Holotype [Russia] • ♂; Altai, Kosh-Agatch distr., Ukok plateau; 2200 m; 19 Jul 2001; Bidzilya leg.; ZMKU.

Russia • 6 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 1, 10, 20, 24, 25 Jul 2001; [genitalia slide number] 286/20, O. Bidzilya • 3 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; 22 Jul 1995 [genitalia slide number] 62/03, O. Bidzilya, all ZMKU• 2 ♂; Altai Republic, Kosh-Agatch distr., Northern part of Ukok plateau, Zhumaly river basin; 2400–2500 m; 4–6 Aug 2016; P. Huemer and B. Wiesmair leg. [Barcode identification number] TLMF Lep 20453; TLMF • 4 ♂♂; Altai, Belyashi [Dzhazator] env. (25 km NW), confluence of Argut and Karagem rivers; 49.865°N, 87.173°E; 1400 m; rocky steppe; 27–28 Jul 2017 [genitalia slide number] 21257, J. Šumpich; J. Šumpich leg. • 1 ♂; Altai, Belyashi (Dzhazator) env. (56 km SE), Dzhazator valley, 49.63°N, 88.20°E, mountain meadows near Tara river; 2300 m; 25–26 Jul 2017; [genitalia slide number] 21261, J. Šumpich; J. Šumpich leg.; all NMPC.

Diagnosis. The new species differs externally from most other Palaearctic species of Gelechia by the uniformly blackish-grey forewing without markings. Gelechia mandella and G. sororculella are similarly dark but without glossy forewings and with at least some indication of paler markings. The male genitalia are similar to those of G. mandella, G. sororculella and G. jakovlevi. The differences among these taxa are summarized in Table 2.

Adult (Figs 2, 15, 16). Forewing length 6.5–7.2 mm (mean = 6.7, n=10). Wingspan 13.8–15.0 mm. (mean = 14.4, n=10). Head, thorax and tegulae black, with rare grey-tipped scales on frons, labial palpus black mixed with white, underside of palpomere 2 with brush of long scales separated by medial gap, white on the inner side, scape black, flagellomeres black, ringed with grey, densely ciliated beneath, forewing overall matt, covered with grey brown- or grey-tipped scales, without markings, fringe grey, brown-tipped; hindwing grey, veins mottled with brown.

In male, sternum VIII rounded, anterior part narrow, reverse-trapezoid; tergum VIII elongate, tongue-shaped, with paired long coremata (Fig. 14).

Male genitalia (Figs 6, 7). Uncus broadly rounded, two times broader than long, posterior margin weakly serrated, edged with long setae, distal sclerite of gnathos absent, lateral sclerites slender, short, culcitula broad, pillow-shaped, fultura superior extended anteriorly to about 2/3 length of tegumen, not reaching anteromedial emargination of tegumen, tegumen nearly parallel-sided, 2.5 times longer than broad at base; cucullus slender, of even width, extended to apex of uncus, sacculus in its broadest part 2–3 times as broad as cucullus, apex tapered, curved inwards, extended to 3/4–4/5 length of cucullus, vinculum broad, medial processes rounded, broadly separated; saccus tapered, extended far beyond apex of pedunculi; phallus slightly shorter than tegumen, medial section nearly parallel-sided, caecum distinctly inflated, about 2 times as broad as phallus, apex short, weakly pointed, lateral lobe reverse V-shaped, lateral process short, thorn-shaped, medial sclerite slender, elongate; bulbus ejaculatorius moderately long, sack-shaped, with small irregularly shaped lamina.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Part of the type series, including the holotype, was collected by netting during early sunrise around dwarf willows (Salix glauca and others) at altitudes from 2200 to 2500 m. It is highly likely that one of these Salix species is a host plant for the larvae, and that the new species is restricted in its distribution to mountain areas where its possible host plant occurs. Other specimens were attracted to light in the same habitats, in mountains meadow or rocky steppe from 1400 to 2500 m (Figs 23, 24). Gelechia sororculella is also known from neighboring territories of Altai, but was observed in river valleys (Chuya, Chagan). This species is associated with several species of Salix (Huemer and Karsholt 1999), but not with the dwarf willows presumed to be the host for G. omelkoi sp. nov.

Figure 1. 

Neighbor-Joining tree of Gelechia omelkoi sp. nov. and nearest European and North American Gelechia spp. in BOLD, with the generic type species Gelechia rhombella as outgroup (Kimura 2-parameter, constructed with MEGA 6 cf. Tamura et al. 2013), only sequences >500 bp considered. The scale bar only applies to internal branches between species. Width of triangles represents sample size, depth represents genetic variation within the cluster. Source: DNA Barcode data from BOLD (Barcode of Life Database, cf. Ratnasingham and Hebert 2007).

Molecular data. BIN: BOLD:ADD9926 (n=1). The minimum distance to the nearest neighbour, the North American G. mandella, is 2.88%, whereas it is 5.94% distant from the nearest Palaearctic G. sororculella (Fig. 1).

Russia: Altai Republic, Ukok plateau and South Chuisky ridge.

The new species is named in honour of Mikhail M. Omelko (Federal Scientific Center of East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia), in recognition of his contribution to the study of Gelechiidae, and the genus Gelechia in particular. The species name is a noun in the genitive case.

[Canada] • 16 ♂; Alberta, Nordegg, [54.470°N, 116.075°W], various dates from 29 Jun – 6 Aug 1921; [barcoded male 4 Jul 1921]; bred from larva on Willow; J. McDunnough leg. [specimen number] CNCLEP00100431; [genitalia slide number] MIC 8484; [other males numbers] CNCLEP00100430–100433, CNCLEP00127961–127973 • 1 ♀; same collection data as for proceeding, 10 Jul 1921 [specimen number] CNCLEP00127968; [genitalia slide number] MIC 8485 • 2 ♂; Yukon, km 140.5 Dempster Hwy, [65.069°N, 138.129°W], 900 m, 28 Jul 1980; D. Wood and J. Lafontaine leg.; [specimen number] CNCLEP00067704–67705; genitalia slide number [MIC 8486]; all in CNC.

Figures 2–5. 

Gelechia spp. Adults. 2, 2A Gelechia omelkoi sp. nov. 2 adult, holotype 2A head, paratype 3–5 G. mandella 3, 3A male, Alberta 3 adult 3A head 4, 4A male, Yukon 4 adult 4A head 5, 5A female Alberta 5 adult 5A head.

Figures 6–11. 

Gelechia spp., male genitalia. 6, 7 G. omelkoi sp. nov., paratypes 6 genitalia slide 286/20, O. Bidzilya 7 genitalia slide 62/03, O. Bidzilya 8, 9 G. mandella 8 Alberta, genitalia slide MIC 8484 9 Yukon, genitalia slide MIC 8486 10 G. sororculella, genitalia slide 287/20, O. Bidzilya 11 G. jakovlevi, lectotype, genitalia slide 309/20, O. Bidzilya.

Gelechia mandella is a blackish-grey, medium-sized species with a black streak interrupted by diffuse white spots in the middle of the forewing, a black streak in fold and a diffuse white subapical fascia. The wing pattern resembles that of the Holarctic species Gelechia sabinellus (Zeller, 1839), but it is darker and predominantly black rather than grey. Additionally, G. sabinellus has strikingly differently coloured scales on the labial palps. The Palaearctic G. sororculella looks nearly indistinguishable externally (Fig. 19).

Adult (Figs 3–5). Forewing length 7.8–9.4 mm (mean = 8.6, n=18). Wingspan 15.9–18.7 mm (mean = 17.1, n=16). Head, thorax and tegulae greyish black, labial palpus black mixed with white, palpomere 2 underside with brush of long scales divided by medial gap, inner side entirely white in some specimens, scape black, flagellomeres black, ringed with light grey, forewing greyish black, sparsely mixed with white-tipped scales, fold with black medial streak edged with white from both ends, indistinct black streak in middle 2/3 interrupted by large white spot at 1/2 and much smaller white spot at 2/3, diffuse white fascia at about 3/4, termen black-spotted, cilia white, black-tipped; hindwing light grey with grey cilia and distinctly darkened veins.

Figures 12–14. 

Gelechia spp., genitalia and abdomen. 12, 13 G. mandella. 12 abdomen, male, genitalia slide MIC 8484 13A, B Female genitalia, slide MIC 8485 13A segment VIII (enlarged) 13B Signum (enlarged) 14 G. omelkoi sp. nov., male segment VIII, genitalia. slide 62/03, O. Bidzilya.

In male, sternum VIII rounded in distal part, reverse trapezoid basally; tergum VIII elongate, tongue-shaped, with paired, long coremata (Fig. 12).

Male genitalia (Figs 8, 9). Uncus broadly rounded, twice wider than long, posterior margin weakly serrated, edged with long setae, distal sclerite of gnathos absent, lateral sclerites slender, short, culcitula slightly wider than uncus, pillow-shaped, fultura superior extended anteriorly to about 2/3 length of tegumen, not reaching anteromedial emargination of tegumen, tegumen nearly parallel-sided, 2.5 times as long as broad at base; cucullus slender, of even width, extended to apex of uncus, sacculus in its broadest part 1.5–2.0 times as broad as cucullus, apex tapered, curved inwards, extended to 2/3–3/4 length of cucullus, vinculum broad, medial processes rounded, broadly separated; saccus weakly or distinctly narrowed apically, extended far beyond apex of pedunculi; phallus slightly shorter than tegumen, medial portion nearly straight or with dorsal side slightly curved, caecum weakly inflated, about 1.5 times as broad as phallus, apex moderately elongate, triangularly pointed with comparatively broad base, dorsal lobe beak-shaped and recurved, lateral process short, thorn-shaped, medial sclerite slender, elongate; bulbus ejaculatorius elongate, sack-shaped, with small, irregularly shaped lamina.

Female genitalia (Figs 13, 13A, 13B). Papillae anales elongate, subovate, with straight anterior margin; apophyses posteriores three times as long as segment VIII, apophyses anteriores reduced to melanized bands fused to lateral wall of sternum VIII; sternum VIII three times longer than broad, with narrow, sclerotized lateral rods, wrinkled along medial membranous zone, with strongly sclerotized short anterolateral drop-shaped processes confluent with apices of apophyses anteriores; subgenital plate small, band-shaped, with short, pointed anterior protrusions near anterior margin of sternum VIII; ostium rounded, with distinct posterolateral edging connected anteriorly with base of apophyses anteriores; antrum cylindrical, colliculum short, trapezoid, laterally sclerotized; ductus bursae very short, broadened into corpus bursae, with indistinct transition, corpus bursae as long as and slightly wider than adjacent part of ductus bursae, signum plate subovate, with serrate margins and broad transverse medial groove.

Adults have been collected from late June to early August in Alberta and in late July in Yukon. Two specimens from Nordegg, Alberta were reared from an unspecified willow.

Molecular data. BIN: BOLD:AAG0039. The intraspecific average distance of the barcode region is 0.14% (n=13, data from BOLD). The minimum distance to the nearest neighbour, the Palaearctic G. omelkoi sp. nov., is 2.88% (Fig. 1).

Canada: British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon (new record), Northwest Territories (new record). Two alleged records from Montana, USA in SCAN (2021) are represented by photographs taken on 14–15 May 2018 near the town of Missoula in the mountainous western part of the state. Although the superficial appearance of the moths on the photos makes it possible that this be G. mandella, their identity remains unverified. The same website also shows two Northwest Territories records, which are actually sourced from two BOLD public records analyzed here (BIOUG23265-E04 and BIOUG23126-F09 deposited in CBG; see Table 1). The record from Quebec in Pohl et al. (2018) was based on a female specimen in CNC from Forestville (specimen # CNCLEP00100429), which has since been barcoded and belongs to a different BIN (BOLD:AAH6283). It is here excluded and likely represents a different species.

Busck (1904) described Gelechia mandella from an unspecified number of specimens, as indicated by a size range accompanying the original description. There is a series of specimens of G. mandella identified by Busck in the collection of USNM. We assume four of them, with red type labels, are from Busck’s original series. None of these syntypes has a locality label, only a Dyar field number, which corresponds with Kaslo, British Columbia (Canada). This series comprises two females collected 15.08.1903 (USNM slide #6773 (genitalia), USNMENT01480487 and USNM slide #6779 (wings), USNMENT01480485); one specimen without an abdomen, collected 13.08.1903 (USNMENT01480486); and one dissected male collected 5.08.1903. This last specimen, labelled “type No. 7859, U.S.N.M”, “Genitalia Slide 6775, by AB, ♂, USNM”, “Gelechia mandella Busck, Type” (USNMENT00835335) was incorrectly published as the “holotype” by Brown et al. (2004). Photographs of the specimen, its labels, and the genitalia are available online (https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/ento/?ark=ark:/65665/38eb1f15df800489fac64727ff945379c). At one time, the USNMENT00835335 specimen was labelled with “Mesilla, NM [New Mexico].” This was likely due to a mix-up when labels were removed from the pins to be photographed and the Mesilla label belongs to another type, possibly Gelechia malindella Busck, 1910 [a junior synonym of Friseria cockerelli (Busck, 1903)]. The label error for the USNMENT00835335 specimen is now corrected. Here, we designate the USNMENT00835335 specimen among the likely syntypes as lectotype of G. mandella, to stabilize nomenclature.

The CNC series from Nordegg, Alberta collected in 1921 was identified as G. mandella by Annette Braun. Despite the difficulty to interpret some characters of the male genitalia from the photo of the lectotype slide of G. mandella, visible features match those of the barcoded specimens. Taking also into consideration the similarity in external appearance, we are confident that specimens from Yukon and Alberta represent G. mandella.

Bidzilya et al. 2002: 207. Misidentification of G. omelkoi sp. nov.

Russia • 1 ♂; Altai Republic, Shebalino distr., Cherga env.; 17 Jul 1995; P. Ustjuzhanin leg.; ZMKU • 1 ♂, Russia, Altai, Kosh-Agatch distr., 15 km from Beltir. vil. up on Tchagan river; steppe; 2200 m; 13 Aug 2000; O. Bidzilya leg.; [genitalia slide number] 287/20, O. Bidzilya; ZMKU • 1 ♂; Altai, Kosh-Agatch env., Tchuja river bank; on trunk of Salix sp.; 17 Aug 2000; O. Bidzilya leg.; ZMKU.

Kyrgyzstan • 1 ♂; 5 km S of At-Bashi, Narynskaya oblast; 15 Aug 1981; S. Sinev leg.; ZIN.

The previous record of this species from Ukok plateau in Altai (Bidzilya et al. 2002: 207) refers to G. omelkoi sp. nov.

Palaearctic Region from Spain to Russian Far East (Huemer and Karsholt 1999; Ponomarenko 2019); Kyrgyzstan (new record).

Bidzilya 2002: 69.

Russia • 1 ♀; Altai, Ongudai distr., 15 km from Iodro vil. down on Tchuja river; 6 Aug 2000; O. Bidzilya leg.; [genitalia slide number] 293/20, O. Bidzilya; ZMKU • 1 ♂, Russia, Altai, Belyashi (Dzhazator) env. (25 km NW), confluence of Argut and Karagem rivers; rocky steppe; 49.865°N, 87.173°E; 1400 m; 27–28 Jul 2017 [genitalia slide number] 21265, J. Šumpich; J. Šumpich leg.; NMPC.

Northern and eastern Europe, Russia: European part, Tomsk region, Altai, Buryatia (Huemer and Karsholt 1999; Ponomarenko 2019); Mongolia (ssp. mongoliae Emeljanov & Piskunov, 1982).

Gelechia jakovlevi mongoliae was described based on a female from Songino, western Mongolia. The status of this taxon needs clarification after examination of a male, which is unknown to us.

Bidzilya 2002: 68.

Russia • 1 ♂; Gornoaltaisk; 15 Jul 1997; A. Lvovsky leg.; ZIN • 1 ♂; Altai, Aktash vill.; grassy steppe, rocks; 50.320°N, 87.60°E; 1400 m; 11 Jul 2014; J. Šumpich leg.; NMPC.

Figures 15–22. 

Gelechia spp., adults. 15, 16 G. omelkoi sp. nov., paratypes, males. 15 Dzhazator. 16 Karagem. 17, 18 G. jakovlevi. 17 Male, Karagem. 18 Female, Iodro 19 G. sororculella, male, Cherga 20 G. muscosella, male, Aktash 21 G. hippophaella, female, Karagem 22 G. sirotina, male, Karagem.

Palaearctic Region from Great Britain to Far East of Russia and China: Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi (Huemer and Karsholt 1999; Li 2002).

Figures 23, 24. 

Habitats of Gelechia omelkoi sp. nov. 23 Steppe near the confluence of Argut and Karagem rivers 24 mountain steppe near Dzhazator (photographs by Jan Šumpich).

Piskunov 1981: 669.

Russia • 1 ♀; Altai, Belyashi (Dzhazator) env. (25 km NW), confluence of Argut and Karagem rivers; rocky steppe; 49.865°N, 87.173°E; 1400 m; 27–28 Jul 2017 J. Šumpich leg.; NMPC.

Northern, central and south-eastern Europe; Siberia: Altai, Tuva, Buryatia; China: Ningxia (Huemer and Karsholt 1999; Li 2002; Ponomarenko 2019), unconfirmed record from Mongolia (Piskunov 1990).

Russia • 1 ♂; Altai, Belyashi (Dzhazator) env. (25 km NW), confluence of Argut and Karagem rivers; rocky steppe; 49.865°N, 87.173°E; 1400 m; 27–28 Jul 2017 [genitalia slide number] 19922, J. Šumpich; J. Šumpich leg.; NMPC.

Belarus; Tajikistan (Piskunov 1989); Russia: Altai (new record), Tuva, Zabaikalskiy krai, Primorskiy krai (Ponomarenko 2019).