Elachista dilobates Kaila 2017, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kaila, Lauri
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Elachistidae
Elachista
Elachista dilobates

description: Elachista dilobates sp. nov.
Figs 5, 14
Type material. Holotype ♂: New Caledonia 22°02’S 166°28’E, Mt. Dzumac, 760 m, 16.–17.I.1984 M. Pogue & M. Epstein leg., Genitalia slide by L. Kaila, USNM 142,819 (USNM).
Diagnosis. Elachista dilobates closely resembles the Australian E. toryna Kaila. E. dilobates is externally paler than E. toryna, with its head and labial palpi fuscous white; the specimen known is somewhat worn so the forewing colour cannot be established with certainty, but appears to be markedly paler than in E. toryna. The wing pattern of E. dilobates solely consists of dark grey, elongate plical and discal spots. As compared to other New Caledonian species, the male genitalia are characteristic with the long and curved digitate process and the distally bent phallus. They also closely resemble those of E. toryna. They can be distinguished by the shorter uncus lobes, the broader digitate process and the larger spinose knob of the gnathos of E. dilobates as compared to E. toryna. The median plate of the juxta is wider in E. dilobates than in E. toryna.
Description. Forewing length 4.5 mm. Labial palpus ascending, length 1.2–1.3 x diameter of head; above fuscous white; below powdered with a few grey-tipped scales in middle of second segment. Head fuscous white, powdered with pale brown-tipped scales on vertex. Pecten absent. Scape and pedicel fuscous white below, grey above; flagellomeres unicolorous grey. Thorax pale grey and powdered with brown-tipped scales. Legs unicolorous ochreous white. Forewing ground colour not possible to establish with certainty as specimen is somewhat worn; apparently dorsal and costal margin broadly consisting of pale, distally pale brown scales; medial area pale fuscous, fold white (fold well protected from wearing so this pattern certainly real); plical spot small, elongate, dark grey, at 1/3 wing length on dorsal side of fold; discal spot small, dark grey, elongate, at 2/3 wing length in middle; fringe scales grey; underside dark grey with fringe scales paler grey. Hindwing grey with concolorous fringe scales; underside grey.
Male genitalia. Uncus lobes medially separated by narrow, U-shaped incision; lobe as wide as long, with rounded distal margin; ventral surface distolaterally broadly with cylindrical scales arising from erect pinaculae. Basal arms of gnathos 1.5 x as long as uncus lobe, distally separate. Spinose knob of gnathos almost rounded. Valva parallel-sided; basal fold of costa straight, extended to 1/4 length of valva, distal fold long, narrow, extended to 4/5 length of valva where cucullus somewhat twisted on top of costa forming low hump; sacculus straight with small and blunt spine distally; distal margin of cucullus straight, cucullus otherwise rounded and bent towards costa. Digitate process 1/3 length of valva, sickle-shaped; broadest beyond middle where its width 1/4 of the length of digitate process, distally blunt; densely covered by narrow and elongate scales medially and distally. Median plate of juxta kidney-shaped, concave without lateral or posterior extensions. Juxta lobe laterally markedly produced, with a few hair-like scales on a swelling near middle of distal margin, medial margin convex joining distal margin without an angle; distal margin convex and medially somewhat truncate; lateral margin concave. Vinculum broad, V - shaped. Phallus 11 x as long as its width in middle of its length; 5/6 length of valva, broadest in basal half; insertion of ductus ejaculatorius dorsally directed; caecum blunt, as long as width of basal opening of phallus; distal opening extended to middle of phallus; apex of phallus dorsally prolonged and bent; along distal opening longitudinal distally bent sclerotisation that is joined to vesica; cornuti absent.
Female genitalia. Unknown.
Biology. The single known specimen was collected with UV light trap placed under a large Agathis tree surrounded by open maquis habitat (R.L. Brown, pers. comm.).
Distribution. New Caledonia.
Etymology. The name is derived from the Greek word deile, ‘afternoon, evening’. This refers to the pale forewing colour.
description: Published as part of Kaila, Lauri, 2017, First records of Elachistinae from New Caledonia: evidence of repeated dispersal events with Australia (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Elachistidae), pp. 536-550 in Zootaxa 4300 (4) on pages 543-544, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4300.4.4, http://zenodo.org/record/839266