Gymnancyla (Bazaria) turanica, Tsvetkov, 2021

Tsvetkov, E. V., 2021, Four new species of the subfamily Phycitinae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from Kazakhstan, Zoosystematica Rossica (China) 30 (1), pp. 116-130 : 121-124

Gymnancyla (Bazaria) turanica sp. nov.

( Figs 3, 4, 10, 15, 19, 22, 31–33, 37)

Holotype. Male ; Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda Prov., 14 km NW of Shieli Vill., 44°16′56″N, 66°34′42″E, 7.VII.2019, E. V. Tsvetkov leg. ( ZIN).

Paratypes. 1 male, 2 females; same locality and date as in holotype, E. V. Tsvetkov leg. ( ZIN) .

Description. Length of forewing 11–12 mm. Forewing triangular with almost straight margins; costal margin slightly bent at apex, tornus widely rounded ( Fig. 22).

Antennae nearly half of forewing in length; flagellum shortly ciliate in both sexes; male

E.V. Tsvetkov. New species of Pyralidae from Kazakhstan flagellum sinuate; male flagellomeres 3–8 with tiny sclerotised spine-like projections increasing in size from third flagellomere to eighth; scape nearly 2.5 times as long as wide, slightly flattened, narrowed at both ends. Labial palpi nearly two diameters of eye in length, pointed up and ahead, with third segment pointed ahead ( Figs 10 and 15); second segment 3.5 times as long and 1.5–1.6 times as wide as first segment; inner side of second segment with a longitudinal excavation containing scale tuft of maxillary palpus; third segment ovoid, nearly one-third as long and half as wide as first segment. Maxillary palpi relatively large, nearly twice as long as first segment of labial palpi, with large brush-like ochreous scale tufts in males (on segments 2 and 3); first segment thin, stick-like; second segment quadrangular with rounded corners, heavily sclerotised; third segment elongate, well-sclerotised, nearly equal to first segment in length and 1.9–2 times as thick.

Frons with a massive widely convex projection, its anterior part slightly stretched up and with sharp transverse edging ( Fig. 19).

Labial palpi, frons (partly), scape, thorax and legs covered with mixture of whitish and grey scales. Flagellum chequered (each segment partly whitish and partly grey). Abdomen ochreous with golden tinge dorsally, white ventrally. Forewing ground colour grey with brownish tinge (black, brownish and white scales) ( Figs 3 and 4); two black discal spots tiny; antemedial white line angulate, inconspicuous or sometimes indistinct, contrasted from outer side by thin black interrupting line; postmedial white line almost parallel to outer margin, fading, slightly angled inwards at vein M 1 and between veins A and Cu 2, contrasted by black line from inner side; thin marginal black line dotted; fringe consisting of brown and white scales, partly forming parallel brownish lines. Hindwing upperside and underside light brown or whitish with light brown tinge; marginal and subcostal areas brown; fringe whitish with light brown stripe basally.

Male genitalia ( Figs 31 and 32). Uncus rather long and narrow, triangular; its dorsal surface covered with very short bristles. Gnathos elongate, flattened dorsoventrally, distal half tapering to apex, which is pointed and hooked up. Branches of gnathos abruptly broadening to their ends. Transtilla components as small well-sclerotised triangular plates. Juxta U-shaped, its side lobes elongate digitate, not parallel to each other. Valva with very narrow basal third and much broader cucullus; costal sclerite strong, divided distally into short and long parts, the latter reaching apex of cucullus; clasper weakly sclerotised, short digitate, pointed ventrally; sacculus narrow, nearly 0.4 of valva in length. Vinculum large, elongate, narrowing cranially. Aedeagus curved cylindrical, with distal end obliquely cut; vesica armed with one spine-like cornutus equal to nearly 0.4 of aedeagus in length. Eighth sternum weakly sclerotised, culcita present; anterior margin with rather long pointed median process, posterior margin with short rounded median process; lateral margins of sternum bent, well-sclerotised ( Fig. 33).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 37). Papillae anales relatively small, elongate triangular, densely covered with bristles. Posterior apophyses 0.9–1.0 mm; anterior apophyses 0.7–0.8 mm, broader than posterior apophyses and angulate at their bases. Eighth tergum trapezoidal, with straight posterior margin and convex anterior margin. Antrum sclerotised, flattened dorsoventrally; dorsal and ventral walls divided symmetrically by a narrow weakly sclerotised area. Ductus bursae membranous, 0.7–0.8 mm in length. Corpus bursae large, elongate, membranous. Seminal duct arising posteriorly from corpus bursae. Two heavily sclerotised unequal signae located in the middle of corpus bursae on opposite sides; each signa consisting of fused sections, resembling a cluster of fused thumb tacks (nine and six spiny sections in signae in examined female specimen).

Comparison. The new species is similar in the genitalia to several species of the genera Gymnancyla and Christophia , but it is easily distinguished from them by the combination of the frons structure and the forewing pattern. Examination of the genitalia can be also helpful for reliable separation. In males of G. kuranella (Amsel, 1970) , the valva is narrower and nearly constant in width (the cucullus is not broadened) and the gnathos is smaller. Females of G. kuranella are distinguished from those of G. turanica sp. nov. by the presence of sclerites on the bursa copulatrix and partly on the surface of ductus bursae (in addition to two signae). Two species, G. termacerba Liu et Li, 2010 and G. termifurcata Liu et Li, 2010 , are very different from G. turanica sp. nov. externally, but are similar to the latter in the genitalia. In males of G. termacerba and G. termifurcata the valva is narrower, the cucullus is only weakly broadened, andthe costal sclerite of the valva is pointed apically. In females of G. termacerba the ductus is nearly twice as long as the anterior apophyses (vs. nearly equal to the anterior apophyses in the new species). Females of G. termifurcata possess much stouter anterior apophyses. Gymnancyla sieversi (Christoph, 1877) and Christophia tessulata Falkovitsh, 1999 bear similar projections of the frons ( Figs 18 and 20), but G. sieversi is quite different from G. turanica sp.nov. in the appearance and in the genitalia, while Ch. tessulata , which is known only from one female, can be separated from G. turanica sp. nov. by the structure of projection of the frons. In the new species, the projection is slightly stretched up and bears a sharp transverse edging in contrast to Ch. tessulata ( Figs 18 and 19). In females of Ch. tessulata , the antrum is membranous (vs. well-sclerotised in G. turanica sp. nov.). In Ch. triceratops Falkovitsh, 1999 and Ch. climacopterae Falkovitsh, 1999 , the frons bears a projection of quite different structure (flat vertical comb with three prongs). Males of these two species can be separated from males of the new species by the length of cornutus, which is less than 0.25 times the aedeagus and much shorter than in G. turanica sp. nov.

Etymology. The name turanicus is a Latin adjective derived from the name of the historical region of Turan, where the type locality of the new species is situated.

Distribution. The species is known from the Kyzylorda Province of Kazakhstan.

Bionomics. The specimens were collected in the same locality and habitat as the previous species (Addenda: Fig. 41).