Deserticossus selevini Yakovlev & Witt, sp. nov.

(Figs 5 ¯6, 56)

Material. Holotype: ♂, SE Kazakhstan, Malye Boguty Mts., first half of vii.2010, leg. P. Egorov (ZISP); paratypes: 1 ♂, same data (RYB); 1 ♂, Kazakhstan, Nurly env., 25.vi.2002, leg. Lind (MWM); 3 ♂, S Kazakhstan, Zhambyl Reg., Muyunkum sands, 314 m, 31.05.2015, N44°17’ / E70°10’, leg. D. Shovkoon (RYB); 1 ♂, S Kazakhstan, Zhambyl Reg., Balkhash l., Alakol, 340 m, 31.05.2015, N44°52’ / E74°06’, leg. S.V. Totov & M. Černila (RYB).

Description. Male. Length of fore wing of holotype 21 mm (paratypes 22¯ 23 mm). Thorax and abdomen densely covered with grey scales, tegula and patagium grey. Antenna simple, not pectinate. Fore wing rather narrow, with elongate apex, grey scattered with brown scales and pattern of black strokes, dark short transverse strokes on costal edge, long lengthwise strokes in postdiscal area between veins; strokes extended in direction from costal edge to hind, small black spots in marginal area near veins. Hind wing grey without pattern, fine pale bordering on outer edge. Fringe on both wings dark near veins, pale between veins.

Male genitalia. Uncus narrow, triangular, apex pointed. Gnathos arms long, of medium thickness; gnathos medially ribbon-like, with fine spikes. Valva rather narrow with expressed wide semicircular crest on costal edge, distal third slightly narrowed, apex semicircular, blunt; transtilla process short, thick, uncinately curved, tapered with very thick base and pointed apex. Juxta tiny, with small lateral processes; saccus very small, semicircular; phallus equal to valva in length, slightly curved in proximal third, apex of phallus obliquely cut, tapered, vesica aperture in dorso-apical position, equal to ¼ of phallus, vesica without cornuti.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. Externally, the new species is similar to a group of species with long black strokes between veins in postdiscal area of the fore wing The group consists of D. beketi (Yakovlev, 2004), D. churkini Yakovlev, 2006, D. lukhtanovi Yakovlev, 2006 and D. pulverulentus (Püngeler, 1898) but differs from those by the following features:

- From D. beketi, D. churkini, D. lukhtanovi by the larger size and more expressed pattern of strokes in postdiscal area of the fore wing.

- From D. beketi by the pale grey lower surface of the wings (in D. beketi it is coal-black) and the absence of the expressed rib on the inner surface of the valva; (in D. beketi it is expressed.

- From D. churkini— by the well expressed semicircular crest on the costal edge of the valva (in D. churkini the costal edge of the valva has no crest), the phallus slightly curved in its proximal ½ (in D. churkini the phallus is strongly curved in the proximal ¼);

- From D. lukhtanovi— by the well expressed semicircular crest on the costal edge of the valva (in D. lukhtanovi there is a finger-like process on the costal edge of the valva) and the phallus, slightly curved in its proximal ¼; (in D. lukhtanovi the phallus is straight).

- From D. pulverulentus by the dark colouring of the wings; in D. pulverulentus the wings are paler, the semicircular process on the costal edge of the valva (in D. pulverulentus the process is finger-like), the transtilla process is evenly narrowing to the apex; in D. pulverulentus the apices are tapered and strongly elongated in distal third).

Etymology. The new species is named after Viktor A. Selevin (1905¯1938)—zoologist, member and organizer of expeditions into Kazakhstan (Balkhash Region, Altai, desert Betpak Dala).