Spiniphallellus minimus, Huemer & Šumpich, 2025

Huemer, Peter & Šumpich, Jan, 2025, New species and interesting records of Spiniphallellus Bidzilya & Karsholt, 2008, from Kyrgyzstan (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 5679 (1), pp. 133-142 : 136-137

Spiniphallellus minimus sp. nov.

Figs 2A–D

Type material. Holotype ♂, Kyrgyzstan, Jalal-Abad Oblasti , Tian-Shan West , Chandlash Kirka Toosu, Umg. Chanach> Kum Bel Ashuu, 2085 m, 41°53′30´´N; 71°15′ 24´´E, 02.08.2024, Peter Huemer leg. (Keil, May, Bolt, Mayr, Pöll, Schwarm), DNA Barcode ID TLMF _ Lep _42991 ( TLMF) . Paratypes: 11 ♂, same data as for holotype, but DNA Barcode IDs TLMF _Lep_42992, TLMF _Lep_42993, gen. slide GEL 1370 ♂ P. Huemer, gen. slide without number in glycerin capsule ( TLMF) .

Diagnosis. The new species is distinguished from all congeneric taxa—except for the similarly small but unmistakably metallic-spotted “ Spiniphallellus ” chrysotomella —by its short forewing length of less than 6 mm. The male genitalia are diagnostic, differing from all other congeners in the morphology of the valva. Additionally, the species differs from S. desertus and S. stonisi by the absence of a strongly sclerotized gnathos, and from all other species—except S. naumanni —by lacking a lateral process on the phallus. A closer phylogenetic relationship with S. naumanni seems plausible, as both species share a similarly shaped phallus and uncus, although S. naumanni exhibits an oval-shaped valva.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 2A ). Head light to dark greyish brown, frons greyish white to greyish brown; labial palps greyish brown, predominantly greyish white on upper and inner surface, tip of segment 3 blackish brown; antenna blackish, ringed with light grey. Thorax and tegula light to dark greyish brown; legs greyish brown with scattered greyish-white admixture. Forewing length: ♂ 4.5-5.7 mm. Forewing ground colour blackish brown, intensively mottled with light greyish-brown overlying scales, forming indistinct, band-like markings at the basal third, the middle, and particularly at three-quarters of the wing length, remaining black parts indistinct; cilia blackish at base, distal part light grey. Hindwing with a pearly sheen, blackish, lighter in middle. Abdomen dark greyish brown with light grey suffusion.

Abdominal structures ( Fig. 2B ): Sternite VIII with evenly rounded posterior edge, anterior half tapering, with two broad, subtriangular lobes at the anterior margin, separated by a deep, subtriangular notch; tergite VIII tongueshaped, anterior margin with shallow excavation.

Male genitalia ( Figs 2C–D ). Uncus about three times length of width, posterior margin distinctly rounded, covered with long setae; gnathos reduced; tegumen about same width and length, anteromedial emargination shallow; valva without sacculus, massive, broad at base, distal third subtriangular with straight inner and oblique outer edge, apical part strongly sclerotized with strong and inwardly directed setae, outer half of edge covered with short spines; transtilla lobes reduced; vinculum about two times broader than long, posterior margin with sclerotized edge and broad and deep medial excavation, medially with deep and small U-shaped incision; saccus about three times broader than long, narrowed at base, anterior edge nearly straight with slightly protruding edges; phallus with massive suboval caecum, distal three-fifths weakly S-curved and gradually narrowed to pointed apex.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Biology. Adults have been collected in early August at light. The habitat is a south exposed steppic slope at an altitude of ca. 2100 m ( Fig. 4A ).

Molecular data. BIN: BOLD:AGO5816. The intraspecific average distance of the barcode region is 0.1% (n=3). The minimum distance to the nearest neighbor S. stonisi (BIN: BOLD:AAW5093; n=5) is 5.46% ( Fig. 1 ).

Distribution. Only known from the type locality so far.

Etymology. The new species is named after its small size (latin adjective minimus = very small, the smallest) compared to congeners.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Neighbor-Joining tree of species of Spiniphallellus Bidzilya & Karsholt, 2008 (Kimura 2-parameter, built with MEGA 11 (Tamura et al. 2021); source: DNA barcode data from BOLD (Barcode of Life Database; Ratnasingham 2018); rooted for Spiniductellus flavonigrum Bidzilya & Karsholt, 2008 as outgroup.

FIGURE 2. Spiniphallellus minimus sp. nov., holotype. A. Adult. B. Abdominal segment VIII. C. Male genitalia. D. Phallus. Scale 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 4. Habitat of Spiniphallellus species in Kyrgyzstan. A. Chanach, Kum Bel Ashuu, habitat of S. minimus sp. nov. B. Talas, Chong-Kara-Buura, habitat of S. stonisi Bidzilya & Karsholt, 2008.