The female of Megacraspedus peslieri Huemer & Karsholt, 2018 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae), a new case of brachyptery in alpine Lepidoptera

By

Huemer, Peter

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023-4-25

Original Publication

Metabarcoding and metagenomics

Volume

7

Pages

37--44

Subjects

Alps , brachyptery , DNA barcoding , female , Megacraspedus peslieri , wing reduction

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 2017-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/alpento.7.103981

 

Abstract

Megacraspedus peslieri was described from the Pyrenees in 2018 and subsequently also discovered at a few localities in the northern Cottian Alps (Italy). The hitherto unknown female was collected in these localities after a targeted search. As with some other representatives of the genus, the female is flightless and shows a strikingly strong reduction of the wings (brachyptery). Whereas the forewings are significantly shortened and narrowed, the hindwings are strongly reduced. Both the external morphology and the genitalia of the female are described and illustrated in detail, together with previously unpublished photographs of live adults of both sexes. The identification of specimens from the Alps as well as of the male and female were determined by means of a DNA barcode comparison with the holotype.