(Figs 1–3, 6–7, 11–13)

Chrysoclista abchasica gabretica Šumpich, 2012 in ŠUMPICH & SKYVA (2012): 164 –165 (original description).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPUS: J, CZECH REPUBLIC: BOHEMIA: ‘ Bohemia mer.[idionalis] (CZ) / Šumava M[oun]t[ain]s. – 1195 m / Smrčina – Seitz.[ova] cesta / 48°45′01′′N 13°55′41′′E / 19.9.2005 / Jan Šumpich leg.’ (NMPC).

Additional material examined. AUSTRIA: TIROL: Innsbruck, Kranebitter Klamm, 750–780 m a.s.l., 47°16′21″N, 11°19′45″E, 26.vi.2005, 1 J, P. Huemer leg. (TLMF). ITALY: TRENTINO- SÜDTIROL: Eppan, Mendel Furgglauer Schlucht env., 940 m a.s.l., 46°39′26″N, 10°28′41″E, 18.vi.2014, 1 J, P. Huemer leg. (TLMF).

Diagnosis. Adult. Chrysoclista gabretica is externally very similar to C. linneella (Clerck, 1759), C. abchasica and C. germanica sp. nov. Unlike all other species, C. linneella has the most bright and extensive orange coloration of the forewings, the black basal streak with silver scales is very short or absent (Fig. 5), and the labial palpi are mostly ochreous, only the third segment can be brown (Figs 9–10). Based on the original description (SINEV 1986) and later diagnosis (KOSTER & SINEV 2003), C. abchasica has a slightly deviating dark edge of the forewings (Fig. 4) but reliable differentiation of C. gabretica and C. abchasica should be based on genitalia characters. Chrysoclista germanica sp. nov. has the darkest overall appearance and furthermore differs from related species by the short and silvery labial palpi (Fig. 8).

Male genitalia. Very similar to C. abchasica and to some extent also to C. zagulajevi. From C. zagulajevi it differs mainly by the shape of the valva and by the characteristic row of cornuti in the phallus. Unlike C. abchasica, C. gabretica has a distinctly curved phallus (almost 90 degrees), and a more regularly rounded distal part of the valva (Figs 11–12). Furthermore the sclerotized apical ridge of the phallus has a larger number of thorns (ca. 9 in C. gabretica, 5 in C. abchasica) (Figs 12a, 14). Finally the shape of the anellus lobes is species specific. It is nearly rectangular and dorsally only slightly bulged in C. gabretica but distinctly bulged with conspicuous caudo-ventral prolongation in C. abchasica.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Molecular data. BIN URI: BOLD: ACR3890. The intraspecific divergence of the barcode region is 0.0% (n = 3). The minimum distance to the nearest neighbor in BOLD, C. linneella (BOLD:AAD0241), is 7.26%. Similarly the interspecific distances of both additional barcoded species of Chrysoclista in BOLD, viz. C. linneella and C. lathamella Fletcher, 1936 are large but the intraspecific divergence in both taxa is considerable with two BIN-clusters in each, indicating possible cryptic diversity (Fig. 18).

Biology. Early stages and host-plants are unknown but likely the species lives under the bark of a trunk of various tree, similar to the few documented observations in related species, e.g. Ch. linneella (KOSTER & SINEV 2003). The few adults known to date have been collected at artificial light. The habitat is similar at all known sites, with predominant montane Piceetum to Fago-Piceetum.

Distribution. Czech Republic (ŠUMPICH & SKYVA 2012), Austria, Italy (HUEMER 2016).