Cteipolia belyalovi Volynkin, Titov, Saldaitis & Benedek, 2024

Cteipolia belyalovi Volynkin, Titov, Saldaitis & Benedek View in CoL , sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:88EEB2A7-DF77-4FE8-918C-5791EC17BF08

( Figs 7, 8 View Figures 1–10 , 19 View Figures 17–20 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 7 View Figures 1–10 , 19 View Figures 17–20 ): female, “ 19.III.2024, | SE Kazakhstan, | Zhetysu Region , | Sholak Mts, 750m, | 43°54'57.6''N | 77°47'47.8''E, | S. V. Titov leg.” / “Slide | AV7573 ♀ | A. Volynkin ” ( WIGJ, ex CAV). GoogleMaps

Paratypes: 2 females, same data as holotype, gen. prep. No.: AV7551 GoogleMaps ♀ ( CAV) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 13.0–14.0 mm in females. Cteipolia belyalovi sp. n. ( Figs 7, 8 View Figures 1–10 ) is reminiscent of C. murina ( Figs 11, 12 View Figures 11–16 ), C. isotima ( Fig 9, 10 View Figures 1–10 ) and C. amissa ( Fig. 13 View Figures 11–16 ) but can be distinguished by its somewhat narrower forewing with a more elongate apex, the paler, ochreous brown forewing ground colour with intense irroration of brown scales, and the more distinct hindwing discal spot. The female genitalia of the new species ( Fig. 19 View Figures 17–20 ) differ clearly from the similar congeners ( Figs 20–24 View Figures 17–20 View Figures 21–24 ) in the presence of a single signum bursae (vs. two signa in C. murina , C. isotima and C. amissa ). Additionally, compared to C. murina and C. isotima , the new species has a slightly broader posterior end of the antrum.

The male is unknown.

Distribution and bionomics. The new species is currently known only from its type locality in Southeast Kazakhstan. The collecting site is situated in the Sholak Mountains, which are dry, old, decaying, low massif at the western extremity of the Altyn-Emel Range belonging to the Dzhungar Alatau mountain range ( Fig. 30 View Figure 30 ). The mountains have dry stony steppe slopes dominated by Artemisia L. spp. and with scarce low shrubs of Spiraea hypericifolia L., Rosa platyacantha Schrenk , R. alberti Regel , Lonicera microphylla Roem. & Schult. , Caragana balchaschensis (Kom.) Pojark. , Cerasus tianshanica Pojark. , Salix songarica Andersson , S. tenuijulis Ledeb. , and S. wilhelmsiana M. Bieb. ( Goloskokov 1984) .

Etymology. The new species is dedicated to the memory of the late Oleg V. Belyalov (Almaty, Kazakhstan), close friend of Sergey Titov, excellent wildlife photographer, documentary filmmaker and cameraman, botanist and zoologist, and populariser of the knowledge of the wildlife of Kazakhstan.