Cochylimorpha bucegiana Z. Kovacs, S. Kovacs & P. Buchner 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kovács, Zoltán
name: Kovács, Sándor
name: Buchner, Peter
name: Junnilainen, Jari
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Tortricidae
Cochylimorpha
Cochylimorpha bucegiana

description: Cochylimorpha bucegiana Z. Kovács, S. Kovács & P. Buchner sp. nov.
Figs 5, 6, 11, 15, 23, 24, 30, 34, 43, 44–45
Misidentification.
Cochylimorpha perfusana f. callosana (Herrich-Schäffer, 1851) Kovács and Kovács 2005: 61, 64 fig. 53, 70 fig. 72, 87, 88.
Type material.
Holotype. Romania: ♂; Carpaţii Meridionali, Munţii Bucegi, Valea Jepii; [45 ° 24 ' 30 " N, 25 ° 29 ' 30 " E]; 1800–2000 m; 1. viii. 1999; S. Kovács & Z. Kovács leg. & coll. (Miercurea Ciuc) (Fig. 43).
Paratypes. 42 ♂, 3 ♀ (Figs 5, 6, 11, 15, 23, 24, 30, 34, 44, 45), Romania: 6 ♂; Carpații Meridionali, Munţii Bucegi, Valea Jepii; 1800–1900 m; 10. viii. 1986; genit. prep. Kovács 415, 425 and 1346; S. & Z. Kovács leg. & coll. 4 ♂, 1 ♀; Munţii Bucegi, Valea Jepii; 1700–1800 m; 1. viii. 1990; genit. prep. Kovács 2261 / ♀; S. & Z. Kovács leg. & coll. 7 ♂, 1 ♀; Munţii Bucegi, Valea Jepii; 1800–2000 m; 1. viii. 1999; DNA sample ♀ TLMF Lep 32673 [failed]; genit. slide Buchner w 3567; S. & Z. Kovács leg. & coll. 2 ♂, 1 ♀; Munţii Bucegi, Valea Jepii; 1800 m; 11. viii. 2005; DNA sample ♀ TLMF Lep 27415 [failed], DNA sample ♂ TLMF Lep 28734 (685 [0 n]); genit. slide Buchner m 3564; S. & Z. Kovács leg.; 1 ♀ TLMF; 2 ♂ S. Kovács & Z. Kovács coll. 2 ♂; Munţii Bucegi, Valea Jepii; 1800 m; 9. vii. 2013; DNA sample ♂ TLMF Lep 27416 [failed], DNA sample ♂ TLMF Lep 28750 (685 [0 n]); genit. slide Buchner m 3565; S. & Z. Kovács leg.; 1 ♂ TLMF, 1 ♂ S. Kovács & Z. Kovács coll. 9 ♂; [județul] Prahova, Buşteni, [Munţii Bucegi]; 20. viii. 1989; genit. prep. Neumann 134, 154 and 296; H. Neumann leg.; MGAB. 1 ♂; M [un] ţ [ii] Bucegi, Valea Jepilor; 24. viii. 1991; L. Székely leg.; MGAB 2218. 6 ♂; jud. [ețul] Prahova, M- [un] ţii Bucegi, Jepi; alt [itudinea]: 1500–1700 m; 2. viii. 1992; L. Székely leg.; MGAB 2218. 1 ♂; M [un] ţ. [ii] Bucegi, Piatra Arsă; 2100 m; 31. vii. 1993; L. Székely leg.; MGAB 2218. 3 ♂; M [un] ţ. [ii] Bucegi, Vale. [a] Jepi; 1700 m; 1. viii. 1993; L. Székely leg.; MGAB 2218. 1 ♂; M [un] ţ. [ii] Făgăraș, Lac. [ul] Bîlea; 2200 m; 25. vii. 1994; L. Székely leg.; MGAB 2218.
Diagnosis.
Cochylimorpha bucegiana sp. nov. is externally characterised by a yellowish brown reticulate pattern that unites to form an indistinct basal blotch, a distinct median transverse fascia, subapical costal blotch, subterminal blotch, and slender terminal fascia that contrast with the shining yellowish white ground colour. In the male genitalia the tegumen has straight margins and an indistinct terminal process; the valva is long, with convex costal and ventral margins; the median process of the transtilla is wide, long, with slightly convex margins and a round apex; the phallus is stout, long, and curved ventrally at about 30 degrees; the ventral phallic process is long and tapering; and the cornutus is ½ as long as the phallus, attached basally and laterally curved. In the female genitalia the papillae anales are wide, round and densely covered with medium-long and long setae; the apophyses are slender; the ductus bursae is short; the corpus bursae is narrow in the posterior 1 / 4, then wide, roundish; the signum is in the form of a large sclerotized plate occupying most of corpus bursae, posteriorly with strongly sclerotized ribbon-like folds.
Description.
Adult, male (Figs 5, 43, 44). Head. Frons and vertex covered with yellowish white scales. Labial palpus about 2.5 times diameter of eye, first segment short, second segment long and wide, third segment short, all covered with yellowish white scales on dorsal and medial, yellowish brown on lateral and ventral surfaces. Antenna filiform, ½ forewing length, brown, covered with yellowish white scales dorsally.
Thorax. Dorsally covered with yellowish brown scales, long and erect in posterior 1 / 3, laterally and tegula covered with light brownish yellow scales. Forewing length of holotype 7.5 mm, paratypes 6–8.5 mm, wingspan 14–19 mm. Forewing short and trapezoidal, gradually widening from base to apex, about 2 2 / 3 times as long as wide, costal margin slightly convex, without costal fold, apex pointed, termen straight. Ground colour shining yellowish white. Light yellowish brown reticulate pattern forming an indistinct basal blotch and distinct median transverse fascia, a subapical blotch, a weakly delimited subterminal blotch, and slender terminal fascia. Median transverse fascia perpendicular to costal margin, bent and parallel to termen immediately below costa, expanding towards middle of dorsal margin. Dense admixture of brown scales along basal 1 / 3 of costal margin, on basal blotch, margins of median transverse fascia and subapical blotch. Fringe shining yellowish white. Hindwing without costal roll, brownish grey, fringe shining yellowish white with grey basal line. Underside of thorax and forewing dark brownish grey, indistinct yellowish white line along median 1 / 3 of subcostal vein, fringe yellowish white, hindwing grey, fringe yellowish white. Legs covered with brownish grey scales on medial and yellowish white on lateral surface.
Abdomen covered with dark grey scales, distal edge of segments and last segment with yellowish white scales.
Variation. Forewing is variable, sometimes much lighter, median fascia may be interrupted below costa, subapical blotch less pronounced, subterminal blotch indistinct, terminal fascia fragmented, forming a row of terminal dots, hindwing yellowish grey.
Male genitalia (Figs 11, 23, 24, 30). Tegumen tapering, with straight margins, terminal process indistinct. Socius long, triangular, from margin of tegumen, with sclerotized apex, densely covered with medium-long setae. Median process of transtilla long, with slightly convex margins, round apically with group of small thorns. Valva wide, elongated, costa slightly convex in basal ½, slightly sclerotized sacculus not reaching middle of valva, ventral margin of valva convex, distally evenly curved, cucullus round. Vinculum rod-like, wide, strengthened end inwardly curved; saccus membranous. Caulis with long and shallow ventro-lateral folds. Phallus slightly shorter than valva, stout, widest at coecum, distal end ventrally curved at about 30 degrees, ventral phallic process long and evenly tapering. Vesica with single non-deciduous cornutus stout, basally attached with a round base, aciculate, laterally curved, evenly tapering, and ½ as long as phallus.
Variation. Terminal process sometimes truncated; basal half of costa of valva varies from slightly to fairly convex.
Female (Figs 6, 45). Forewing length 7.5–8 mm, wingspan 16.5–17 mm. Forewing markings slightly more extended and with a more pronounced admixture of brown scales than in male. Hindwing with 3 bristles in the frenulum.
Female genitalia (Figs 15, 34). Papilla analis 2 times as long as segment VIII, wide, roundish, densely covered with medium-long and long setae. Posterior apophysis almost 2 times as long as segment VIII, rod-like, strongly sclerotized, slender. Posterior part of segment VIII covered with strong and long setae, with a row of small setae along anterior margin. Anterior apophysis as long as posterior, rod-like, strongly sclerotized and slender. Antrum as wide as segment VIII. Sterigma with wide and strongly sclerotized lateral sides and weakly sclerotized strengthened medially and densely covered with small microspines. Anteostial sclerite large, distinct and densely covered with microspines. Ostium ½ as wide as segment VIII. Ductus bursae ½ width of ostium, short, membranous. Corpus bursae narrow at posterior 1 / 4, slightly narrower than half of segment VIII, anterior 3 / 4 wide, roundish, slightly wider than segment VIII; signum a large sclerotized plate occupying posterior 4 / 5 of corpus bursae, posteriorly with strongly sclerotized ribbon-like folds, only a small anterior part of corpus bursae membranous. Accessory bursa membranous, longer than corpus bursae, more than 2 times as long as wide, with long and narrow postero-ventral join and about ½ of the size of corpus bursae.
Variation. Size of sclerotized plate variable from 2 / 3 to 4 / 5 of the corpus bursae.
Molecular data
(Fig. 36). BIN URI: BOLD: AEH 6249. The intraspecific divergence of the DNA barcode region is 0 % (n = 2). The minimum distance to the nearest neighbour, C. dorsimaculana, is 3.62 %. The minimum distance to C. perfusana is 3.73 % and to C. callosana 4.43 %.
Habitat
(Fig. 46). The new species inhabits high-mountain to subalpine mesophilic meadows with straggling Larix decidua Mill. (Pinaceae) trees on south-east facing steep slopes on conglomerate substrate in the Bucegi Mountains and subalpine mesophilic meadows on silicate substrate in the Făgăraș Mountains, at 1500–2200 m altitude, where its presumed host-plant, Centaurea kotschyana Heuff. (Asteraceae) is abundant.
Biology.
Poorly known, adults were collected from mid-July to the end of August.
Distribution.
Only known from Romania, Southern Carpathians: Bucegi Mountains (Jepii valley – type locality; Piatra Arsă) and the Făgăraș Mountains (environs of the Bâlea Lake) at 1500–2200 m elevation (Fig. 48). Possibly a Southern Carpathian endemic. However, the range of its presumed host-plant, Centaurea kotschyana, is much wider, occurring scattered localities throughout the high-mountain and subalpine zone of the Carpathians, from Poland and Ukraine through the Romanian Eastern and Southern Carpathians, the Apuseni Mountains to the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula (Stara Planina) (Prodan 1930; A. Bartók pers. comm. 2024), suggesting a wider distribution of the moth as well.
Remarks.
A record by Kovács and Kovács (2005: 61, 64 fig. 53, 70 fig. 72, 87, 88) from the Bucegi Mountains under the name Cochylimorpha perfusana f. callosana (Herrich-Schäffer, 1851) was based on the above mentioned examined material and refers to this species. We were not able to locate the voucher material of Euxanthis dorsimaculana Preiss. recorded from Romania (Transylvania) based on the written communication of J. Kennel by Galvagni and Preissecker (1913: 49). Razowski’s (1970: 163) record from Romania (Transylvania) is based on the previous literature source. In our opinion, these records may not refer to C. dorsimaculana, but to this species.
Etymology.
The specific name is a feminine adjective derived from the name of the type locality, the Bucegi Mountains.
description: Published as part of Kovács, Zoltán, Kovács, Sándor, Buchner, Peter & Junnilainen, Jari, 2024, A review of the Cochylimorpha perfusana (Guenée, 1845) species group (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) in Europe, with the description of a new species from the Southern Carpathians (Romania), pp. 125-162 in Nota Lepidopterologica 47 on pages 125-162, DOI: 10.3897/nl.47.122906