Scoparia dagestanica, Tsvetkov, 2025

Tsvetkov, Eugene, 2025, A new species of the genus Scoparia Haworth, 1811 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) from the Northeast Caucasus, Zootaxa 5647 (5), pp. 469-474 : 470-473

Scoparia dagestanica sp. nov.

( Figs 1–4 , 7–10 )

Type material. Holotype ♂. Russia: Dagestan, interfluve of rivers Puleuvla and Khalagork, 11 km SW of vill. Gubden , 26.v.2024, leg. E. Tsvetkov. Deposited in Zoological Institute St. Petersburg ( ZIN).

Paratypes. 3 ♂, same data as for holotype ; 9 ♂, 3 ♀, Russia: Dagestan, interfluve of rivers Puleuvla and Khalagork, 11 km SW of vill. Gubden , 29.v.2024, leg. E. Tsvetkov ; 4 ♂, Russia: Dagestan, W env. of vill. Datuna , 950 m, 8.vi.2022, 21.vii.2023, 10–11.v.2024, leg. E. Tsvetkov ; 2 ♂, Russia: Dagestan, 5 km SW of vill. Kadirkent , 1080 m, 11.vi.2023, 1.viii.2023, leg. E. Tsvetkov (all ZIN) .

Description. Imago ( Figs 1–4 ). Head. Frons and vertex white; labial palpi nearly 1.5× diameter of eye, pointed ahead, white with large longitudinal median black stroke; maxillary palpi nearly 1/4 of labial palpi, pointed ahead, white with black scales basally. Proboscis in white scales. Antennae slightly shorter than half of forewing length, scape as long as wide, scape and pedicel white, flagellum chequered from dorsal side (two clusters of scales, brown and white, on each flagellomere), cilia about 1/2 of segment width in males and shorter than 1/ 2 in females.

Thorax. Thorax pale brown or whitish dorsally (mixture of whitish and brown scales) and white ventrally. Legs white, proximal part of each tarsomere brown from dorsal side. Abdomen brown or whitish-brown dorsally and white ventrally. Forewing 9–12 mm, triangular, apex and tornus rounded. Forewing ground colour varies from whitish-grey to brownish-grey, formed by whitish scales interspersed with scattered dark brown scales (in light coloured specimens brown scales more rarely scattered). Antemedian dark line rough and almost straight. Postmedian dark line fading, serrate, bent at an obtuse angle at M 1 vein, angled inwards at R 5 vein, bolded at costa, stepped curved at hind margin. Distal discoidal stigma as small speck or cross stroke, black or dark brown, indistinct in some cases. Small darkening sometimes present at costa opposite distal discoidal stigma. Proximal discoidal and cubital stigmata not expressed. Two rather large darkenings are present in submarginal area as blurred grey spots (often unclear and more distinct in light coloured form), one apical and one located at tornus. Forewing underside whitish or pale brown with whitish costal streak. Male retinaculum without hamus. Hindwing pale greyish-brown, marginal area darker, sector between Sc+R 1 vein and costa whitish. Fringes of both pairs of wings decorated with alternating brown and whitish stripes (two brown and two whitish) and also with a delicate whitish basal line. Hindwing underside pale brown or whitish.

Male genitalia ( Figs 7–9 ). Uncus elongate triangular with sharply pointed apex. Gnathos long and thin, slightly bent. Valva elongate with broad and widely rounded cucullus, straight and well sclerotised costa and slightly convex sacculus bearing distal extension. Aedeagus about 1 mm in the length, cylindrical, flattened dorsoventrally; caecum nearly 1/5–1/6. Vesica armed with two groups of cornutia. A larger group consists of three (rarely two) thorn like cornuti which are connected basally and supported by a small sclerotised plate of variable shape. A smaller group is a triangular cluster consisting of several small cornuti lying close together.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 10 ). Papillae anales 0.6–0.7 mm, weakly sclerotised, densely covered with long setae, elongate triangular, narrowed towards both ends from junction with posterior apophyses. Posterior apophyses 0.6–0.7 mm, flat, broadest in basal 1/2. Anterior apophyses nearly 1.9× as long as posterior, thin, bear relatively large angulate plates at their bases; each plate with proximally pointed process. Eighth tergum trapezoidal with straight posterior margin and convex anterior margin; two narrow stripes of setae are located along posterior margin on the sides. Antrum relatively wide, trapezoidal, slightly narrowed proximally; ventral wall with numerous tiny cuticular swellings. Colliculum with a large sclerite (as broad as antrum) of a complicated curved shape: central part semi-cylindrical, bearing two vanes on the sides posteriorly and heavily sclerotised plaques on them. Antrum and colliculum formed with double cuticule. Ductus bursae membranous, bears longitudinal wrinkles on its surface. Corpus bursae elongate pear-shaped, membranous without any structures on surface; appendix absent. Ductus bursae has no clear transition point to corpus bursae.

Diagnosis. The described species can be recognised by a uniformly coloured forewing lacking proximal discoidal and cubital stigmata, by a small distal discoidal stigma and characteristic postmedian line. The forewing pattern is somewhat reminiscent of those of S. manifestella and S. absconditalis , but in two mentioned species, distal discoidal stigma is larger, X- or 8-shaped, proximal discoidal stigma is expressed. Besides, the hindwing of S. absconditalis is decorated with white submarginal line ( Figs 5, 6 ).

In male genitalia, the structure of cornuti allows to distinguish the new species from all known Scoparia species. In related S. absconditalis and S. manifestella , only one (large) group of cornuti is present and a smaller group is absent. In males of S. sinevi , a smaller group of cornuti is also absent, and this species is well distinguished externally due to its forewing pattern lacking cross lines.

In female genitalia, the new species is distinguished by the anterior apophyses, the antrum, the sclerite in colliculum, the ductus and the corpus bursae. In females of the three compared species, S. absconditalis , S. manifestella and S. sinevi , the ductus is much longer, the corpus bursae has areas of sclerotisation on its surface, the anterior apophyses are without proximally pointed processes of plates, the antrum is relatively longer and also narrower proximally.

Variation. The forewing ground colour is rather variable. In the valley of the Puleuvla River and near Kadirkent, light-coloured specimens are found. Their forewing is whitish with a pale brownish tint ( Figs 1, 2, 4 ) and some individuals have completely white wings. In another part of Dagestan, in the Avar Koisu River basin, near the village of Datuna, the collected adults are distinguished by a significantly darker colour of the forewing ( Fig. 3 ). No differences were found between these forms in the structure of the male genitalia, and since the wing pattern is generally the same in these forms, all collected specimens can be assigned to one species. It should be noted that the presence of different colour forms in different locations is associated with differences in rock types: light-colored forms inhabit chalk mountains, while dark-coloured ones occur on darker basalt and shale rocks. The same type of polymorphism associated with differences in the colour of rocks can be seen among some species of geometrid moths in Dagestan.

It is worth noting that in male genitalia, the structure of the cornuti is variable to a certain extent. A larger group of cornuti usually consists of three cornuti (so as in the holotype), but two cornuti were found in one male, and these cornuti are stouter than those of the other males. The smaller group of cornuti is quite variable. Its size does not exceed 2/3 of the larger group, but in some cases, it is considerably smaller. The number of cornuti in this group varies, being no less than four in the specimens examined.

Etymology. The specific name is a latinised adjective, derived from the name of the region where the species was collected.

Biology. Scoparia dagestanica sp. nov. is a bivoltine species: its first generation flies in May and early June, the second generation is observed in July and August. The species occurs in mountain valleys and gorges with various vegetation.Three known populations inhabit the altitude range of 950–1200 meters. In the locality in the valley of the Puleuvla River, the population lives in a chalk gorge on the northern macroslope of the ridge ( Fig. 11 ). The species is probably absent in Dagestan in arid foothill areas at low altitudes, since despite extensive studies in these areas, it has not been found there. And, undoubtedly, S. dagestanica sp. nov. is absent in the plain part of Dagestan. It is interesting that we did not find the species in the valleys of rivers such as Chirakhchai and Kurakhchai (in the south of Dagestan), although careful lepidopterological studies of these rich places were carried out, covering altitudes up to 2700 m. It also can be noted that this species is rare in its habitats. In most cases only single specimens were attracted to light, with the exception of the Puleuvla River valley where the species was locally abundant.

Figures

FIGURE 11. A habitat of S. dagestanica sp. nov., chalk gorge near the Puleuvla River, 1200 m, 26.v.2024.

FIGURES 1–6. Scoparia spp.Adults. 1–4. S. dagestanica sp. nov. 1. Holotype, ♂. 2. Paratype, ♂. 3. Paratype, ♂, dark-coloured form. 4. Paratype, ♀. 5, 6. S. absconditalis. 5. Lectotype, ♂. 6. Paralectotype, ♂.

FIGURES 7–10. Genitalia of S. dagestanica sp. nov. 7–9. Male genitalia. 7. Genitalia (aedeagus removed), 500 µm. 8. Aedeagus, 500 µm. 9. Cornuti, 250 µm. 10. Female genitalia, 1 mm.