Holotype ♂, labeled: “Kyrgyzstan/ Tian-Shan/ prov. Dzhalal-Abad/ distr.:Kotshkor-Ata/ prope pag. Toskool/ fauc. Alash-Saj/alt. 1100M, 16–17.v.2003/E. Rutjan leg. Lum.[at light]“. Genitalia slide Mey 34/16, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.

Adult (Fig. 1). Head (Figs 2, 3): Frons, vertex and occipital area fuscous; vestiture consisting of bundles of erect, grey, hairlike scales on frons, vertex and occipital margin; vertex convex and extended dorsad, becoming flat toward the eyes; head capsule around compound eyes with grey, appressed scales; interocular index 0.6 (vertical eye diameter/interocular distance); ocelli absent. Antennae with 29 intact flagellomeres (apical ones broken off); scape covered by grey-brown scales; proximal part of pedicellus and flagellomeres with complete ring of 12–14 elongate, piliform scales, as long as antennal segment and notched at apex; cilia absent. Maxillary and labial palpi rough-scaled. Proboscis pale brown.Thorax: Pronotum with erect, hairlike scales; tegulae small; mesothorax with lamellar, grey-brown scales; metascutellum with few scales. Venter pale grey. Legs light fuscous to grey; epiphysis absent; spur formula 0.1.4.; tibial segments with pairs of apical, short spines. Length of forewing 3 mm; wingspan 7 mm; wings very slender with acute tips; forewings light brown, with bronzy iridescence, but without spots or fascia; some darker scales randomly scattered over apical half; fringe grey. Hindwings paler than forewings, less iridescent, uniformly grey-brown; a long frenular bristle present at costal base; jugum on both wings absent. Venation as in Catapterix crimaea. Abdomen: Uniformly grey-brown; third segment without filamentous sensilla. Male genitalia (Figs 4–6): Segment IX clearly longer than valvae, forming a well-sclerotized, ringlike structure, not dissociated into vinculum and tegumen, but with a separated, dark ribbon on proximal margin; on ventral side proximal margin slightly excavated. Uncus in horizontal position, deeply bilobed, with ventrad curved, acute apices and one small, triangular process on each lateral side. Gnathos absent. Transtilla nearly membranous; medial process indistinct, without teeth or serrations on ventral side. Juxta incorporated into segment IX and situated in proximal position before bases of valvae, elongate, plate-like, with sclerotized margin and rounded base. Valva with somewhat rectangular base, but without sclerotized basal apophysis; broad sacculus present, bent mediad; costal margin sinuslike, terminating in a digitate process, curved dorso-mediad. Phallus tubular, as long as the entire genitalia apparatus, connected with juxta at distal opening; interior walls with folds and indistinct sclerotizations; cornuti apparently absent. Female: unknown.

Figure 1. 

Catapterix tianshanica sp. n., holotype in dorsal view.

Figures 2–6. 

Catapterix tianshanica sp. n. 2. lateral view of head; 3. dorsal view of head capsule without vestiture; male genitalia: 4. lateral, 5. dorsal, 6. ventral.

The external characters and the male genitalia of this new species are similar to C. crimaea. There are, however, some remarkable differences. The head capsule of the latter species is evenly rounded on the dorsal side from eyes to top of vertex, whereas in C. tianshanica sp. n. the head capsule around the eyes is somewhat protruded laterally to form a flattened area on the dorsal and frontal sides next to the eyes. This area is covered by appressed, lamellar scales, which are absent in C. crimaea and replaced by the usual hairlike scales of the head. The male genitalia of both species exhibit a bifid valva with apex of costal margin and sacculus as elongate processes, curved mediad. This form of valva is diagnostic to Catapterix. The valva of Acanthopteroctetes is slender, with slightly expanded sacculus. The medial, sclerotized process of the transtilla is a prominent feature of both genera. In C. tianshanica sp. n., however, this process is reduced and nearly membranous. Another autapomorphic character of the latter species is the enlarged uncus with subapical, triangular processes or spines on the dorsolateral sides.

Zagulajevand Sinev (1988) listed a number of differences between the genera. Some of them are not visible in the single individual of C. tianshanica sp. n., and are therefore omitted in the following key.

The two genera of Acanthopteroctetidae can be separated as follows:

The hostplant of Catapterix is unknown. The larva of the North American Acanthopteroctetes unifascia Davis, 1975 is a leafminer of Ceanothus (Rhamnaceae). Another species was found to be a miner in leaves of Ribes (Grossulariaceae) (Regier et al. 2015, Eiseman 2016). In the western Tianshan Mts. several species of Ziziphus and Rhamnus (Rhamnaceae) are known to occur (Eisenman et al. 2013), which are potential hostplants of the new species

Due to the arid climate Middle Asia is an impoverished refuge of Tertiary forests, which survived only in favorable places in the mountain chains of the Tianshan. This concerns especially the deciduous trees, which are present in large numbers (Breckle and Agachanjanz 1998).The occurrence of C. tianshanica as an ancestral species fits quite well into this area of refuge.

The distance between the known localities of the two Catapterix species is about 3000 km (Fig. 7). In between of these areas the Caucasus, the Elburz, and the Kopeth Dagh are situated, each representing mountain systems that contain relict species of plants and animals. The Microlepidoptera faunas of all three mountain systems are poorly explored, and thus there is a high probability that further representatives of Catapterix could be found there in the future.

Figure 7. 

Distribution of Catapterix in the Palaearctic Region. 1. C. crimaea Zaguljaev & Sinev; 2. C. tianshanica sp. n.