Pleurota paragallicella Tabell & Wikström & Mutanen & Bruckner & Sihvonen 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Tabell, Jukka
name: Wikström, Bo
name: Mutanen, Marko
name: Bruckner, Harald
name: Sihvonen, Pasi
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Oecophoridae
Pleurota
Pleurota paragallicella

description: Pleurota paragallicella Tabell, sp. nov.
Barcode Index Number: BOLD:AEC9409
Table 1, Figs. 29, 47, 65, 66
Type material. Holotype ♂ (GP 6024 J. Tabell, DNA sample 26351 Lepid Phyl): Marokko, H Atlas, obh. Ait Leqak 27.6.2017, 31°14’ 17–20’’N; 7°49’ 24–30’’W, Tizi-n-Addi, 2400 m, J. Ratzel, RB, AS, DF leg., ex coll. Ulr. Ratzel, Karlsruhe (coll. MZH), BOLD sample ID: MM26351, http://id.luomus.fi/GBT.7
Diagnosis. Externally P. paragallicella is somewhat similar to P. ericella (Duponchel, 1839) (Fig. 15), but the subcostal line is paler brown, the labial palp markedly longer, and the veins in hindwing well visible. In male genitalia, paragallicella is close to P. gallicella (Fig. 49) with some distinct differences. In paragallicella, the gnathos is longer, the posterior lobe shorter, and the valval lobe markedly smaller, subtriangular (in gallicella the valval lobe is ear-shaped). The female of paragallicella is unknown.
Molecular data. The holotype of paragallicella was sequenced successfully, resulting in a 656 bp barcode sequence. The nearest neighbour to paragallicella is P. gallicella, with a 5.13 % divergence.
Description. Adult. Wingspan 16.7 mm. Labial palpus long, 8.2 x diameter of eye (1 st and 2 nd palpomeres), 3 rd palpomere 0.23 x length of 1 st and 2 nd palpomeres, dirty white, scattered with brown and pale beige scales, below dark brown, mixed off-white. Antenna and scape brown. Head, thorax and tegula brown, mixed with fuscous and off-white scales. Forewing dirty white, scattered with pale fuscous and brown scales; costal line off-white, from base to 0.75; subcostal line greyish brown, expanded towards apex, brown, scattered with white and dark brown scales. Fringe greyish brown, apically lighter. Hindwing greyish brown, veins visible, fringe concolorous, apically white.
Male genitalia. Uncus triangular from ventral view, slightly shorter than gnathos, lined with several long and short bristles, apex with stout protuberance. Gnathos funnel-shaped from ventral view, broad, smooth, distal half elongate and covered with scobination, apex stout. Valva oblique from ventral view; cucullus moderately narrow, ventral margin concave; sacculus covered by long bristles; valval lobe very small, subtriangular. Anterior extension of juxta narrow; posterior lobe not reaching the base of uncus. Phallus arched, slightly tapered towards apex, with a large plate-shaped cornutus and numerous robust spines grouped into two bundles of different size.
Female genitalia. Female unknown.
Biology. The biology is unknown. The specimen was collected at light on a rocky hillside.
Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the close affinity with gallicella.
Distribution. Known only from the type locality in the High Atlas Mountains at an altitude of 2400 m.
Note. Huemer & Luquet (1995) included five Pleurota specimens from Tinmel, Morocco into the paratype series of gallicella, but these specimens may belong to paragallicella (not examined by us). Tinmel is a village situated about 40 km southwest of Tizi n’Addi, the type locality of paragallicella.
description: Published as part of Tabell, Jukka, Wikström, Bo, Mutanen, Marko, Bruckner, Harald & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2021, Subspecies of Pleurota bicostella (Clerck, 1759) revisited and descriptions of nine new species in the P. bicostella species group (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea Oecophoridae: Pleurotinae), pp. 451-486 in Zootaxa 4941 (4) on page 475, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4941.4.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4595501