Micronoctua karsholti Fibiger, 1997

(Figs. 3, 8, 11)

Micronoctua karsholti Fibiger, 1997, Nota Lepidopterologica 20: 28. Type-locality: Turkey, Prov. Antalya, 40 km N Alanya, 5 km S Gündogmus.

Diagnosis. Imago (Fig. 3). The smallest of all species of Micronoctuidae and also of all Noctuoidea (and Macrolepidoptera). Wingspan, including fringes, 6–8 mm. Resting position flat, with forewing hind margins against each other. Hindwing venation bifid. Labial palps slightly upturned, brownish-grey, with lighter inner side, 2nd segment twice as long as 3rd. Head, patagia, and prothorax blackish; the rest of thorax and ground colour of forewing unicolorous dark greyish brown; all crosslines of forewing present, black; reniform stigma bright yellow, black outlined; fringes grey. Hindwing light greyish brown; underside unicolorous light brown, with weakly marked postmedian line and discal spot. Abdomen greyish brown. Male genitalia (Fig. 8). 8th tergite and sternite membranous. Uncus lost. Tegumen, vinculum, and saccus well built, the latter short, Vshaped. Ventral and dorsal margins of valva more heavily sclerotised than medial part; ampulla flat, broad, shaped like a hammer-head, two times wider than long, posteriorly with long, inwardly directed setae; digitus short, triangular, slightly higher than width of base, base fused to costal part of valva, small setae at tip; the juxta-anellus plate higher than wide, heavily sclerotised, median hole marks position of aedeagus; aedeagus almost straight, relatively short; ductus ejaculatorius relatively long; vesica with spinules Female genitalia (Fig. 10). Ovipositor quadrangular; interlobal round patch between ovipositor lobes absent. Both apophyses as long as length of ovipositor. 8th abdominal segment equally long on dorsal and lateral sides, on ventral side slightly extended anteriorly; position of ostium bursae medially on ventral side of 8th abdominal segment; ductus bursae membranous, very long; ductus seminalis arising 2/3 up on ductus bursae; corpus bursae globular; a cross-shaped signum present.

Distribution. M. karsholti is only recorded from southern Turkey, Cyprus, the islands of south-east Greece, and the northern Levant.