Elachista nuraghella Amsel, 1951

Figs. 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13

Elachista nuraghella Amsel, 1951: 140. Type locality: Italy: Sardinia, Tempio Pausania. Lectotype in LNK, designated by Parenti (1973).

Material studied. Type material. Lectotype ɗ: Tempio Paus. Sardegna 15.V.1933 H. G. Amsel leg.; Prep. Nr. 5203 ɗ; Paratypus leg. Amsel; Lectotypus E. nuraghella Amsel Teste U. Parenti 1973.; prep. genitale 273 ɗ U. Parenti 1973; ex Coll. H. G. Amsel (SMNK). Other material. Algeria: Prov. d’Oran ”94 U. de B.” 1 ɗ, E. S. Nielsen prep. 1778 (Coll. ZMUC). France: Pyrenees orientales, Jujols, 650 m, 16. V.2004 1 ɗ J. Junnilainen leg, L. Kaila prep. 5313, DNA sample 16964 Lepid. Phyl. (Coll. Junnilainen); Corsica, 25 km W of Ajaccio, Camping les Vives 4.V.2003 Cs. Szabóky leg., DNA sample 16971 Lepid. Phyl. 16963 (Coll. Tokár). Italy: Italia merid. Lagi di Varano 20. V.1957 1 ɗ E. Jäckh leg. (Coll. ZMUC); Sicilia, Acate Valley, 18 km E. Cella, 50 m, 1. V.1987 1 ɗ M. Fibiger leg., L. Kaila prep. 5304 (Coll. ZMUC); Sicilia, Etna, Paterno 4. V.1987 1 ɗ M. Fibiger leg., E. Traugott- Olsen prep. B. 5.6.92 (Coll. ZMUC); Sicily, sea level, 15 km W Portopalu, Pantano Longarini 24. IV.2006 1 ɗ O. Karsholt leg., DNA sample 16970 Lepid. Phyl. (Coll. ZMUC); Sardinia, Sard. merid., Musei, 120 m, 25. IV.1972 1 ɗ Hartig leg. (Coll. ZMUC); Arizo, 1000 m, 26.–27. V.2007 2 ɗ J. Junnilainen leg. & Coll.; Prov. Nuoro 39°56`41``N 9°10`03``E Cantoniera Cossatzu, nr. Arizo 2. VI.2008 4 Ψ L. Kaila & J. Kullberg leg., L. Kaila prep. 55318, 5319, 5323, DNA samples 15426-8 Lepid. Phyl. (Coll. MZH); Sardinia 1 km S. Putifigari, 15 km E Alghero 20. V.2008 6 ɗ 1 Ψ T. Nupponen leg., L. Kaila prep. 5077 (Coll. Nupponen, 1 ɗ in MZH) 24.–26. V.2009 15 ɗ 3 Ψ K. Nupponen leg., L. Kaila prep. 5311, 5312, 5317, DNA samples 15305-9 Lepid. Phyl. (Coll. Nupponen, 1 ɗ in MZH), Sardinia, Gennargentu, 10 km E Punta la Marmora, 800 m, 21. V.2009 2 ɗ 1 Ψ K. Nupponen leg., L. Kaila prep. 5316, 5325, 5326, DNA samples 16966-8 Lepid. Phyl. (Coll. Nupponen). Malta: Mellieka 20.–20. V.1994 1 Ψ U. Seneca leg., L. Kaila prep 5324 (Coll. ZMUC); N. Malta 35°58’N 14°20’18’’E at the Red Tower, 80 m, Marfa Ridge 5.–11. IV.2004 1 ɗ B. Skule leg., DNA sample 16971 Lepid. Phyl. (ZMUC). Portugal: Lisboa, Estremadura, 6.–10. V.1971 20 ɗ 1 Ψ P. Grotenfelt leg. (Coll. MZH); Algarve, pr. Bensafrim 13. V.1971 3 ɗ P. Grotenfelt & J. Kaisila leg., L. Kaila prep. 788, 789 (Coll. MZH); Algarve, pr. Lagos 13. V.1971 13 ɗ P. Grotenfelt leg. (Coll. MZH); Algarve, Praia Verde 27. V.1972 4 ɗ P. Grotenfelt leg. (Coll. MZH); Algarve, Carvoeiro 16.–17. IV.1997 5 ɗ K. Mikkola leg. (MZH); Viseu, Beira Alto 20. V.1971 1 ɗ P. Grotenfelt leg. (Coll. MZH). Spain: Extremadura 39°56`54``N 06°24`W 1.3 km SW Canaveral, 300 m, 5. IV. 2009 1 ɗ B. Skule leg., DNA sample 16965 Lepid. Phyl. (Coll. ZMUC); Cadiz, Castellar 26. V.1972 2 ɗ P. Grotenfelt leg. (Coll. MZH); Cadiz; Tarifa 23. V.1972 2 ɗ P. Grotenfelt leg. (Coll. MZH); Malaga, Fuengirola 19. V.1972 2 ɗ P. Grotenfelt leg. (Coll. MZH); Malaga 20 km NE Ronda 20. V.2004 8 ɗ 3 Ψ T. Nupponen leg., L. Kaila prep. 4264 (Coll. Nupponen, 1 Ψ in MZH); Huelva, Isla Bacuta 24. IV.2009 1 Ψ T. & K. Nupponen leg., L. Kaila prep. 5256, DNA sample 15317 Lepid. Phyl. (Coll. MZH); Malaga, 3 km N Calahonda 26. IV.2001 1 ɗ J. Junnilainen leg., L. Kaila prep. 3951 (Coll. Junnilainen). Tunisia: 25 km SE Ain Draham 10.–16. V.1988 1 ɗ exp. ZMUC leg., E. Traugott-Olsen prep. B. 17.8.89, DNA sample 16964 Lepid. Phyl. 16972 (Coll. ZMUC).

Diagnosis. Elachista nuraghella is a large, unicolorous white or creamy white species with variably paler or darker grey hindwings (Figs 2, 3). It is externally closest to E. argentella and E. catalana, as well as to E. grotenfelti, described as new in this paper. Separation of E. nuraghella and E. grotenfelti is presented in the diagnosis of E. grotenfelti; the separation of E. nuraghella from other species as explained here is also applicable to identification of E. grotenfelti from the other species. E. nuraghella females are readily distinguishable from E. catalana by the membranous papillae anales of E. catalana (cf. Kaila 2011a); they are modified as strongly sclerotized and externally visible blade in E. argentella and E. nuraghella. The papillae anales of E. argentella are smaller than those of E. nuraghella, and they are distally rounded; in E. nuraghella the apex of papillae anales is pointed (Figs 12, 13). The ductus bursae is narrower and the corpus bursae smaller in E. argentella as compared to E. nuraghella. The male of E. nuraghella is usually identifiable from other species by the shape of the uncus lobes that can be examined without dissection, by carefully brushing off scales from uncus. The uncus lobes of E. catalana are well separate, nearly fused in E. argentella and entirely fused as pointed-looking apex E. nuraghella. The valva of E. nuraghella is very broad compared to other species of sg. Aphelosetia.

Biology. E. nuraghella has been reared from Dasypyrum villosum (L.) P. Candargy (Poaceae) (Parenti & Varalda 1994). It appears to occupy a variety of habitats and has been observed at altitudes ranging from the sea level up to 800 m.

Distribution. France including Corsica, Italy including Sardinia and Sicilia, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia. Records from Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey are attributable to E. grotenfelti sp. nov.