specimens. Fresh specimens look lighter, with nearly white base of wing and nearly white apical ¼, sometimes whitish angulated fascia on ¾ well developed.
Male genitalia (Fig. 79). Distal portion of tergite VIII tongue-shaped, nearly parallel-sided, two times longer than broad, posterior margin rounded, anteromedial emargination moderately broad, subtriangular, distal portion rounded or subovate, sternite VIII subequal in length to tergite VIII, more than two times broader than long, posteriolateral projections moderately long; uncus slender, tapered, about two times narrower than gnathos; gnathos broad, longer than uncus, gradually narrowed after half length to apex with strongly sclerotized narrow hook; tegumen boomerang-shaped, lateral lobes of even width, anteromedial emargination deeply rounded; valva broad, nearly of equal width; phallus weakly narrowed in middle, longer than valva.
Female genitalia (Figs 106, 137, 138). Segment VIII trapezoidal, nearly as long as broad; apophyses anteriores two times longer than segment VIII; anterior margin with rounded broadly separated papillated lobes; posterior sclerite small, about as long as broad, drop-shaped; anterolateral sclerite broad, leaf-shaped; anterior sclerite small, digitate; antrum tubular; ductus bursae long; corpus bursae globular; signum subhexagonal, posterior lobe slightly shorter and narrower than anterior lobe, medial ridge strongly constricted in middle.
Diagnosis. I. kyrgyzsquamella can be separated from the rest of species with partially black hindwings by the light, greyish black rather than brownish forewing. The male genitalia most resemble those of I. nigrosquamella and I. yemeniasquamella in having broad apically rounded gnathos, but can be separated from the first mentioned species by having gnathos apically broader, stronger sclerotized and with a shorter apical hook; it differs from I. yemeniasquamella in apically broader phallus, slightly broader lateral lobes of tegumen and the narrower uncus. The rounded anterior lobe of sternite VIII in the female genitalia reliable separates I. nigrosquamella from other Istrianis species.
Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults have been collected from late June to mid-August up to 1100 m altitude.
Distribution. SE Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan.
Etymology. The name I. kyrgyzsquamella sp. nov. refers to the origin of the species and to the distinct black scales on the hindwings, characteristic for this group of Istrianis species.
description: Published as part of Bidzilya, Oleksiy & Karsholt, Ole, 2015, Revision of the genus Istrianis Meyrick, 1918 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) with special regard to the Palaearctic region, pp. 401-445 in Zootaxa 4059 (3) on pages 439-440, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4059.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/237390