Elachista (Aphelosetia) galbina Kaila, 2012, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kaila, Lauri
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Elachistidae
Elachista
Elachista galbina

description: Elachista (Aphelosetia) galbina sp. nov.
(Figs. 3, 4, 11, 16)
Holotype 3: Kazakhstan 46°31’40”N 57°47’00’’E, Ustyurt Plateau N, 138 m, 80 km E Bozoi village, 14.V.2010 K. Nupponen leg. L. Kaila prep. 5291, DNA sample 15360 Lepid. Phyl. (Coll. Nupponen). Paratypes: 11 3 1 Ƥ with the same collecting data as in the holotype, L. Kaila prep. 5290 (3), DNA sample 15359 Lepid. Phyl.; L. Kaila prep. 5337 (Ƥ); (Coll. Nupponen, 2 3 in MZH).
Diagnosis. Elachista galbina is striking as being a narrow-winged species. Its forewings are creamy white with broad, longitudinal, pale orange yellow lines, and some scattered black-tipped scales especially on distal part of the forewing. The male genitalia differ from other closely related species by the tapered uncus lobes and the broad phallus. The digitate process is not as broad as in E. hedemanni. The female genitalia of E. galbina are different from the other related species by the short and rounded shape of the papillae anales, and by the distinctive sclerotization in posterior third of the ductus bursae. The signum is smaller than in the other species.
Description. Wingspan 8.5– 10 mm. Length of labial palpus 1.2 times diameter of head, creamy white, second segment fuscous below. Head, neck tuft, scape and pedicel of antenna creamy white, scape above ochreous. Flagellum leaden grey, slightly serrate in distal third. Thorax creamy white, tegula ochreous. Foreleg outwardly leaden grey, legs otherwise creamy white. Abdomen above leaden grey, intermixed with creamy scales, creamy white below. Forewing ground colour creamy white, scattered with a few black scales in distal third, with three distinct ochreous longitudinal lines: one along fold from base to apex and two others from middle of wing length to apex, one near costa and other near dorsal margin, all three lines fused near apex, basal third of costa black; fringe scales concolorous with forewing, some of longer scales distally brown or dark grey, forming fringe line. Costal part of hindwing grey, dorsal part translucent above, with paler yellowish fringe scales; underside of forewing and costal half of hindwing dark grey, dorsal half of hindwing translucent, fringe scales of forewing creamy white, those of hindwing yellowish grey.
Male genitalia. Uncus lobes broadest basally, twice as long as their width basally, tapered, distally rounded, with a few setae laterodistally, separated by broad V-shaped incision. Gnathos relatively large, as long as uncus lobes, oval, three times as long as wide, tapered towards rounded apex. Valva about 3.5 times as long as wide at its widest point in the basal 1/3 and in cucullus, costa convex in basal third, emarginated distally; sacculus straight, joins cucullus without at a right angle; distal margin of cucullus straight. Digitate process extending to 1/3 length of valva, basally narrow, distally considerably expanded at costal side, dorsal margin concave; distally setose. Juxta lobe as long as digitate process, longest mesially where rounded, mesial margin of juxta lobe straight, meeting distal margin at about 45° angle, distal margin slightly concave, distally setose, lateral margin concave, laterally produced and joined to valval process. Median plate of juxta without dorsally projected lobe. Vinculum short and broad, V-shaped. Phallus as long as valva, broadest in the middle, S-shaped, about 7 times as long as wide at its widest point; coecum rounded; distal opening extended to distal 3/4 of phallus. Vesica distally with large granulose area, with elongate cornutus that is formed of narrow and elongate plate-shaped basal part and straight horn-shaped distal part, length of horn ¼ of the plate-shaped part; length of cornutus 1.5 times the diameter of phallus.
Female genitalia. Papillae anales somewhat triangular, distally broadly rounded in lateral aspect, as long as broad in their broadest place, apically rounded, ventral margin straight. Apophyses posteriores slender, straight, as long as papillae anales. Apophyses anteriores as long as apophyses posteriores. Ostium bursae in anterior margin of tergum 8, indistinct, width 1/3 of the distance between apophyses anteriores; no distinctive antrum present; colliculum sclerotized, very short; ductus seminalis inserted posterior to colliculum; anterior part of ductus bursae tubular, membranous, twice the length of colliculum + distance to ostium, granulose in posterior third, otherwise smooth; corpus bursae pear-shaped, with minute internal granules except at anterior end; signum small, laterally slightly dentate plate.
Biology. Immature stages are unknown. Adult specimens were attracted to light. The habitat was a xerothermic slope with steppe vegetation, including Artemisia spp. and tussocks of unidentified large-sized grasses (Poaceae). Distribution. Only known from the type locality in Kazakhstan.
description: Published as part of Kaila, Lauri, 2012, On species related to Elachista hedemanni Rebel (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae: Elachistinae), with descriptions of three new Palearctic species, pp. 28-39 in Zootaxa 3316 on pages 35-36, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.281105