Elachista scolopsa Kaila & Sruoga 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Kaila, Lauri
name: Nupponen, Kari
name: Sruoga, Virginijus
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Elachistidae
Elachista
Elachista scolopsa

description: Elachista scolopsa Kaila & Sruoga sp. nov.
Figs 17, 18, 41
Type material.
Holotype. LEBANON • ♂; Bcharre, 1825 m, Qurnat Al Sawda; 34.143977 ° N, 36.035742 ° E; 9 Jun. 2012; J. Kullberg & T. Lievonen leg.; L. Kaila prep. 6146, DNA sample 16941 Lepid. Phyl.; http://id.luomus.fi/ GK5271; MZH.
Paratypes. • 2 ♂; same collection data as in holotype; DNA sample 23238 Lepid. Phyl.; http://id.luomus.fi/GK5275, GK 5276; • 9 ♂; Bcharre, 2230 m, Cornet Al Sawda nr Al-Ariz; 34.1425 ° N, 36.408 ° E; 26. Aug. 2010; Jaakko & Anssi Kullberg; L. Kaila prep. 5376, 5377, DNA sample 16942 Lepid. Phyl.; MZH; • 6 ♂; Kesrouan, 1520 m, 2 km W Ain el Qadah; 34.05431 ° N, 35.78266 ° E; 29 May 2012; J. Kullberg & T. Lievonen leg.; DNA sample 25349, http://id.luomus.fi/GK5734, GK 5761, GK 5763, GK 5772, GK 5795, GK 5797; MZH.
Diagnosis.
E. scolopsa is a cream-coloured species, forewings scattered with black-tipped scales that may form irregular stripes or patches. In the male genitalia, it is comparable to E. afghana and E. phantasma in the shape of the juxta and uncus lobes. However, it can be distinguished by the shape of the phallus, which is dorsally concave in distal third and the apex bent to ventral direction.
Description.
Wingspan 8.5–10.0 mm. Labial palpus as long as diameter of head, creamy white above, fuscous below. Head, neck tuft, thorax, scape and pedicel of antenna creamy white; flagellum leaden grey, faintly annulated with paler grey rings. Fore- and midleg grey, tarsal articles distally white; hindleg pale ochreous. Forewing ground colour pale creamy, with concolorous fringe, irregularly scattered with black-tipped scales that may form irregular and faint longitudinal, intermittent stripes and black patches, usually near costal margin and apex, as well as irregular black fringe line. Hindwing pale grey, fringe cream-coloured. Underside of forewing dark grey, fringe yellow, underside of hindwing pale grey in costal half, fringe pale grey, variably with yellow bases of scales.
Male genitalia. Uncus lobe 1.2 × as long as broad at its broadest point, distally round and weakly tapered, with few short setae distolaterally, incision separating uncus lobes 0.7 length of uncus. Spinose knob of gnathos oval, 1.5 × as long as broad. Valva 3.6 × as long as broad at its broadest point in the middle; costa strongly convex medially, distinctly emarginated in its distal third; sacculus basally weakly bent, otherwise straight; distal margin of cucullus almost straight, cucullus weakly bent towards costa. Digitate process small, about 1 / 8 length of valva, distally slightly dilated, blunt and setose. Juxta lobes widely separated from each other with U-shaped incision, medially produced 2 × as long as wide; median margin straight, parallel-sided; distal margin with a few short setae; lateral process long and tapered; lateral margin concave; median plate with shallow dorsally directed median sac. Vinculum small, with short, narrow saccus. Phallus 0.7 × as long as valva, straight, about 5 × as long as broad at its broadest place near base, somewhat concave in distal third, apex bent to ventral direction; caecum round; vesica with one weakly bent cornutus formed as long tooth arising from smaller, elongate, sclerotized plate, length of cornutus about 0.2 × length of phallus.
Female. Unknown.
Biology.
Host plant unknown. The specimens have been collected by UV at elevations ranging from 1500 to over 2000 m. in May and June.
Distribution.
Only known from montane areas in Lebanon.
Etymology.
An adjective formed from the Greek skolos; skolops, - opos (anything pointed, thorn), referring to the shape of the cornutus. A noun in apposition.
DNA barcode information.
Maximum intraspecific divergence distance (n = 4) 0.55 % (sample id’s: DNA samples 16941, 16942, 25349, 22526 Lepid. Phyl.) Nearest neighbor is E. atrisquamosa with 4.71 % divergence.
description: Published as part of Kaila, Lauri, Nupponen, Kari & Sruoga, Virginijus, 2025, On species of the Elachista bedellella group (Gelechioidea, Elachistidae, Elachistinae) similar with E. rudectella Stainton, 1851 and E. graeca Parenti, 2002, with descriptions of five new species, pp. 103-136 in Nota Lepidopterologica 48 on pages 103-136, DOI: 10.3897/nl.48.142483