Elegia kharazii Alipanah & Slamka 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Alipanah, Helen
name: Slamka, František
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Pyralidae
Elegia
Elegia kharazii

description: Elegia kharazii sp. nov.   
 Material examined. Holotype: • ♂, Golestân Prov.: Golestân National Park, Mazârli, 530 m, 19.-20.vi.1977, Pâzuki, Abâi leg. (gen. prep. HA-2578, HMIM).   
Paratypes: 2 ♀♀: • 1 ♀, same data as the holotype (gen. prep. HA-2599, HMIM); • 1 ♀, Gilân Prov.: Shaft, Ahmad Gurâb, Siâhmezgi vill., N 37˚0.00´54.86˝, E 49˚15´7.95˝, 626 m, 23.vii.2010, Âlipanâh, Falsafi leg. (gen. prep. HA-2632, HMIM).  
 Diagnosis. Elegia kharazii is externally similar to E. similella, but the hindwings are paler, greyish-brown, while in E. similella brownish (Figs. 7A, B). The male genitalia are similar to E. similella, but differ in the following characters:   
 1) In E. kharazii the labides are quite different, club-shaped, with the strong spines situated on interior and interio-distal end (Figs. 6A, C), while in E. similella labides are in shape of oblong lobes almost whole densely covered by thin, sclerotized spines (Figs. 7C, D).   
 2) Distal end of gnathos in E. similella is more or less hook-shaped (Figs. 7C, D) (cf. Slamka 2019: 172); while it is relatively straight in E. kharazii (Fig. 6A).   
 3) In E. kharazii valva has a small costal projection at the apex (Fig. 6 A-a); while in E. similella apical part of valva (cucullus) is more or less rounded or only with a small costal projection (Fig. 7 C-a).   
 4) Culcita in E. similella has more wavy scale elements (Fig. 7F) than in E. kharazii (Fig. 6F).   
 The important difference in the female genitalia of E. similella and E. kharazii is in the shape of paired sclerotized shield in the lamina antevaginalis, which in these two species is apparently different. In E. similella it has triangular shape (Fig. 8 D-a), in E. kharazii nearly trapezoid (Figs. 8 A-a, C-a).   
 Description. Male (Figs. 5A, B, E, F). Head: Nearly smooth, brown, apically white scales; scales on vertex elongate; labial palpus sinuate with third segment pointed, brown, apically white scales dorso-laterally, except creamy-white base of first segment, length 2.17 times the diameter of eye (n = 1), second segment the longest (Fig. 5F); antennae ringed with cream and brown scales; at base of flagellum is well developed sinus surrounded by raised scales (Fig. 5E; white arrow).   
 Thorax: Patagia smooth scaled, brown, apically white dorsally. Forewing (Figs. 5A, B) relatively elongate, with outwardly arched costa and oblique termen. Length of the forewing 8.4 mm (n = 1); upperside dark grey, basal band slightly darker than the ground colour with straight distal side, indistinct proximally, ante-median line whitish-grey, not quite reaching the costa, post-median line narrow, slightly lighter than the ground colour almost zigzag and hardly visible, paired dark discal spots scarcely visible, fringes chequered with brown and greyish-cream scales; underside slightly paler than the upperside, with traces of ante-median and post-median lines. Hindwing pale greyish-brown, slightly paler towards the base, fringes pale greyish-brown, with rows of darker short scales basally; underside more or less the same as the upperside.   
 Abdomen: Brown, distally cream on each segment.   
 Male genitalia (Figs. 6A‒E). Uncus nearly triangular with truncated tip, constricted at the junction with tegumen; gnathos shorter than uncus, nearly pointed apically and slightly broadened at base (Fig. 6A); labides strongly sclerotized, club-shaped at posterior end, shorter than the length of uncus, with strongly sclerotized dense thick spines at both posterior and posterio-internal sides (Fig. 6C); valva elongate, with a rounded apex having a small apico-costal projection (Fig. 6 A-a), clasper short triangular (Fig. 6D); juxta nearly trapezoidal with a weak depression posterio-medially; aedeagus slightly broadened near distal end, with a longitudinal dentate sclerotized plate (Figs. 6B, E).   
Culcita with an apically rounded and broadened basally median process and four wavy elements on each side, anterior edge with a pointed sclerotized projection medially (Fig. 6F).  
 Female (Figs. 5C, D, G). Head and Thorax: As described for male.Antennae filiform, creamy-brownish ringed; length of labial palpus 2.00–2.12 times the diameter of eye (n = 2); forewing (Figs. 5C, D) length of 7.8–8.3 mm (x = 8.05 mm ± 0.35, n = 2); as described for the male.   
 Abdomen: Externally as in male.   
 Female genitalia (Figs. 8A‒C). Papillae anales sub-triangular, setose; apophyses posteriores much longer than apophyses anteriores, nearly two times the length of apophyses anteriores; lamina antevaginalis with a pair of sclerotized trapezoid-shape shields, with a slightly sclerotized plate below it containing dense tubercles at medial, lateral, and posterior-lateral sides (Fig. 8 B-a); antrum sclerotized, slightly prominent posterio-medially, with small spines at the middle narrowly extended towards the lateral sides; ductus bursa sclerotized, shorter than corpus bursae, with deep sclerotized longitudinal ventral wrinkles extended to near the junction with corpus bursae, and a large transverse folding at the junction with corpus bursae; corpus bursae oval, with spinulate surface, except the anterior end at right side (in ventral view), medial spinules conspicuously larger than the others, posterior end of corpus bursae next to the junction with ductus bursa with a slightly sclerotized spiny shield not reaching to the edge of corpus bursae; ductus seminalis arises on a small vesicle at the anterior right part of the corpus bursae in ventral view; abdominal segment VIII sclerotized, with a very deep V-shaped groove posteriorly and a wide triangular and apically rounded projection anteriorly extended to slightly beyond the antrum, posterio-lateral edges with a pair of strongly sclerotized nearly triangular areas (Fig. 8 B-b).   
 Etymology. Named in honor of the Aziz Kharazi Pakdel, the famous entomologist in Iran, for his efforts in engaging students to entomology.   
 Distribution. Iran, so far Gilan and Golestan Provinces.
description: Published as part of Alipanah, Helen & Slamka, František, 2021, On the genus Elegia Ragonot, 1887 (Pyralidae: Phycitinae: Phycitini) from Iran with description of Elegia kharazii sp. nov., pp. 285-297 in Zootaxa 4999 (3) on pages 291-294, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4999.3.8, http://zenodo.org/record/5119124