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

description: 11. Istrianis armatus sp. nov.
Material examined. Holotype. ♂, “ YEMEN, 600 m, Prov. Al Hudaydah, Jabel, Burra, 25 km SE Bajil, 23.– 24.iv.1998, M. Fibiger et al.” (gen. slide 567/14, O. Bidzilya) (ZMUC). Paratypes. 2♂, 3♀, same data as holotype (gen. slide Karsholt 5259♂, 568/14♀, O. Bidzilya) (ZMKU, ZMUC).
Adult (Figs 29, 30). Wingspan 9.4–9.6 mm. Head grey, mixed with black, labial palpus grey with black rings; scape black, other antennal segments black with greyish rings. Forewing, thorax and tegulae dark brown, reddish brown sub-costal streak to 1/3, diffuse light brown spot at 2/3 of costa, paired reddish brown spots in middle and in the end of cell, blackish transverse pattern of irregular shape at 1/5–1/4 length, black dash in middle before apex, cilia grey, black-tipped; hindwing grey, mottled with brown along costal margin and on apex.
Variation. The female paratype lighter, greyish rather than brown; paired reddish brown spots in cell with black dashes inside.
Male genitalia (Fig. 69). Tergite VIII triangular, anteromedial emargination broad, triangular, its distal portion rounded; sternite VIII two times broader than long, posteriolateral projections long, narrow; uncus and gnathos comparatively short, uncus of even width to 2/3 length, then weakly narrowed, apex abruptly truncated; gnathos subequal in width to uncus in basal half, distal half tapered, apical hook narrow; tegumen short and broad, lateral lobes broad with distinctly projecting anterolateral corners, anteromedial emargination broad, subrectangular; valva digitate, apex rounded; phallus broad, shorter than valva.
Female genitalia (Figs 95, 124). Segment VIII subrectangular, two times longer than broad; apophyses anteriores two times longer than segment VIII, broadened at base; anterior margin with large subovate lobes far extending anteriorly; posterior sclerite long and narrow; anterior sclerites narrow, elongated; subostial folds distinct, strongly edged; antrum funnel-shaped; ductus bursae long, narrow, with distinct transition to globular corpus bursae, posteriorly with eight horn-shaped thorns which decrease in length from posterior one to anterior one, two small thorns on opposite side; signum subhexagonal, posterior lobe with small anteromedial emargination, shorter and narrower than anterior lobe, medial ridge narrow, interrupted in middle.
Diagnosis. I. armatus remotely resembles I. sattleri externally, but the forewings are brown rather than grey with well expressed large reddish brown paired spots that are absent in the latter species and remaining species of the genus. The male genitalia can easily be separated from other Istrianis species by the short and broad uncus, gnathos and tegumen as well as phallus shorter than valva. Also the female genitalia are very characteristic in having large subovate anterior lobe of sternite VIII and by the presence of large thorns in ductus bursae.
Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults have been collected at light in April at an altitude of 600 m.
Distribution. Yem en.
Etymology. The name of the new species is derived from the Latin armatus meaning armed warrior, and refers to the horn-shaped thorns in the ductus bursae.
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 428-429, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4059.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/237390