Eulamprotes kailai Karsholt & Huemer, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Huemer, Peter
name: Elsner, Gustav
name: Karsholt, Ole
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Eulamprotes
Eulamprotes kailai

description: Eulamprotes kailai Karsholt & Huemer sp. nov.
Examined material. Holotype. ♂.“USSR, Kirgisia 41˚30’N, 75˚35´N [sic] 10 km SE Lake Song Köl” “steppe/river bed 26.7.1990 L. Kaila leg.” “GU 13/1361 ♂ P. Huemer” (ZMUH).
Paratypes. Kyrgizia: 3♂, 30 km E Naryn, 41˚25’N, 76˚20E, 2500 m, 29.vii.1990, leg. Kaila & Mikkola (ZMUH). Kazakhstan: 2♂, Zailiskiy, Alatau, Alma-Atinskij Nat. Par., 43˚05’N, 77˚15E, 1850 m, 25.vi.1990, leg. Kaila, genitalia slide GU 13/1358 ♂ P. Huemer (TLMF, ZMUH). Russia: Tuva Republic, 10♂, Lake Tere-Khol, 50˚01’N, 95 ˚03’E, 1150 m, sand dunes, 9.–12.vi.1995, leg. Jalava & Kullberg (RCGE, ZMUH, ZMUC); 3♂, E. Tannu-Ola Mts., Irbitel r., 50˚44’N, 93 ˚08’E, 1000 m, stony steppe slopes, 13.–16.vi.1995, leg. Jalava & Kullberg (ZMUH); 1♂, E. Tannu-Ola Mts., 5 km ENE Khol-Oozha, 50˚45’N, 94˚29’E, 1250 m, steppe slopes, 16.– 19.vi.1995, leg. Jalava & Kullberg (ZMUH); Buryatia, 1♂, Svyaloj Nos pns., Monahovo, 53˚40’N, 109˚00’E, 450 m, mixed forest, 27.–30.vi.1996, leg. Jalava & Kullberg (ZMUH); 1♂, Barguzin range, Olso r. valley, 54˚52’N, 110˚55’E, 920 m, taiga, 7.vii.1996, leg. Jalava & Kullberg (ZMUH); 1♂, Barguzin valley, Malsky village, 54˚35’N, 110 ˚48’E, 500 m, sandy yard, 7.vii.1996, leg. Jalava & Kullberg (ZMUH).
DESCRIPTION.—Adult. (Fig. 18). Male. Wingspan 9–10 mm. Labial palpus white; segment 3 with black tip. Antenna ringed black and whitish to tip. Head whitish; thorax and tegula black. Forewing black with white markings with only a slight silvery shine: an oblique fascia from 1/6 at costa to 1/5 at fold; a fascia from middle of costa reaching two-thirds towards dorsum; pre-apical costal spot close to tornal spot; apex with silvery scales around apex; cilia blackish grey, whitish grey at tip of apex. Hindwing almost as broad as forewing, grey. Abdomen yellowish grey in basal third, then dark grey with yellow-white tip.
Female. Unknown.
Variation. The pre-apical and tornal spots may be fused or divided. The colour of the head varies from pure white to whitish yellow, and the colour of the labial palpi varies from pure white to cream-white. Some specimens have dark scales at base of segment 2 of the labial palpus.
Male genitalia (Figs 42–45).—Segment VIII with two pairs of coremata in intersegmental membrane, grouped into short tufts of moderately broad and lanceolate scales, respectively. Uncus a short digitate process with three apical setae; tegumen short, sub-rectangular, a sclerotized belt (gnathos) connects the dorsolateral corners of the tegumen, from these corners two very long and rather stout setae are arising, anterior margin nearly straight, pedunculi very small; valva weakly bird’s head-shaped, moderately broad, with strongly convex mediodorsal (outer) and weakly concave ventral (inner) margin, distal part strongly tapered; separate plate-like sclerite at base of valva, covered with few setae; sacculus a short setose lobe; saccus almost as long as distance from anterior margin of vinculum to tip of valva, basally moderately broad, distally evenly tapered; phallus cone-shaped, moderately broad and short, distal part gradually constricted towards distinctly tapered apical fifth, about onequarter of maximum width of its anterior part; vesica with number of small grains.
Female genitalia.—Unknown.
DIAGNOSIS.— E. kailai sp. nov. is characterized by being rather small, by having the antennae ringed black and whitish to tip, and by the almost pure white markings in the forewing with only a slight silvery shine. It is most similar to E. libertinella, but that species is larger (12–13 mm), the markings of the forewings more silvery shining, and the pre-apical and tornal spots are more separated. The male genitalia match several species of Eulamprotes with short uncus but differ from all these taxa in the shape of the valva.
GENETIC DATA.—No genetic data available.
DISTRIBUTION.—Central Asia to Siberia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgizia, Russia: Buryatia, Tuva Republic).
BIOLOGY.—Host-plant and early stages unknown. Adults were collected in June in different kinds of biotope at altitudes between 450 and 2500 m.
ETYMOLOGY.—The name (a noun in the genitive case) is dedicated to Lauri Kaila (ZMUH) who collected the type series and numerous additional Eulamprotes from Asia.
Eulamprotes libertinella (Zeller, 1872)
Gelechia (Argyritis) libertinella Zeller 1872: 112.
Examined material. Austria (n=58), France (n=68), Italy (n=136), Switzerland (n=14) (see also Huemer & Karsholt (2011)).
DESCRIPTION.—Adult (Figs 19–20). Male. Wingspan 12–13 mm. Labial palpus white; basal half of segment 2 black on outer surface; tip of segment 3 black. Antenna black, distal part ringed with light grey and whitish grey towards tip. Head whitish; thorax and tegula black. Forewing black with silvery white markings: an oblique streak from 1/6 at costa to 1/5 near dorsum; a streak from middle of costa reaching two-thirds towards dorsum; a silvery white tornal spot well separated from a cream-white pre-apical costal spot; some silvery white scales in apex and along termen; cilia blackish grey, whitish grey at tip of apex. Hindwing about as broad as forewing, grey. Abdomen blackish.
Female. Wingspan 10.5 mm. Labial palpus cream-white; distal part of segment 3 black. Head cream-white. Forewing broadest towards base, tapering towards tip; silvery white streaks from costa slender; apex without silvery white scales. Hindwing reduced, no longer than breadth of forewing, light grey. Abdomen black, lighter dorsally on basal segments; posterior part of each segment on dorsal side silvery. Otherwise similar to male.
Variation. There is some variation in the amount of dark scales in the labial palpi. The basal part of the antennae can be black for a shorter or longer distance. In the forewings the silvery white markings can be more or less whitish, and the apex can be almost without silvery scales. Some of this variation also depends on the condition of the specimens. The geographical variation in E. libertinella is slight.
Male genitalia (Figs 46–47).—Segment VIII with two pairs of coremata in intersegmental membrane, grouped into short tufts of moderately broad and lanceolate scales, respectively. Uncus a comparatively long digitate process with several apical setae; tegumen short, sub-rectangular, a sclerotized belt (gnathos) connects the dorsolateral corners of the tegumen, from these corners two long and rather stout setae are arising, anterior margin nearly straight, pedunculi very small; valva moderately broad, with strongly convex mediodorsal (outer) and almost straight ventral (inner) margin, apically tapered; separate plate-like sclerite at base of valva, covered with few setae; sacculus a distinct, setose lobe; saccus almost as long as distance from anterior margin of vinculum to tip of valva, basally moderately broad, distally gradually tapered; phallus cone-shaped, basally broad and moderately short, distal part gradually constricted to distinctly tapered apical fifth, about one-quarter of maximum width of its anterior part; vesica with a number of small grains.
Female genitalia (Fig. 55).—Apophysis posterioris slender, rod-shaped, about three times as long as segment VIII; segment VIII with weakly sclerotized posteriolateral part, otherwise membranous; ostium bursae laterally with sclerotized folds; apophysis anterioris slender, rod-shaped, about two times as long as segment VIII; ductus bursae long and slender, posterior half with slender, oblong sclerite extending distinctly beyond apex of apophysis anterioris, anterior half membranous, evenly expanded; corpus bursae suboval, small; signum a large suboval plate, anterior and posterior edge with a short spinal process.
DIAGNOSIS.— E. libertinella resembles E. occidentella, E. kailai sp. nov. and E. mirusella sp.nov. It is also similar to E. wilkella. The latter has almost normally winged females, has the distal part of the antenna white, and has the tornal and pre-apical costal spot of the forewing connected by an oblique fascia. The male genitalia are overall similar to several other species but differ by collectively diagnostic features, particularly the distinct digitate uncus and the shape of the valva. The female genitalia differ from other species by the shape of the signum with a single spine on the anterior and posterior edge.
GENETIC DATA.— E. libertinella shows an exceptional intraspecific divergence of the barcode region, ranging from 2.18%–5.43% (n=16) with geographically separated major haplotypes. Within these genetic clades divergence is low with a maximum of 1.08%. The distance of the barcode to the nearest neighbour E. gemerensis sp. nov. is 6.14%.
DISTRIBUTION.—Known from the major part of the Alpine arc, ranging from the Maritime Alps in the southwest up to the north-eastern Austrian Limestone Alps in the north-east and the Julian Alps in the south-east. Records from Spain (Seebold 1899), the Czech Republic (Sterneck & Zimmermann 1933) and Bosnia- Herzegovina (Rebel 1904) are unconfirmed and most likely belong to different species.
BIOLOGY.—Host-plant and early stages unknown. One female was bred from moss and lichens collected on rocks in NW Italy together with specimens of Tineidae. It ran rapidly around using legs and tips of the forewings in combination, being unable to fly (Baldizzone 2007). The adults have been collected from June to early September, depending on the altitude of the habitat. The males are easily attracted to light but can also be found during the day. The brachypterous female was observed baiting males in the evening at sunset (Huemer & Karsholt 2011). Females are rare in collections. E. libertinella prefers rocky habitats and scree with scattered vegetation both on calcareous and siliceous soil. It prefers altitudes between 1000 and 2600 m, but is occasionally found at lower elevation.
REMARKS.— E. libertinella was described from an unspecified number of specimens collected in the area of Bergün (Graubünden, Switzerland) and four specimens from the Hochschwab area and one from the Tragösstal near Bruck an der Muhr (Styria, Austria) (Zeller 1872). Huemer & Karsholt (2011) selected a male from Bergün as the lectotype. The remarkable genetic divergence may reflect cryptic diversity but so far we have been unable to find substantial diagnostic characters in morphology.
description: Published as part of Huemer, Peter, Elsner, Gustav & Karsholt, Ole, 2013, Review of the Eulamprotes wilkella species-group based on morphology and DNA barcodes, with descriptions of new taxa (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), pp. 69-100 in Zootaxa 3746 (1) on pages 93-95, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3746.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/219621