Coelopoeta valalbui Kaila 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kaila, Lauri
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Pterolonchidae
Coelopoeta
Coelopoeta valalbui

description: Coelopoeta valalbui sp. nov.
Figs. 28, 38
Holotype ♂: U.S.A., 34.52°N, 112.38°W, Arizona, Yavapai Co., Lynx Lake recreation area, Prescott, 22.vii.2011 V. Albu leg. L. Kaila prep. 6371; DNA-voucher FinBOL 2019; http://id.luomus.fi, KZ7713 (USNM). Paratype, 1 ♂: same collecting data as in holotype (MZH).
Diagnosis. C. valalbui is a white species, the forewings peppered with grey-tipped scales. The male genitalia are similar to those of C. fissurina. See the diagnosis of C. fissurina for the separation of these species.
Description. Forewing length 5.5 mm. Labial palpus porrect, length 2/3 of the diameter of head, off-white, tip of second segment narrowly grey, underside of second segment off-white in one specimen, mixed with grey scales in other specimen. Head, neck tuft, tegula, thorax, scape and pecten of antenna off-white. Flagellum unicolourous grey, not serrate. Legs off-white. Forewing ground colour off-white, with indistinctly delineated stripes of grey scales; such scales irregularly scattered over distal part of wing; fringe white along costa and apex, grey along dorsal margin, hindwing silky, pale grey, fringe darker grey. Underside of forewing dark grey with scattered cream-coloured scales; fringe along costa cream-coloured, otherwise grey.
Male genitalia. Uncus bilobed, lobes horn-shaped, bent inward, tapered towards curved and acute apex, as long as tegumen. Gnathos as long as uncus, tapered in distal third to its pointed apex. Tegumen hemispherical in lateral view, 3 x as long as high at its highest point; height a little less than half of width of valva in lateral view. Valva 1/3 as wide in the middle where it is broadest, forming a swelling; distinctly bent inwardly in distal half; costa concave in distal 2/3, tapered into blunt apex; sacculus apically separated into small, acute-tipped lobe. Juxta distally markedly concave, laterally tapered into hook, tapered to convex anterior margin. Saccus slightly bent dorsad, evenly tapered to pointed apex, as long as its width basally. Phallus twice as long as valva, from apex gradually widened to basal 3/4; there abruptly narrowed and then dilated as rounded basal part where basal opening ventral directed with a few stout teeth along distal apex; vesica with one group of scobinations in the middle of phallus.
Female unknown.
Biology. The collecting site, at altitude of approximately 5000–6000 ft. (= 1500–2000 m), was a trail surrounded by pines and cypresses, sparsely intermixed with oaks, and clearings with small bushes, flowers and abundant cacti. (Valeriu Albu, personal communication).
Distribution. Known only from the type locality in central Arizona north of Phoenix.
description: Published as part of Kaila, Lauri, 2024, A review of Coelopoetinae (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Pterolonchidae), a moth subfamily confined to western North America, with descriptions of seven new species, pp. 361-384 in Zootaxa 5458 (3) on pages 379-380, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5458.3.3, http://zenodo.org/record/11547498