Research Article
Print
Research Article
The genus Sophronia in the Altai Mountains (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae)
expand article infoJan Šumpich‡
‡ Natural History Museum, Praha, Czech Republic

Corresponding author: Jan Šumpich ( jansumpich@seznam.cz )

Academic editor: Théo Léger
© 2025 Jan Šumpich.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation: Šumpich J (2025) The genus Sophronia in the Altai Mountains (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae). Nota Lepidopterologica 48: 137-144. https://doi.org/10.3897/nl.48.147394
ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9D8CBF72-DB75-4DA4-AC48-9E2439771415
Open Access

Abstract.

This work summarizes current knowledge about the occurrence of Sophronia Hübner, [1825] species in the Altai Mountains. Previously, two species of the genus have been recorded, both two from the Russian Altai. Sophronia huiagaai sp. nov. is described from the southern Altai Mts in Mongolia. No Sophronia species is known from the Chinese and Kazakh parts of the mountains. Photographs of moths and genitalia of both sexes are provided for S. huiagaai sp. nov. S. chilonella (Treitschke, 1833) is recorded from the Altai Mts for the first time.

Introduction

The genus Sophronia Hübner, [1825] comprises 23 described species, distinguished by their ornamental forewing patterns (Šumpich et al. 2019). Central European Sophronia species are presented by Elsner et al. (1999), northern European species were revised by Gregersen and Karsholt (2022). Information and images on European species are available on Lepiforum (2008–2024) (https://www.lepiforum.de), and Chinese species were partly revised by Li and Zheng (1998). Šumpich et al. (2019) briefly characterized the genus, described its taxonomic placement within the family Gelechiidae, described a new species from southern Siberia (S. salaganella Šumpich & Bidzilya, 2019), made several taxonomic changes, and provided an updated checklist. In addition, there are four unique DNA barcode BINs lacking species names. Although unique BINs may not always represent separate species, sharing of BINs has not yet been recorded in Sophronia. Therefore, these four BINS likely represent additional four, hitherto undescribed species (BOLD, Ratnasingham and Hebert 2007). One of these is described here as a new species S. huiagaai sp. nov. Its genetic differences are comparably significant as are also characters on the ectodermal genitalia and on the external appearance of the moths.

The Altai Mountains are a nearly 2,000 km long and 600 km wide mountain range in Central Asia, straddling the border between Russia, Kazakhstan, China, and Mongolia. A high diversity of natural habitats and elevational zones in correlation with geographical location make the Altai Mountains an exceptional nature area with a high degree of plant and animal endemism. It is reported that around 2,000 species of higher plants occur in the Altai Mts, 200 of which are endemic (Wikiwand 2024). A similarly high percentage of endemism can be assumed for some insect groups, though a significant portion of the mountains has not yet been surveyed for insects. This is largely due to the absence of access roads, as well as overlook of certain areas by entomologists in the past. In recent decades, several research trips to the Russian Altai have been conducted by Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, Austrian and Czech lepidopterologists, resulting in the description of many Lepidoptera species, also in the Gelechiidae (e.g. Bidzilya 2002; Huemer et al. 2017; Šumpich et al. 2020). Although the lepidopteran fauna of the Russian Altai is fairly well studied, knowledge of other regions of the Altai is limited to non-existent (for example, only scarce lepidopteran data are available from the Chinese and Kazakh parts of the range). This situation is mirrored in the genus Sophronia: two species, S. chilonella (Treitschke, 1833) and S. salaganella Šumpich & Bidzilya, 2019, are known from the Russian Altai, none from the Chinese and Kazakh Altai, and a single species, Sophronia huiagaai sp. nov., is newly described from Mongolia in this paper.

Material and methods

Specimens and photographic documentation

Material for this paper was collected by the author using portable light traps with ultraviolet 8W/12V tubes. The preparations of genitalia followed standard methods described e.g. by Huemer and Karsholt (1999). Pinned specimens were photographed using a Canon 750D camera fitted with a Canon MP-E-65 mm lens. Preparations of genitalia (in glycerol) were photographed using a Canon EOS 200D camera mounted to an Olympus CX31 stereomicroscope. All photos were edited in Helicon Focus 6.3.5 Pro and Adobe Photoshop CC. Photographs of specimens and genitalia preparations have been numbered; these numbers can be used to locate specimens in Lepidoptera collections, databases or other papers by the author. The terminology of genital structures follows Gregersen and Karsholt (2022).

DNA Barcoding

The Sophronia specimens presented in this study were DNA barcoded at the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding (CCDB, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph). DNA was isolated from a dry specimen leg, and barcode sequences of the mitochondrial COI gene were obtained (609–628 base-pair long segment of the 5’ terminus of cytochrome c oxidase I). Details of sequenced specimens, comprising faunistic data and images, were uploaded to the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD; Ratnasingham and Hebert 2007) and are now public. I have included the Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) of these species (Ratnasingham and Hebert 2013) in this paper, as well as a comparison of the results with public and private Sophronia data in the BOLD database.

Abbreviations of collections

NMPC National Museum of the Czech Republic

Results

Sophronia chilonella (Treitschke, 1833)

Figs 7–9

Material examined.

Russia, Altai Republic, Ulagan vill., Chulyshman valley, 51°01'03"N, 88°00'39"E, grassy steppe, rocks, 600 m, 4.–5.vii.2019, 1 ♂, (gen. prep. JŠ24054), J. Šumpich leg. (NMPC).

Molecular data.

BIN: BOLD:AAJ3742. The intraspecific average distance of the barcode region is 0.48% (p-dist) (n = 7). The minimum distance to the nearest neighbor, an unidentified Sophronia species collected in Bulgaria (BOLD:ADF5021), is 6.42% (p-dist).

Distribution.

Palearctic region (from Spain to the Far East) (Elsner et al. 1999). This species has been recorded in most of the European regions of Russia; records from Russia’s Asian regions are restricted to the Altai Mts (this paper), Krasnoyarsk, Chabarovsky kray and Primorsky kray (Ponomarenko 2019).

Remark.

The wingspan of typical European specimens of S. chilonella is around 12 mm, while the Altai specimen is significantly larger (15 mm). However, its genitalia fully correspond to those of European specimens.

Sophronia huiagaai sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/14C84C95-05FE-4C9C-B0D7-35BB001CFAD8
Figs 1–3, 10–13

Material examined.

Type material. Holotype ♂: Mongolia, Govi-Altai aimak, Biger District, locality „BIGER 1“, 70 km SW of Biger sum, 45°51'42"N, 97°58'17"E, rocky steppe, 1660 m, 28.vi.2023 (gen. prep. JŠ 24028), Jan Šumpich leg. (NMPC). Paratypes: 8 ♂♂, 1 ♀ (DNA Barcode NMPC-LEP-1613), same data as holotype (NMPC); 1 ♂, Mongolia, Khovd aimak, Tsenkheriin gol Whalley, 6 km N of Munkhkhairkham, locality „MUNKHKHAIRKHAM“, 47°6'31"N, 91°50'7"E, rocks, 2070 m, 10.vii.2023, Jan Šumpich leg. (NMPC).

Diagnosis.

Sophronia huiagaai sp. nov. is an unmistakable species within the genus. In external appearance, it may somewhat resemble S. consanguinella (Figs 4–6) and S. chilonella (Figs 7–9). The dorsal margin of the forewing is white, similarly as in both these species, but in S. huiagaai sp. nov. it reaches the apex and has several black longitudinal stripes within. More notably, in S. huiagaai sp. nov., the apex of the forewing is rounded, while in S. consanguinella and S. chilonella, it is distinctly pointed. Further differences are clearly visible on the labial palpi, where the third segment is short and straight in S. huiagaai sp. nov., but long and curved in S. consanguinella and S. chilonella. The forewings of S. huiagaai sp. nov. appear nearly black and white with an overall contrasting appearance, while the central stripes of S. consanguinella and S. chilonella are dark and light brown, respectively. Regarding the male genitalia, wide and long lateromedial juxta-anellar projections are characteristic for S. huiagaai sp. nov. The female genitalia of this new species are characterized by a long, sclerotized antrum and a large, square-shaped signum.

Description.

External appearance (Figs 1–2, 5). Forewing length ♂: 15.2–16.0 mm (mean 15.8), ♀: 15 mm. Head and thorax pure white, tegulae dark brown. Antennae filiform, unicolorous dark in the first two thirds, inconspicuously ringed in the last third. The labial palpi long, the first segment covered in short white scales, the second segment with long tuft, coloured chocolate brown distally. The third segment in the form of a short and straight thorn of white colour. Forewings appear nearly black and white. Costal and dorsal fasciae pure white, one longer stripe in the subbasal part of the dorsal fascia, above it one shorter stripe in about one third of the wing and a group of smaller stripes in the last third of the wing. Apex rounded. Hindwings grey, slightly lighter at the base.

Figures 1–9. 

1–3. Sophronia huiagaai sp. nov., Mongolia; 1. Holotype, male; 2. Paratype, female; 3. Head, paratype, male; 4–6. S. consanguinella (Herrich-Schäffer, 1855). 4. Male, Russia, Southern Ural; 5. Female, Czechia; 6. Head, Czechia, male; 7–9. S. chilonella (Treitschke, 1833); 7. Male, Russia, Altai Mts; 8. Female, Czechia; 9. Head, Czechia, male.

Variation. None. Sexual dimorphism not apparent.

Male genitalia. (Figs 10–11). Uncus rectangular, distal margin of uncus even. Gnathos hook-shaped, regularly curved, apex pointed. Tegumen narrow, with triangular anteromedial invagination extending to 1/4 of its length. Valva narrow in basal 2/3, distal portion gradually broadened, apex rounded, extending to the top of the uncus. Juxta-anellar projections very broad and long, oval, approximately 2/3 length of valva. Vinculum very narrow. Ventral sclerite narrow, extending to middle of valva, densely spinosed distally. Saccus broad, apex rounded. Phallus straight, comparatively broad, with short internal sclerite (approximately 2.5 times shorter than the length of the aedeagus).

Figures 10–13. 

Genitalia of Sophronia huiagaai sp. nov., Mongolia. 10, 11. Male genitalia, holotype; 10. Ventral view; 11. Different views of phallus. 12, 13. Female genitalia; 12. General view; 13. Detail of signum.

Female genitalia (Figs 12–13). Papilla anales subovate. Apophyses posteriores very thin, longer than ductus and corpus bursae combined, apophyses anteriores two times shorter than apophyses posteriores. Antrum narrow, long, with posteriorly bifurcated sclerite. Ductus bursae and bursa copulatrix fused with no visible distinction. Signum square, anterior and posterior lobes triangular, laterally dentate.

Molecular data.

BIN: BOLD:AGD0823. The intraspecific average distance of the barcode region is unknown (n = 1). The minimum distance to the nearest neighbor, the North American species S. primella Busck, 1907 (BOLD:AAP5418), is 6.79% (p-dist). For more details, see Fig. 14.

Figure 14. 

Neighbor-joining tree based on publicly available DNA barcodes of identified Sophronia specimens with Metzneria neuropterella (Zeller, 1839) as an outgroup species (for details see Material and methods).

Distribution.

Mongolia (Altai Mountains).

Biology.

Early stages unknown. Adults have been collected in late June at altitudes about 1650 m, on semi-desert in low-lying areas of the Altai Mountains (Fig. 15).

Etymology.

The species name (a noun in the genitive case) is dedicated to Altankhuyag Sosorbaram, also called Huiagaa (Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar), who accompanied me while traveling in Mongolia and created excellent conditions for my fieldwork there.

Sophronia salaganella Šumpich & Bidzilya, 2019

Material examined.

Type material. For an overview of Altaic localities in the type series, see Šumpich et al. (2019). Additional material examined. Russia, Altai Republic, Aktash village, 50°19'12"N, 87°36'00"E, grassy steppe, rocks, 1400 m, 29.vi.2014, 1 ♂, J. Šumpich leg. (NMPC); Kosh-Agach Distr., Kurai env., Dzhangyskol lake, 50°10'49"N, 87°44'19"E, mountain steppe, 1830 m, 29.–30.vi.2019, 1 ♂, J. Šumpich leg. (NMPC); Shebalino distr., 8 km W of Cherga, rocky slopes, steppe, 580 m, 8.–9.vii.2019, 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀ (DNA Barcode NMPC-LEP-1193), J. Šumpich leg. (NMPC).

Figure 15. 

Stony semi-desert near Biger sum, Mongolia, habitat of Sophronia huiagaai sp. nov.

Molecular data.

BIN: BOLD:ADE0155. The intraspecific average distance of the barcode region is 1.17% (p-dist) (n = 3). The minimum distance to the nearest neighbor, S. consanguinella (BOLD:ADL7320), is 7.43% (p-dist).

Distribution.

Russia (Altai Republic, Buryatia) (Šumpich et al. 2019).

Acknowledgements

Fieldwork in Mongolia was conducted in collaboration with the Entomological Society of Mongolia. This collaboration was essential for obtaining an insect collection permit from the Ministry of the Environment, and subsequently a permit to export insects out of Mongolia. In particular, I am indebted to Doctor Jugnee Puntsagdulam, Doctor Altanchimeg Dorjsuren (Mongolian Entomological Society), and Doctor Battsetseg Ishjamts (Ministry of the Environment of Mongolia). I would also like to thank my friend Altankhuyag Sosorbaram, also called Huiagaa, who ensured my travel in Mongolia went smoothly. I am indebted to both reviewers, namely Lauri Kaila (Helsinki) and Oleksiy Bidzilya (Kiev), for their helpful comments, corrections and suggestions to complete the text. I am grateful to Kristina Lexová (Prague) for English language corrections. I also thank the Societas Europaea Lepidopterologica and Théo Léger (Berlin) for the support of the publishing of the manuscript. This work was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic (DKRVO 2024‒2028/5.I.b, National Museum, 00023272).

References

  • Bidzilya AV (2002) On the distribution of Gelechiid moths (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) in the Southern Siberia. Information I. The Kharkov Entomological Society Gazette 9(1–2): 64–72.
  • Elsner G, Huemer P, Tokár Z (1999) Die Palpenmotten (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) Mitteleuropas. Bestimmung – Verbreitung – Flugstandort – Lebensweise der Raupen. František Slamka, Bratislava, 208 pp.
  • Gregersen K, Karsholt O (2022) The Gelechiidae of North-West Europe. Norwegian Entomological Society, Oslo, 939 pp.
  • Huemer P, Karsholt O (1999) Gelechiidae (Gelechiinae: Teleiodini, Gelechiini). In: Huemer P, Karsholt O, Lyneborg L (Eds) Microlepidoptera of Europe 3. Stenstrup, 356 pp. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004629028
  • Huemer P, Wieser Ch, Wiesmair B, Sinev SYu, Wieser Ch, Yakovlev RV (2017) Schmetter­linge (Lepidoptera) des Altai-Gebirges (Südsibirien, Russland) – Eindrücke einer inter­nationalen Expedition im Spätsommer 2016. Carinthia II n 207./127, 527–564.
  • Ponomarenko MG (2019) Gelechiidae, 91–112. In: Sinev SYu (Ed.) Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Russia. Edition 2. Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint Petersburg, 448 pp. [in Russian, English abstract]
  • Šumpich J, Bidzilya OV, Ponomarenko MG (2019) Sophronia salaganella sp. n. from the Russian Altai and new data on Palaearctic Sophronia Hübner, [1825] species (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae). Zootaxa 4577(2): 348–360. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4577.2.7
  • Šumpich J, Huemer P, Bidzilya OV (2020) Review of Caryocolum (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) from the Russian Altai with description of two new species. Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 60: 65–76. https://doi.org/10.37520/aemnp.2020.004
login to comment