Luquetia tigrina Ponomarenko et Koshkin, 2025

Ponomarenko, Margarita G. & Koshkin, Evgeny S., 2025, New species of the spring flat moths of the genera Semioscopis Hübner and Luquetia Leraut (Lepidoptera: Depressariidae) from Far East of Russia with notes on related species, Zootaxa 5666 (4), pp. 529-549 : 537-540

Luquetia tigrina Ponomarenko et Koshkin sp. nov.

Figs 8–10 , 32–36 , 41–43 .

Type material. Holotype (red label with species name and authors): ♂, “ Russia, Evreiskaya Avtonomnaya Oblast [Jewish Autonomous Region], Obluchenskii district, Bastak Nature Reserve , cordon “39 th km”, 49°05'25" N 133°05'21" E, 150 m a.s.l., 07.05.2022 (E.S. Koshkin leg.)”, GS 290 MP, FSCB.

Paratype: 1♀, Russia, Evreiskaya Avtonomnaya Oblast, same locality and collector, 09.v 2022; GS 291 MP, FSCB .

Description. Adult ( Figs 8–10 ). Head with whitish frons and vertex and dark brown scales around eyes. Ocelli absent. Antennal scape without pecten, greyish brown on upper side and whitish on under side, pedicellus and flagellum greyish brown, with short cilia on ventral side in male. Labial palpus with first segment about 2.5 times shorter than second one, second segment 2 times longer than third one; first segment with alternating white and brown scales, second segment dark brown with white distal ring and spot of white scales on underside, third segment dark brown on outer surface and with white inner surface and apex. Ratio of eye diameter along anterior-posterior line and length of labial palpus about 1:1.5. Tegulae and thorax greyish beige, with dark-brown scales anteriorly, thorax with two dark-brown spots in posterior part. Forewing length 12.8 (♂) mm, 11.7 (♀) mm, wingspan 25.4–27 mm. Forewing without scale tufts, greyish beige, with black thick transverse strokes: 11–12 ones along costal edge, 4–5 ones along dorsal edge and 4 short strokes along termen; one small spot near wing base and another two spots at 1/6 length of wing; black stripe curved at an angle on proximal part of discal cell and black arcuate stripe at end of discal cell; fringe greyish beige. Hindwing greyish beige, darker distally; fringe greyish beige. Forewing with Sc to costa beyond middle of wing length; R1–R5 to costa, R1, R2 and R3 separate at base, R4 and R5 stalked basally, diverging at near 2/3; M1–CuA1 to termen and CuA2 to tornus; M1– M3 free basally; CuA1 and CuA2 connate basally, CuP reduced in basal part; 1A and 2A merged distally. Hindwing with Sc to costa near 4/5 of wing length, Rs to costa before apex; M1–CuA1 to termen, M1 and M2 separate basally, M3 and CuA1 connate basally, CuA2 to tornus; A1–A3 separate basally, to dorsal margin, A1, A2 closely spaced basally.

Diagnosis. New species with forewing pale beige, with black thick strokes and stripes. Male genitalia with elongated pineal median sclerite of gnathos, valva about twice wider in basal part than in distal part, saccular process (cuiller) 5/6 of valval width in place of its arising, aedeagus spirally twisted and strongly curved ventrally in the middle. Female genitalia with semi-oval flat antevaginal plate and rhomboid gutter-shaped signum.

Male genitalia ( Figs 32–36 ). Uncus almost equal to tegumen in length, with rounded notch on posterior margin, with rounded lateral lobes. Gnathos with elongated lateral arms and longitudinally elongated pineal median sclerite ( Fig. 34 ). Valva widened towards base, about 2 times wider in basal part than in distal part, distal part gradually narrowed towards rounded apex; saccular process (cuiller) 5/6 width of valva in place of its arising, with rounded apex ( Fig. 32 ). Juxta with triangular notch on posterior margin ( Fig. 35 ). Aedeagus about 3/5 length of valva, cylindrical, widened towards base, spirally twisted, strongly curved ventrally in middle, with truncated apex, with small needle-shaped cornuti, arranged in 2 elongated spirally twisted bands ( Figs 33, 36 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs 41–43 ). Ovipositor short, membrane between 8 th and 9 th segments about 1/3 length of papillae analis; the latter sclerotised laterally. Apophysis posterioris 2.6 times longer than apophysis anterioris. Sternal part of segment 8 with broadly rounded notch on posterior margin. Ostium large, oval, placed on level of posterior margin of segment 7, anteriorly surrounded by flat semi-oval antevaginal plate. This plate and sternal part of segment 8 densely covered with small spines ( Fig. 42 ). Antrum narrowed and semi-sclerotised, ductus bursae membranous, wrinkled, spirally twisted, widened towards corpus bursae. Ductus seminalis arising beyond vaginal part of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae oval and membranous, signum rhomboid gutter-shaped with small teeth on periphery and placed approximately at level of anterior 1/3 length ( Figs 41, 43 ).

Distribution. Russia ( Far East: Evreiskaya Avtonomnaya Oblast [Jewish Autonomous Region]).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from Latin word tigrinus meaning stripy or similar to animal, tiger, in transverse striations in the pattern of its skin. An adjective in the nominative singular. Feminine.

Remarks. The described species L. tigrina sp. nov. is similar to some species from the Semioscopis ( S. avellanella Hübner , S. steinkellneriana ([Den. et Schiff.]), S. japonicella Saito , S. similis Saito , S. packardella Clemens , S. merriccella Dyar , S. aurorella Dyar and S. mcdunnoughi Clarke ) in appearance by some elements of forewing pattern, namely black stripe on the proximal part of discal cell and especially black arcuate stripe at end of discal cell. Also L. tigrina sp. nov. is similar to S. fareastenica sp. nov. and S. steinkellneriana by long labial palpi. Luquetia tigrina sp. nov., as Semioscopis spp. , has no pecten on the antennal scape and tufts of raised scales on the forewings. The last character differs L. tigrina sp. nov. from the type species of the genus Luquetia , which cannot be said about other species of this genus, since this feature was not mentioned in their description. However, L. tigrina sp. nov. is similar to the type species of the genus Luquetia , L. lobella , by the genitalia of both sexes, which was the main reason for determining the taxonomic position of this species. Besides, the new species possesses flat, rounded and relatively wide antevaginal plate in the ostial area of the female genitalia, which is similar to that in Semioscopis merriccella Dyar (Moth Photographers Group 2024). The new species differs by unique pattern of forewing from all known species from both mentioned genera. Also, it can be identified by the saccular process (cuiller) arising exactly from the middle of the valval ventral margin, an aedeagus curved ventrally and spirally twisted in the male genitalia; and by a relatively wide, rounded antevaginal plate in the female genitalia. The related species L. lobella bears the saccular process (cuiller) arising beyond the middle of the valval ventral margin, aedeagus short, stout and slightly curved ventrally in the male genitalia; and with a very narrow, rounded antevaginal plate in the female genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Semioscopis spp. and Luquetia tigrina sp. nov., adults and heads with appendages. 1–3—Semioscopis fareastenica sp. nov., paratype male; 4, 5—S. strigulana; 6, 7—S. similis; 8–10—Luquetia tigrina sp. nov., holotype male. Figs 1, 4, 6, 8—adult; 2, 5, 7, 9—head with labial palpi, enlarged; 3, 10—flagellum with ciliation on ventral side, enlarged. Scale bar for figures 1, 4, 6, 8—2 mm.

FIGURES 26–36. Semioscopis spp. and Luquetia tigrina sp. nov., male genitalia. 26–28—S. similis, GS 307, 308; 29–31—S. strigulana, GS 300; 32–36—Luquetia tigrina sp. nov., holotype, GS 290. Figs 26, 29, 32—male genitalia, ventral view, aedeagus removed; 27, 30, 33—aedeagus, lateral view; 28, 31, 35—juxta and lobes of transtilla, enlarged; 34—gnathos, enlarged; 36— cornuti, enlarged. Scale bar for figures 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33,—0.5 mm.

FIGURES 37–43. Semioscopis fareastenica sp. nov. and Luquetia tigrina sp. nov., female genitalia. 37–40—Semioscopis fareastenica sp. nov., paratype, GS 303; 41–43—Luquetia tigrina sp. nov., paratype, GS 291. Figs 37, 41—ventral view; 38—ostial area (ostium, vaginal sinus, postvaginal plate, antrum); 39—inner side of antrum with thorns; 40, 43—signum; 42—ostial area (ostium, antevaginal and postvaginal plates, antrum). Figures 38–40, 42, 43 enlarged. Scale bar for figures 37 and 41—0.5 mm.