Pleurota protasella Staudinger, 1883

Tabell, Jukka, Honey, Martin, Leger, Théo, Mutanen, Marko, Nupponen, Timo & Sihvonen, Pasi, 2025, New and poorly known Pleurota Hübner, [1825] species from peninsular Spain, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae, Pleurotinae), SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología 53 (209), pp. 43-74 : 47-48

Pleurota protasella Staudinger, 1883 ( Figures 4-5 , 30, 43, 51)

Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ACY6183

Pleurota protasella Staudinger, 1883 , Stettin Ent. Ztg., 44 (4-6), 184-185

Type locality: SPAIN: Granada, Sierra de Alfacar . Lectotype [here designated]: “Origin.” [pink label],”Sierra de Alfacar m[ich] 80.” [pale blue label] , “ Paralectotypus ” [red label], “ex coll. Staudinger ” ( MFNB, examined from photographs and barcode: DNA sample MFNLEP252, 658 bp[89n]) .

Material studied: SPAIN, Prov. GRANADA, Sierra Nevada , 1490 m, 4 km SW Güejar-Sierra , N37.135 W3.473, 3 ♂, 2 ♀ (GP 5500 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24575 Lepid. Phyl; GP 5956 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24927 Lepid. Phyl), 2-VII-2015, J. Tabell leg .; Prov. Granada, Sierra Nevada 1620 m, 2 km NW Bayárcal , N37.040 W3.014, 4 ♂, 1 ♀ (DNA sample 24574 Lepid. Phyl), 4-VII-2015, J. Tabell leg .; Granada, Sierra Nevada 2030 m, 1 km S Puerto de la Ragua , N37.104 W3.027, 3 ♂ (GP 5471 J. Tabell, DNA sample 24572 Lepid. Phyl), 5-VII-2015, J. Tabell leg .; ALMERÍA, Sierra de los Filabres, Calar Alto 2130 m, N37.222 W2.545, 4 ♂ (DNA sample 24573 Lepid. Phyl; DNA sample 24926 Lepid. Phyl), 5-VII-2015, J. Tabell leg .; ALICANTE, 9 km NNW Albatera, 460 m, N38.254 W0.913, 1 ♂ (DNA sample 25603 Lepid. Phyl), 21-V-2016, J. Tabell leg .; Alicante, 9.4 km NNW Albatera, 500 m, N38.256 W0.919, 2 ♂ (GP 5694 J. Tabell), 22-V-2016, J. Tabell leg. (all coll. TAB) . The species was not treated by Back (1973).

Diagnosis: Characterized by broad white costal line, dark discal and discocellular spots and short 3 rd palpomere of labial palpus. Very long posterior lobe of juxta and long chain of cornuti in the male genitalia, and the combination of long apophyses, long and broad antrum and long corpus bursae in the female genitalia distinguish P. protasella from other species.

Molecular diagnosis: Seven specimens of P. protasella were sequenced, resulting in 658 bp DNA barcode sequences for all specimens. The nearest neighbour to P. protasella is the Moroccan species P. ternaria Tabell, 2019 , with a 5.74 % divergence. The barcodes of P. protasella exhibit 1.71 % intraspecific variation, which may indicate cryptic diversity.

Description: Adult. Wingspan 12.5-15.5 mm. Labial palpus 5.6x as long as diameter of eye (1 st and 2 nd palpomeres), 3 rd palpomere 0.25x length of 1 st and 2 nd palpomeres, white, below broadly dark brown. Antenna hairy, pale brown, 0.65x length of forewing. Head, thorax and tegula off-white. Forewing white, scattered with pale fuscous, brown-tipped scales, blackish brown discal and discocellular spots distinct, between them a faint streak, another streak from base to plical spot, fringe line formed of several dark to blackish brown scales; costal line white, from base to 2 / 3, widest at middle; subcostal line greyish brown, mixed with white, apically scattered with a few blackish brown scales, gradually widened from near base to apex; cilia long, pale brown, basally and apically white. Hindwing pale grey, cilia pale grey, apically paler. Abdomen slightly lustrous, pale grey, each segment with a transverse row of ochre scales.

Male genitalia: Uncus bell-shaped from ventral view, markedly shorter than gnathos, lined with few long bristles, apical half narrow. Gnathos funnel-shaped from ventral view, 1.55x length of uncus, gradually tapered towards apex, surfaced with small nodules medially, apex rounded, moderately broad. Valva upwards oblique; cucullus narrow, ventral margin medially concave, costa slightly concave; valval lobe narrow, finger-shaped, basally bulged, surfaced with a few long bristles apically. Anterior extension of juxta straight, median part rounded, posterior lobe narrow, very long, with a small apical tooth. Vinculum V-shaped. Phallus curved, slightly tapered towards apex, with an elongate plate-shaped cornutus and a narrow chain of several spiniform cornuti, apical 1 / 5 with small nodules dorsally.

Female genitalia: Papilla analis ovoid, narrow, covered with bristles of different length. Apophyses long; posterior apophysis about 5x as long as papilla analis and 1.5x as long as anterior apophysis, which is 2x as long as segment 8. Segment 8 longitudinally elongated, rectangular, membranous, quadrate, distally very sparsely covered with bristles, dorsolaterally reinforced by sclerotized band; branch of anterior apophysis apically fused, U-shaped. Antrum tubular, long, posterior half densely covered by small spinules, anterior half more sclerotized. Ductus bursae membranous, short. Corpus bursae ovoid, long, with a large arched signum with two sclerotized wedge-shaped protuberances, and two leaf-shaped signa of equal size.

Biology: Unknown.

Distribution: Spain. Records from France should be re-examined.

Remarks: The species description by Staudinger was based on four male specimens, but only three specimens labelled as paralectotypes were found in MFNB. These designations are unpublished, and according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ( ICZN 1999, Article 74.7) they are not valid. Consequently, one original specimen is designated herein as a lectotype.

Figures

Figures 1-8. Adults of Pleurota spp. 1. P. hebetella Ragonot, 1. 2-3. P. amaurodoxa Meyrick. 2. 1 lectotype. 3. 1. 4-5. P. protasella Staudinger. 4. 1 lectotype. 5. 1. 6.-7. P. glitzella (Staudinger). 6. 1 lectotype. 7. 1. 8. P. pleurotella (Staudinger), 1 lectotype.