Elachista spinipyra Kaila & Nupponen 2018, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kaila, Lauri
name: Nupponen, Kari
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Elachistidae
Elachista
Elachista spinipyra

description: Elachista spinipyra Kaila, sp. nov.
Figs. 22, 23, 47, 48
Material examined. Type material: holotype ♂: Uzbekistan, Shamansay, 140 km NW Šhafrnikan, 24.v.1966, Falkovitsh leg. (L. Kaila prep. 6120; ZIN). Paratypes (9 ♂): 2 ♂ with the same collecting data as the holotype except the dates 12.v.1966 and 12.v.1966 (L. Kaila prep. 5852, 5861; MZH, ZIN). Kazakhstan: 42°36’25’’N 54°08’34’’W, 0–47 m, Ustyurt Nat. res., Onere, 12.iv.2913, 1 ♂, K. Nupponen leg. (L. Kaila prep. 5858, DNA sample 25486 Lepid. Phyl.; Coll. Nupponen); Turkmenistan: Repetek, 21.iv.1970, 23.iv.1970, 2 ♂, Guleva leg., na svjet [ad luc.] (Kaila prep. 5856, 5857; ZIN); [SE. Turkmenistan] [S.] hrebet Kugitan, Bazar-depe, 1730 m, 10.– 15. v.1991, 3 ♂, V. Dubatolov & Zhinsenko leg. (L. Kaila prep. 4024, 4789, 4814; SZMN); Uzbekistan: 60 km Juz. [S] Uz-Kuduk, Kyzylkum [desert], 6.v.1966, 1 ♂, Pastuhov leg. (L. Kaila prep. 5885; ZIN).
Diagnosis. E. spinipyra is a creamy white species often with irregularly and sparsely scattered pale grey scales on the forewing. Its valva is relatively short as compared to other parts of genitalia; this feature is easier to see from image than as numerical ratios. The gnathos is broad, rounded or somewhat drop-shaped; this distinguishes E. spinipyra from most other species. The cornutus contains a larger and stouter spine than in other species; there is, however, some variation and possibly overlap with, e.g., E. mus. The general dimensions of E. mus are more prolonged (difficult to express in ratios, easier to decipher in figures) and its juxta lobes are distally rounded. These traits, as well as the forewing colour, distinguish these species.
Molecular characterization. One specimen was available for genetic study. Of the species included the closest taxon in terms of similarity of barcodes is E. drepanella (distance 4.47 %).
Description. Forewing length 4–5 mm. Labial palpus upcurved, white, length nearly equal to diameter of head. Head, neck tuft, thorax, scape and pedicel of antenna white; scape somewhat flattened, cap-like, and with distinctive pecten formed of elongate, white scales; flagellum pale brown. Fore- and midleg inwardly dark grey, outwardly white, tarsal articles distally pale; hindleg pale grey, spurs nearly black, tibia and tarsus above grey with distally pale tibia and tarsal articles. Forewing creamy white, basal third of costa narrowly dark grey, unicolorous or with varying amount of grey irroration. Fringe pale yellow or grey along costa up to apex, otherwise white or very pale grey. Underside of forewing grey, fringe pale yellow. Hindwing translucent, very pale grey with concolorous fringe. Underside ochreous grey on costal half, otherwise translucent, pale grey. Fringe pale grey.
Male genitalia. Uncus lobe as long as broad, sparsely covered by setae along distal and distolateral margins, incision separating uncus lobes 1/3 of length of uncus. Spinose knob of gnathos broad, rounded or somewhat dropshaped. Valva nearly straight, 5.5x as long as wide in the widest point a little basal to middle; cucullus indistinctly delineated, distally rounded. Digitate process parallel-sided, 0.2x as long as valva, distal 2/3 with setae. Juxta lobe somewhat longer than digitate process, median margin nearly straight, distal margin convex, with a few setae at median 1/3. Median plate of juxta narrowed posteriorly, with dorsally projected lobe. Vinculum short, abruptly tapered. Phallus 0.65x as long as valva, slightly bent, 8– 9x as long as broad at its broadest place near base, tapered into sclerotized, acute-tipped apex. Vesica with cornutus that consists of oval, indistinctly delineated, weakly sclerotized elongate plate that distally is folded to form one distinct, blunt or sharp tooth.
Female. Unknown.
Biology. The species inhabits Central Asian deserts. The habitat in Onere (SW. Kazakhstan) is a gypsum desert. The moth flies at dusk and comes to UV light.
Distribution. SE. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin word spina, thorn, and the Greek word pyra, meaning ‘grain’. This refers to the presence of a thorn-shaped tooth on the cornutus (“grain”) in the vesica.
description: Published as part of Kaila, Lauri & Nupponen, Kari, 2018, A review of the Elachista subula Parenti species complex (Lepidoptera, Elachistidae), with descriptions of nine new Palearctic species, pp. 401-433 in Zootaxa 4433 (3) on pages 425-428, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4433.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1290285