Ephysteris (Microcraspedus) subovata Povolny 2001
Creators: name: Li, Houhun
name: Bidzilya, Oleksiy
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Ephysteris
Ephysteris subovata

description: Ephysteris (Microcraspedus) subovata (Povolný, 2001)
(Figs. 2, 8, 14, 20)
Microcraspedus subovatus Povolný, 2001: 201; Povolný 2002: 93; Ponomarenko et al. 2006: 109.
Material examined. [RUSSIA]: 1 Ψ, Zabaikalie, Chitinskaja obl., okr. s. Kyra, 900 m, light, 7.vii.1997, A. Bidzilya, I. Kostjuk & O. Kostjuk leg. genitalia slide no. 130/06 (ZMKU). CHINA: 2 ɗ, 1 Ψ, Xiantaishan, Jingjing, Hebei Province, 1200 m, 23–24.vii.2000 Haili Yu et al. leg. genitalia slide no. L06032 (male); 1 ɗ, 2 Ψ, Qingta, Shexian, Hebei Province, 700 m, 2–3.viii.2000, Haili Yu et al. leg. genitalia slide no. LZD01091; 1 Ψ, Suanzaoping, Neiqiu, Hebei Province, 670 m, 29.vii.2000, Haili Yu et al. leg.; 1 Ψ, Laoniuyu, Jingxing, Hebei Province, 26.vii.2000, Haili Yu et al. leg.; genitalia slide no. L06033; 3 Ψ, Zonghua, Hebei Province, 120 m, 8–11.vii.2001, Yanli Du & Shulian Hao leg. genitalia slide no. L06072; 1 ɗ, 2 Ψ, Mt. Xiaowutai, Hebei Province, 26–28.vii.2000, Yanli Du & Zhendong Li leg. genitalia slide no. LZD01087; 2 Ψ, Xiaokouzi, Mt. Helan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 1800 m, 24.vii.1996, Houhun Li & Caixia Yang leg. genitalia slide no. L06047; 4 ɗ, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 25.viii.1985, 25.iv.1986, 28.iv.1993, Houhun Li leg. genitalia slide no. 89114, L05192, L06075; 2 ɗ, 2 Ψ, Wuan, Zhaozhuang, Chengcheng, Shaanxi Province, 1000 m, 27.vii–1.viii.1986, 7.vii.1987, Houhun Li leg. genitalia slide nos. 89296, L92005, L06018; 1 ɗ, Liancheng, Yongdeng, Gansu Province, 7.vii.1985, Houhun Li leg.; 2 Ψ, Mt. Baxian, Jixian, Tianjin, 450–550 m, 24– 25.vi.2001, Houhun Li et al. leg. genitalia slide no. L06081 (NKU).
Adult (Fig. 2). Length of forewing 5.0–6.0 mm. Head white, upper part with some brown scales; thorax and tegula covered with pale-grey, brown-tipped scales. Second segment of labial palpus greyish-brown, inner surface light, off-white, with dark subapical belt; third segment pale-grey with broad brown basal and apical rings, narrow, pointed, some shorter than second segment. Antenna with scape dark-brown, other antennal articles dark-grey with white basal rings. Forewing covered with grey, brown-tipped scales, mottled by ochreous scales along veins mainly; small dark spots about one-third length near costal margin, distinct black spot surrounded by ochreous scales in cell, two black spots on one-third and two-thirds length near dorsal margin; cilia pale-grey, brown-tipped. Hindwing pale-grey.
Male genitalia (Figs. 8, 14). Posterior margin of sternite VIII bifurcated. Uncus about twice as long as broad, gradually tapered distally, apex weakly rounded. Gnathos relatively broad, sickle-shaped with broad apex. Tegumen narrow. Apex of valva at most level with base of gnathos, basally constricted and weakly curved, distal portion usually distinctly expanded apically, apex triangular or broadly rounded; sacculus straight or weakly curved, very slender, about one-third length of valva; paired process on posterior margin of vinculum about as long as sacculus, large, subtriangular, apex with outwardly curved pointed tip, medial incision deep, triangular. Saccus gradually tapered towards expanded and rounded apex. Phallus about as long as tegumen and uncus, basal quarter suboval, moderately inflated, distal portion weakly curved, apex with large rounded lobe, subapical cornutus triangular or slender with curved tip.
Female genitalia (Fig. 20). Apophyses anteriores straight, shorter than segment VIII. Segment VIII weakly sclerotized, with deep and broadly rounded anteriorly membranous zone between subgenital plates, anterior margin narrow, band-shaped, strongly curved proximally. Ductus bursae broad and short; antrum about half length of ductus burse and slightly longer than apophyses anteriores, broad, with two additional narrow lateral sclerotized patches. Corpus bursae oval, slightly shorter than ductus bursae; signum a subtriangular plate with distinctly prolonged and pointed basal corners, medial process narrow, its distal half shorter or about as long as proximal half, slightly exceeding pointed basal corners of signum.
Variation. The black spots of the forewing are often completely or partially reduced; the length of sacculus varies from one-quarter to one-third the length of valva; the apex of saccus sometimes is not expanded in the male; the lateral sclerotized patches vary in length from half to three-quarters the length of antrum in the female.
Biology. Host plant unknown. In China adults fly from June to August, from 120 m up to about 1800 m in mountains.
Distribution: Russia (Transbaikal region). In China it was recorded from Jilin (Ponomarenko et al. 2006) and Gansu, Hebei, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Tianjin.
Remarks. Ephysteris (Microcraspedus) subovata Povolný is similar externally to E. (M.) inustella Zeller, E. (M.) hispanica Povolný and some other members of subgenus Microcraspedus. The male genitalia resemble those of E. (M.) aulacopis Meyrick from Nepal by having a distinct apical lobe of the phallus and bifurcated sternite VIII, but differ in the shorter sacculus and broader medial incision on the posterior margin of vinculum. The female genitalia are well recognizable by the relatively broad and long antrum with additional sclerotized lateral patches.
Microcraspedus subovata Povolný was described from a single female from Chita region (Russia). The Chinese specimens match well externally and in genitalia the holotype figured by Povolný (2001) and an additional examined female from the type locality, which was found in the collection of ZMKU.
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 48-50, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.181377