Ancylodes dealbatella ( Erschoff, 1874 )

Liu, Lianxin, Gulzar, Abdukirim & Li, Houhun, 2025, Two species of the genus Ancylodes Ragonot, 1887 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from Xinjiang, China, Zootaxa 5631 (2), pp. 395-400 : 396-399

Ancylodes dealbatella ( Erschoff, 1874)

( Figs 4–6 )

Homoeosoma dealbatella Erschoff, 1874: 91 . TL: Uzbekistan.

Epischnia staminella Christoph, 1877: 281 . TL: Turkmenistan.

Heterographis nervulatella Turati, 1926: 59 . TL: Libya.

Ancylodes kerbelella Amsel, 1949: 282 . TL: Iraq.

Ancylodes dealbatella : Sinev, 1990: 423.

Diagnosis. Adult ( Fig. 4 ). Wingspan 19.5–23.0 mm. Ancylodes dealbatella ( Erschoff, 1874) is characterized by the forewing with a subterminal line; in the male genitalia by having a broad subtriangular uncus with an obtuse apex, the valva with a small thumb-shaped clasper and the aedeagus with a wide band formed by dense spines ( Fig. 5 ); in the female genitalia by the ovate corpus bursae with two clusters of spines arranged in rectangle and in C-shape, respectively ( Fig. 6 ).

Material examined. [ CHINA] 2♂ 3♀, Kashi , Xinjiang, 39.25°N 76.45°E, 1258 m, 14.VI.2023, leg. Abdukirim Gulzar & Nuriye Muhetaier, gen. slide Nos. GLZ24029 ♂, GLZ24069 ♀, GLZ24097 ♂; 1♀, 39.30°N 76.10°E, 1270 m, 7.VI.2023, leg. HH Li et al., gen. slide No. LLX23216 ♀.

Distribution. China (Xinjiang, Yunnan), Canaries, Iraq, Libya, North Africa, Southern Russia, Spain, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Remarks. Ancylodes dealbatella was first described from Uzbekistan by Erschoff (1874), and was initially classified under the genus Homoeosoma Curtis. Roesler (1973) assigned it into the genus Patagonia Ragonot , and synonymized Homoeosoma subgoliathella Caradja and Rotruda gigantella Roesler with dealbatella . Sinev (1990) assigned this species into Ancylodes , and recognized Epischnia staminella Christoph as a synonymy of A. dealbatella after checking the holotype of dealbatella and the lectotype of staminella . After dissecting the specimens collected from Xinjiang, we found that the structures of its male and female genitalia are closer to the type species A. pallens Ragonot, 1887 in having a broadened gnathos, an elongated vinculum and a short cylindrical aedeagus in the male genitalia; and in the small triangular papillae anales, the corpus bursae with various forms of long spines and spinules or granules significantly different from several other genera in the female genitalia. Hence, we follow Sinev (1990), and place A. dealbatella in the genus Ancylodes . Homoeosoma subgoliathella and Rotruda gigantella are recognized as valid species herein due to their significant differences from A. dealbatella . The species Patagonia gigantella ( Roesler, 1965) stat. nov. is assigned to Patagonia based on its male genitalia characters. However, the taxonomic status of subgoliathella remains uncertain.

Figures

FIGURES 4–6. Ancylodes dealbatella (Erschoff). 4, Adult, ♂; 5, Male genitalia, slide No. GLZ24029 (5a. genitalia without aedeagus, 5b. aedeagus, 5c. culcita); 6, Female genitalia, slide No. GLZ24069. Scales: 4 = 2.0 mm; 5, 6 = 0.5 mm.