Two new species of Ephysteris Meyrick, 1908, from Asia with brachypterous males (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae)

Two new species of Gelechiidae: Ephysteris kullbergi sp. n. from Tuva (Russia) and Ephysteris ustjuzhanini sp. n. from Mongolia are described. In both species the hindwings in both sexes are distinctly reduced. The adults and genitalia are illustrated. Brachyptery in Gelechiidae and Ephysteris is briefly discussed, and type locality of E. kullbergi sp. n. is illustrated. The locomotion of E. kullbergi sp. n. is described.


Introduction
The genus Ephysteris Meyrick, 1908, comprises about 60 predominately Old World species (Karsholt and Sattler 1998).About 25 Palaearctic species are distributed mainly in the Mediterranean zone of Europe and in the arid and mountainous regions of Central and Eastern Asia (Povolný 2002;Bidzilya and Li 2008;Huemer and Karsholt 2010).Six species are known from the New World (Landry and Roque-Albelo 2010).More than 20 species have been recorded from Africa (Bidzilya and Mey 2011).
Within the Gnorimoschemini Ephysteris is closely related to Vladimirea Povolný, 1967, but differs in having a narrower tegumen, relatively short valva and often more or less modified segment VIII in the male genitalia.The female genitalia are characterized by the sub-triangular signum with distinctly produced apices in combination with the usually long sclerotized posterior portion of the ductus bursae.
Generic relationships among Gnorimoschemini are not fully understood and synapomorphic characters are putative at best.Species of Ephysteris share the long sacculus (1/2-3/4 length of valva) and the well-developed gnathos with Vladimirea and Microlechia Turati, 1924, but differ from the former in the short valva (considerably shorter than the length of tegumen and uncus), longer and narrower saccus, and often more or less modified segment VIII in the male genitalia.Nota Lepi.41(1) 2018: 107-112 | DOI 10.3897/nl.41.23395Microlechia species differ from Ephysteris in the longer, sickle-shaped gnathos, the sub-ovate uncus and the apically pointed sacculus.
In both male and female Ephysteris the hindwings of some species can be reduced, being distinctly shorter, either elongate without distinct emargination of the termen or broader with a rounded margin.Several veins are lost (Karsholt and Sattler 1998: 44).At present only three brachypterous Ephysteris species are known, namely from Morocco (E.curtipennis (Zerny, 1936)), Afghanistan (E.kasyi Povolný, 1968) and Madeira (E.brachyptera Karsholt and Sattler, 1998) respectively.1-2).Male.Wingspan 8-10 mm.Labial palpus cream-white; segment 2 with two black spots on outer surface; segment 3 shorter than segment 2, with a slender basal and a broader apical black ring.Antenna black, ringed with white and grey.Head, thorax and tegulae cream-white mottled with blackish brown; frons lighter.Ground-colour of forewing cream-white, mottled with yellow, orange, brown and black scales; subcostal stripe yellow; four brown and black transverse fasciae near base, at 2/5, 3/5 and near apex all with erect scales; fringe with black-tipped white scales.Hindwing lanceolate, about three-fifths length of forewing, light grey-brown; fringe reduced to some light grey hairs.

Description. Adult (Figs
Female.Hindwing shorter, length 1.0-1.7 mm, and broader than in male; otherwise similar to male.Variation.There is some variation in the amount of light and dark scales in the forewings.Worn specimens tend to look paler than fresh ones.There is some variation in the length and shape (more or less rounded) of the hindwing in the females.
Diagnosis.E. kullbergi is characterized by the reduced hindwings in both sexes.It can be separated from other brachypterous Ephysteris species by the more vivid coloration and the many erect brown and black scales in the forewing.The female genitalia are similar to those of several congeners, especially E. diminutella (Zeller, 1847) and E. insulella (Heinemann, 1870), but can be recognized in having the antrum slightly exceeding the apophysis anterioris, and by the short and broad anteriolateral lobes of the signum.The male genitalia are similar to those of several congeners, especially E. diminutella, but can be recognized by having shorter valvae, saccus and phallus and less emarginated posterior margin of the vinculum.
Distribution.Russia: Tuva Republic.Biology.Host-plant and early stages are unknown.The adults have been collected in the first half of June.According to Jaakko Kullberg (in litt.)"These Ephysteris moths were collected with two light traps with tube lamps.The container and funnel were dug in the sandy dunes… The moths start to arrive to the trap in the dusk and were running and jumping in the trap and sheets.The leaps were huge -even 20-25 cm long and as I remember the moths did not use wings when doing it".
The type locality (Figs 7-8) is a huge sand dune area in the south-eastern part of the Tuva Republic close to the border of Mongolia.
Etymology.The new species is named in honour of one of its collectors, Jaakko Kullberg, Finland.
In the mention of this species Karsholt and Sattler (1998) referred to its locality as "Tuvinskaya Respublika".
Female.Similar to male except for the following: forewing slightly longer (wingspan 9.0 mm) and broader (the length is 2.5 times its width in the middle), ground colour is lighter (cream rather than light brown), head white, thorax and tegulae cream rather than grey.
Male genitalia (Fig. 6).Uncus twice as long as broad at base, gradually narrowing towards rounded apex; gnathos-hook stout, of even width but the apex is slightly broadened, weakly curved, about as long as uncus; valva digitate, weakly broadened in distal half, evenly curved, with triangular pointed apex, extending to base of uncus; sacculus distinctly narrower than valva, weakly curved, broadened posteriorly, apex rounded, extending to about two-thirds of valva; vincular process broad, posterior margin denticulate, with a single, longer, slightly curved and pointed projection at medial apex, separated by deep and moderately broad medial incision; saccus longer than valva, narrowest in middle, weakly broadened before apex; phallus about length of tegumen, nearly straight, moderately stout, with triangular apical sclerite, coecum inflated, about one-third length of phallus.
Diagnosis.E. ustjuzhanini is characterized by the forewings being strongly broadened in the middle together with very short hindwings that are the shortest among brachypterous Ephysteris species.The male genitalia are characterized by the vincular process having a comparatively long and strongly pointed distal projection.This projection is longer in E. curtipennis and E. brachyptera and missing in E. kullbergi.
Distribution.Mongolia.Biology.Host-plant unknown.Adults have been collected in June.
Etymology.The new species is named after its collector Petr Ustjuzhanin, Russia, a specialist of the Pterophoridae and Alucitidae.
Remarks.Despite the differences between the male and female we are inclined to treat both specimens as the same species based on the general similarity of the forewing pattern.

Discussion
Hypotheses relating to brachyptery and its function in species of Lepidoptera are not uniform and each case should be looked at on its own merit (Sattler 1991: 244).It is not clear which factors benefit development of wing reduction in Ephysteris.It is found in species living on oceanic islands, in mountains and in sand dunes.The known larvae of Ephysteris species are associated with grasses (Karsholt andSattler 1998: 36), andSattler (1991: 248) comments that a number of Lepidoptera species with brachypterous females or with wing reduction in both sexes inhabit grassland, which constitutes a permanent, continuous habitat.
In Lepidoptera wing reduction is rare, being known from less than 1% of the described species (Sattler and Wojtusiak 2000: 435).It is usually confined to the female.In most cases species with brachyptery in both sexes are endemic to small oceanic islands or coastal localities.The crucial evolutionary factor that favours flightlessness in males is seen in the exposure of restricted habitats to continuous strong winds (Sattler 1991: 251).Brachyptery in both sexes is exceedingly rare.According to Karsholt and Sattler (1998: 36) it is only known from 25 species, with a few additional species described subsequently (e.g.Sattler andWojtusiak 2000, andBidzilya 2014).Therefore, the two species described here represent a distinct addition to the number of known Lepidoptera with brachypterous males.All such species have brachypterous females.