Caradja , 1920 ) , comb . n . , transferred from Blastobasis Zeller , 1855 ( Blastobasidae )

Blastobasis inderskella Caradja, 1920, is transferred from Blastobasidae to Gelechiidae and placed in the Palaearctic genus Holcophora Staudinger, 1871. The genus Aponoea Walsingham, 1905, syn. n., is newly synonymized with Holcophora, and three new combinations are proposed: Holcophora inderskella (Caradja, 1920), comb. n., H. obtusipalpis (Walsingham, 1905), comb. n. and H. pruinosella (Chrétien, 1915), comb. n. Lectotypes are designated for Holcophora statices Staudinger, 1871, and Aponoea obtusipalpis Walsingham, 1905. Holcophora inderskella is redescribed with supportive images of diagnostic features. Its unique frontal process is described and illustrated and aspects of frontal processes in Gelechiidae are discussed.


Introduction
Blastobasis inderskella Caradja, 1920, is one of numerous micromoths almost never referred to again in the scientific literature after its description.During an examination of Caradja types by KS in 1987, it was discovered that B. inderskella was misplaced in Blastobasidae and should be transferred to the Gelechiidae.A manuscript transfer of inderskella to the Gelechiidae, but without assignment to a specific genus, was made by KS in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London, and specimens from Mongolia were associated with that name.The transfer from Blastobasidae to Gelechiidae was subsequently formalised by Sinev (2014: 81).We are now able to assign inderskella to the genus Holcophora Staudinger, 1871, with which we newly synonymize Aponoea Walsingham, 1905.

Figs. 9-17
Blastobasis inderskella Caradja, 1920: 122. Lectotype ♂ [damaged], KAZAKHSTAN: Oz Inder, ('Indersky Salzsee'), 22.vi.1907 [(Bartel)], designated by Popescu-Gorj 1992: 156 (MGAB, Bucharest), (Fig 14).Paralectotype, ♀ [damaged], same label data as above, (Fig. 15).labial palpus gray intermixed with few pale gray scales tipped with white and pale gray scales, and white scales along apical margin of all palpomeres; inner surface similar but with white scales along dorsal part.Scape of antenna without pecten, pale gray intermixed with grayish brown scales, flagellum with alternating pale gray and brownish gray flagellomeres; male first flagellomere unmodified.Denuded head (Figs 9-13), with medio-posterior part of vertex raised, anteriorly tapered to form distinctive ridge ending at transfrontal sulcus, raised vertex area sparsely set with scale sockets in contrast to densely set surrounding area; frons beneath transfrontal sulcus with strongly protruding medial ridge bearing two or three processes of descending size, longest process at level of antennal sockets; medial ridge set in ovoid ring of strong teeth (each tooth originating from enlarged scale socket).Thorax: Tegula and mesoscutum white, intermixed with few white scales each tipped with brown.Legs with tibiae and femura with alternating white and brown banding on outer surface, mostly white intermixed with few brown scales on inner surface; tarsomeres mostly brown, with narrow white apical band.Forewing (Fig. 9): length 6.0-6.1 mm (n=2), white intermixed with brown, pale gray, and mottled scales; venational pattern demarcated by contrastingly darker scales on areas between veins than paler scales on areas above veins; two brown,  Remarks.B. inderskella was described by Caradja from two fresh males from Oz Inder ('Indersky Salzsee'), about 48°30'N, 51°58'E, in Kazakhstan.The collector, the German lepidopterist and insect dealer Max Bartel, is not mentioned in the original description, nor is he recorded on the specimen labels, but can be inferred from Caradja (1910: 106).

Redescription [based on
Caradja gave no indication what characters he used to place this species in the Blastobasidae and we assume that it may have been superficial similarities in the forewing pattern.His proposal of the name inderskella is conditional.He introduced the species as 'Bl.sp.(?segnella Z.)' and stated that, unless it were Blastobasis (now Hypatopa) segnella Zeller, a taxon unknown to him, it had to be a new species for which he proposed the name B. inderskella.Prince Aristide Caradja's collection survived, with little damage, the Second World War and the challenging post-war period on his estate at Grumăzești in north-eastern Romania before it was incorporated in the Muzeul Naţional de Istorie Naturală 'Grigore Antipa', Bucharest, Romania, where KS had the opportunity to study it in 1987.By that time all types had been extracted and placed in a separate type collection, lectotypes had been selected and a type catalogue, including formal designations of lectotypes, was subsequently published (Popescu-Gorj 1992).
Both type specimens of B. inderskella still exist in the collection but, as a result of psocid feeding before they reached the museum, are in poor condition: both lack the head and (most of) the abdomen, while the paralectotype also lacks the left-hand wings.On examination it was immediately obvious that B. inderskella, despite some rather superficial similarities to Hypatopa segnella (Zeller, 1873) in the forewing markings, was a species of Gelechiidae.Fresh specimens from Mongolia, collected by Z. Kaszab, Budapest, were tentatively identified by KS as inderskella and placed under that name in the NHMUK collection but without a generic assignment (further specimens exist in HNHM Budapest).We are confident that the generic placement in Holcophora is accurate, however, the specific identity should be re-assessed when fresh specimens from the type-locality (Kazakhstan) become available.
B. inderskella differs in the presence of a prominent frontal process from the other three species here included in Holcophora.We do not believe that character on its own justifies the separation of inderskella into its own genus as species with and without such modifications of the head structure coexist in otherwise undisputed genera of Gelechiidae (e.g.Athrips Billberg, Ornativalva Gozmány, Prolita Leraut, Scrobipalpa Janse).
Remarks.Aponaea pruinosella was described by Chrétien from an unspecified number of specimens from Gafsa, bred from larvae feeding in May and June on Limonium pruinosum (Plumbaginaceae), the adults emerging in July.Not examined.

Holcophora statices Staudinger, 1871
Holcophora statices Staudinger, 1871: 313 Head structures.Various modifications of the head structure, culminating in distinct frontal processes are widespread in Lepidoptera and have independently evolved in many families.If present they are equally developed in both sexes.Their function, although plausibly interpreted in a few instances as that of a cocoon cutter, is largely obscure.Sand grains found on the head around such processes suggest that in some species they may assist the adult in drilling through soil on eclosion from the pupa.In Gelechioidea frontal processes are known in Autostichidae (Symmocinae), Cosmopterigidae and Gelechiidae.In the last family they occur in several genera unrelated to each other, such as Athrips Billberg, 1820 (1 of 70+ spp., Palaearctic), Catatinagma Rebel, 1903 (1 of 5 spp., Palaearctic), Caulastrocecis Chrétien, 1931 (2 of 7 spp., Palaearctic), Cerofrontia Janse, 1951 (1 of 1 sp., Afrotropical), Leistogenes Meyrick, 1927 (1 of 1 sp., Neotropical), Ornativalva Gozmány, 1955(about 15 of 60+ spp., Palaearctic), Prolita Leraut, 1993 (8 Nearctic, of 22 spp., Holarctic), Scrobipalpa Janse, 1951 (2 Palaearctic, of 300+ spp.worldwide) and others.Examples were illustrated by Hodges (1966, pl. 8, Prolita) and Sattler (1976, pls 6-12, Ornativalva).Such specializations of the head structure can provide useful characters for species recognition but they are not important at the generic level as in several genera (Athrips, Ornativalva, Prolita, Scrobipalpa) there exist species with processes next to such without.In Gelechiidae there seems to be a concentration of species with frontal processes in arid parts of the Palaearctic and Nearctic regions.
Frontal modifications are only obvious once the head is freed of scales, and even a prominent frontal process can otherwise remain hidden in the scale cover.On the denuded head the transfrontal sulcus, the border between frons and vertex, normally extends in an almost straight line between the antennal sockets and is clearly visible as a narrow band free of scale bases.If a discrete frontal process is developed it usually arises beneath the transfrontal sulcus which it tends to push dorsad.Various teeth and protuberances, when present, originate from enlarged scale bases, and the central process may be surrounded by such enlarged scale sockets which can be arranged into a distinctive arc.An additional arc of teeth sometimes arises above the transfrontal sulcus.The whole range of such developments is demonstrated in the genus Ornativalva Gozmány, 1955 (Sattler 1976: 92, pls 5-12), where the arrangement in O. cornifrons Sattler, 1976, is not unlike that in the unrelated H. inderskella.