Elachista dimorphella sp. nov., the first known sexually dimorphic species of Aphelosetia, a subgenus of Elachista (Elachistidae, Elachistinae)

By

Kaila, Lauri
Tokar, Zdenko

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2026-1-12

Original Publication

Nota lepidopterologica

Volume

49

Pages

1--15

Subjects

Elachista dimorphella , Elachistidae , Lepidoptera , new species , sexual dimorphism , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Bonn,

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/nl.49.174091

 

Abstract

<br> Elachista dimorphella<br> sp. nov.<br> , the first known species with a sexually dimorphic wing pattern of the large subgenus Aphelosetia of the genus<br> Elachista<br> is described. The male is dark grey with an indistinct forewing pattern, the female yellowish white, variably with a yellow to honey-yellow pattern and some brown scales. The male and female were associated by their DNA barcodes that cluster together with nearly no variation within the cluster. Based on original type material or other material from the vicinity of the type locality, and/or barcode data, we also characterise previously unknown or misinterpreted species or sexes of close relatives of<br> E. dimorphella<br> : male of<br> E. amseli<br> Rebel, 1933, a species with unclear status; the previously unknown male of<br> E. constitella<br> Frey, 1859, and female of<br> E. maculata<br> Parenti, 1978. The male of<br> E. maculata<br> has widely but erroneously been considered to be<br> E. constitella<br> .<br>