Elachista rudectella Stainton 1851
Creators: name: Kaila, Lauri
name: Nupponen, Kari
name: Sruoga, Virginijus
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Elachistidae
Elachista
Elachista rudectella

description: Elachista rudectella Stainton, 1851
Figs 26–28, 45, 52, 53
Elachista rudectella Stainton, 1851: 26. Type locality: Austria, probably Wien. Lectotype in NHMUK, designated by Traugott-Olsen and Nielsen (1977: 112); examined.
Poeciloptilia rudectella: Herrich-Schäffer (1855: 302, 311).
Material examined.
AUSTRIA • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; Spitzerberg, 260 m; 48.09 ° N, 16.95 ° E; 30 Jun. 2007; P. Buchner leg.; L. Kaila prep 5456, DNA sample 20835 Lepid. Phyl.; L. Kaila prep. 6149; TLMF; • 3 ♂; Austria, Hundsheim, Spitzerberg; 18 Jul. 2011; J. Tabell leg.; Tabell prep. 4734; DNA sample 20227, 20230 Lepid. Phyl.; MZH; • 1 ♀; Trockenrasen; 48.05 ° N, 16.56 ° E; 30 Jun. 2007; P. Buchner leg.; L. Kaila 6148, DNA sample 21358 Lepid. Phyl.; MZH.
BULGARIA • 1 ♂; Sansansko Pole, Drag Dallas; 41.59 ° N, 21.25 ° E; 22 Apr. 2014; J. - P. Kaitila leg.; RCJPK.
GREECE • 1 ♂; Macedonia, 15 km W. Kozáni, Metamorfosi; 40.30 ° N, 21.66 ° E; 22 May 2003; J. - P. Kaitila leg.; L. Kaila prep. 4313; RCJPK.
HUNGARY • 1 ♂; Nyir P. Kecskemét; 49.60 ° N, 19.69 ° E; 17–27 May 1939; J. Klimesch leg.; ZSM.
ITALY • 1 ♂; Prov. Abrozzo, Castèl di Ieri, 550 m; 42.117 ° N, 13.742 ° E; 9–11 Jun. 2005; P. Skou leg.; L. Kaila prep. 4749; ZMUC; • 1 ♂; Prov. Udine, Interneppo; 46.325 ° N, 13.028 ° E; 10–27 May 1968; J. Klimesch leg.; ZSM.
KAZAKHSTAN • 3 ♂, 1 ♀; Akm., Kokch., Shchuchie Barmashi, 19 Jun. 1928; Filipjev leg.; ZISP.
KYRGYZSTAN • 9 ♂; Tian-Shan Mts., 2500 m, Eki-Naryn; 41.43764 ° N, 75.99539 ° E; 4 Aug. 2010; K. Nupponen & R. Haverinen leg.; DNA samples 22542, 22544, 22545, 22547, 22566, L. Kaila prep. 5829; RCNupp.; • 1 ♂; 30 km E Naryn, 2500 m; 41.25 ° N, 76.20 ° E; 29 Jul. 1990; L. Kaila & K. Mikkola leg.; L. Kaila prep. 494; MZH; • 1 ♂; 40 km E Naryn, 2750 m; 41.21 ° N, 71.29 ° E; 2 Aug. 1990; K. Mikkola leg.; L. Kaila prep. 495; MZH; • 1 ♀; Naryn, 2600 m; 41.42 ° N, 75.90 ° E; 5 Aug. 1981; S. Sinev leg.; ZISP.
RUSSIA • 2 ♂; S. Ural, Cheliabinsk oblast, 350 m, Arkaim reserve near Amurskii village, Arkaim; 52.39 ° N, 59.34 ° E; 9 Jul. 1997; K. Nupponen & J. Junnilainen leg.; L. Kaila prep. 3329, 5332; MZH, RCNupp.; • 1 ♂; Orenburg oblast, 350 m, 20 km S Mednogorsk, near Kidriasovo village; 51.13 ° N, 57.37 ° E; 16 Jun. 1999; T. & K. Nupponen leg.; RCNupp.; • 2 ♂; Cheliabinsk oblast, 650 m, near Moskovo village; 53.57 ° N, 59.03 ° E; 22 May 1996; K. Nupponen, J. - P. Kaitila, J. Junnilainen & M. Ahola leg.; 7 ♂; same locality; 10 Jul. 1997; K. Nupponen & J. Junnilainen leg.; 1 ♂; same locality; J. - P. Kaitila leg.; MZH, RCJJ, RCJPK, RCNupp.; • 3 ♂; Cheliabinsk oblast, 250 m, Troizkii reserve near Berlin village; 53.59 ° N, 61.12 ° E; 30 Jun. – 2 Jul. 1997; K. Nupponen & J. Junnilainen leg.; RCJJ, RCNupp.; • 1 ♂; Bashkiria, 450 m, Sakmara river near Janty-shevo village, 51.54 ° N, 57.43 ° E; 21 Jun. 1996; K. Nupponen, J. - P. Kaitila, J. Junnilainen & M. Ahola leg.; RCNupp.; • 1 ♂; Orenburg oblast, 170–230 m, Pokrovka village 20 km S, Schibendy valley; 50.40– 45 ° N, 54.26– 28 ° E; 3–7 Jun. 1998; J. Junnilainen leg.; RCJJ; • 4 ♂; Orenburg distr. Orenburgskij Nat. Pk., Burtinskiy steppe; 51.84 ° N, 55.18 ° E; 12–17 Jun. 2001; J. Kullberg & M. Zalewski leg.; L. Kaila prep. 3561, 3564; MZH; • 1 ♂; Altai Mts., Kuraiskaya step, 1500–1700 m; 50.14– 16 ° N, 87.50– 55 ° E; 25 Jun. 2000; T. & K. Nupponen leg.; L. Kaila prep. 4152; RCNupp.; • 1 ♂; Tuva rep., 20 km S. Mugur-Aksyi, 2150 m; 50.21 ° N, 90.44 ° E; 1–3 Jul. 2001; P. Ustjuzhanin leg.; L. Kaila prep. 4435; ZMKU; • 11 ♂; Altai Mts., Katun valley, 10 km W Katanda, 1200 m; 50.176 ° N, 86.041 ° E; 15–27 Jul. 1983; exp. Mikkola, Hippa & Jalava leg.; L. Kaila prep. 364, 365, 369, 6155; MZH.
SWITZERLAND • 1 ♂; Wallis, Zeneggen, 1200 m; 45.272 ° N, 7.867 ° E; 1 Jun. 1987; K. Mikkola leg.; MZH.
Diagnosis.
Externally E. rudectella is similar to several other Elachista species as having more or less white forewing with indistinct darker pattern formed of grey brownish and grey-tipped scales. E. rudectella is readily distinguished from all other Elachista species by the shape of the juxta lobes that are elongate and distally characteristically conical. The shape of the juxta lobes somewhat resembles those in species of the E. bedellella species complex (cf. Kaila 2007) in which the apex of juxta lobes is, however, entirely sickle-shaped. The juxta lobes in these species are sickle-shaped, not distally conical. In addition, the phallus of E. rudectella contains distally a spine that no other species in the E. bedellella group possesses.
Redescription.
Wingspan 7.5–11.0 mm. Labial palpus as long as diameter of head, white above, variably fuscous below. Head, neck tuft, tegula, thorax, scape and pedicel of antenna white; flagellum grey. Fore- and midleg grey, tibia and tarsal articles distally white; hindleg off-white, tarsal articles basally pale grey. Forewing ground colour white, irregularly scattered with ochreous, brown and nearly black scales forming a restlessly pale brownish-grey general appearance especially in distal half; base of costal narrowly black; fringe off-white with scattered dark tipped scales which also form dark grey fringe line. Hindwing grey, fringe yellowish grey. Underside of forewing grey, fringe yellow, underside of hindwing grey, with concolorous fringe.
Male genitalia. Uncus lobe basally convex, strongly tapered beyond middle towards pointed apex, 1.4 × as long as broad at its broadest point, with a few short setae near apex, incision separating uncus lobes 0.8 length of uncus. Spinose knob of gnathos narrow and elongate, 2.4 × as long as broad. Valva 3.5 × as long as broad at its broadest point in the middle; costa strongly convex medially, distinctly emarginated in its distal third; sacculus basally bent, slightly concave beyond middle; cucullus somewhat curved and strongly bent towards costa. Digitate process small, about 1 / 6 length of valva, distally dilated, blunt and setose. Juxta lobes very long, widely separated from each other with U-shaped incision, medially produced, base of incision between juxta lobes strongly sclerotized; median margin strongly convex apically; distal margin acute, with a few short setae; lateral process short; lateral margin concave; median plate with shallow posteriorly directed median sac. Vinculum short and broad, V-shaped. Phallus broad, about 0.7 × as long as valva, straight, 5 × as long as broad at its broadest place near base, otherwise almost parallel-sided, with strong lateral tooth at apical 1 / 6; caecum short, round; vesica with one large cornutus formed as long tooth arising from large bent sclerotized plate, cornutus 0.3 × length of phallus.
Female genitalia. Papilla analis membranous with nearly round apex; ventrally fused with inverted Y-shaped connecting sclerotization. Apophysis posterioris about 2 × as long as papilla analis. Apophysis anterioris approximately 0.4–0.6 × as long as apophysis posterioris. Ostium bursae broad, dorsal wall sclerotized. Colliculum long and broad, width almost 1 / 3 its length, with longitudinal folds. Remaining part of ductus bursae about 2.5 × as long as colliculum, gradually widening towards corpus bursae, with long band of coarse spines from apical 1 / 4 until corpus bursae. Corpus bursae oval, broadly covered with small internal spines and two large patches of strong spines.
Biology.
E. rudectella inhabits dry, exposed calcareous hillsides, with a wide elevational range of between about 200–2600 m. It is attracted to black light, but male can be found active already at dusk. Phleum phleoides (L.) H. Karst. (Poaceae) has been reported as a host plant (Hoffmann 1893).
Distribution.
Austria, Bulgaria (new record), Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Russia (S. Ural, Siberia, Tuva) (Kaila 2019), Serbia (Dobrosavljevic et al. 2017), Slovakia, Switzerland, Ukraine (Kaila 2019).
DNA barcode information.
Maximum intraspecific divergence distance (n = 16) 2.39 % (sample id’s: BL _ LSNOE _ Lep _ 03224, 03260, 03625, 03266, 03508, 03759, 03767, 03772, 04179; DNA samples 20835, 20227, 20230, 21358 Lep. Phyl.; KLM Lep 17515; TLMF 15469, 25740, 25810, 32994, 33059, 37759). Nearest neighbour is E. maculata Parenti, 1978 with 5.58 % divergence.
description: Published as part of Kaila, Lauri, Nupponen, Kari & Sruoga, Virginijus, 2025, On species of the Elachista bedellella group (Gelechioidea, Elachistidae, Elachistinae) similar with E. rudectella Stainton, 1851 and E. graeca Parenti, 2002, with descriptions of five new species, pp. 103-136 in Nota Lepidopterologica 48 on pages 103-136, DOI: 10.3897/nl.48.142483