Coenodomus wangi Ranjan, Singh & Kirti, 2023

Ranjan, Rahul, Singh, Navneet & Kirti, Jagbir Singh, 2023, A new species of Coenodomus Walsingham, 1888 (Epipaschiinae, Pyralidae, Lepidoptera) from India, Zootaxa 5264 (4), pp. 593-598 : 594

Coenodomus wangi Ranjan, Singh & Kirti , sp. nov.

( Figs 1, 4 )

Type locality: Umtasor (Meghalaya, India)

Material examined: Holotype (♁). India, Meghalaya, Umtasor , 15.ix.2014 (leg. R. Ranjan).

Diagnosis: Morphologically, C. wangi Ranjan, Singh & Kirti , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 ) is most closely similar to C. dudgeoni ( Figs 2–3 ) and is best distinguished on the basis of male genitalia ( Fig. 4 ): the mediolateral spines of uncus are absent (whereas in C. dudgeoni , the lateral sides of uncus bear a prominent medio lateral spine ( Fig. 5 )), and the small, dorsally directed process present on the tip of basal part of sacculus, which is absent in C. dudgeoni . Another closely related species is C. rotundinidus (see Wang et al. 2017: Fig. 22), but C. wangi is distinct in the distal costa extending the valva, the lack of the lateral spines of the uncus, and the juxta split from apex to base to form two elongate thin processes (whereas in C. rotundinidus , the valva apex is extended to form a rounded lobe together with the distal costa, lateral spines are present at the uncus sides, and the juxta is less deeply bifurcated, with a heart-shaped base).

Description: Adults. Labial palpi upturned. Antennae bipectinated, pectination shortened towards tip; scape bearing a long projection, densely covered with long hair-like scales and reaching up to end of metathorax. Patagia with long hairs, reaching mesothorax. Forewing dark ash colour; costal area dominated by olive scales; fuscous tufts of hairs basal of pale sinuous antemedial line; another tuft on discocellular; postmedial line interrupted, slightly S-shaped, olive patch beyond it on inner margin, outer area with tufts of fuscous and white scales. Ante- and postmedial lines bordered with olive bands. Hindwing concolorous to forewing with an indistinct, sinuous, white medial line, an olive patch beyond it at anal angle; tuft of fuscous hairs near base, inner margin, end of cell and on outer area. Underside of both wings with markings extremely reduced. Male genitalia with uncus almost rounded, broad, setose dorsally, folded laterally, concave ventrally, slightly notched at apex. Gnathos short, reaching up to 1/4 th of uncus, lateral arms sclerotised, conjoined apically to form a spined apex. Tegumen broad, shorter than uncus. Vinculum longer than tegumen, forming small U-shape, with notched saccus. Transtilla membranous, slightly sclerotised at base. Juxta reduced to two thin elongate lateral processes connected in U-shape at ventral end, each process at half the length bearing series of minute spines. Valva simple, broad, setose with a triangular window at base, costa slightly concave, sclerotised, distal costa conspicuously produced beyond valva, sacculus swollen at base with a small dorsally directed process at distal end of swollen part. Aedeagus bent ca. 80˚ at the entry of ductus ejaculatorius, coecum cylindrical, vesica with a small crescent-shaped sclerotisation.

Etymology: The species is named in honour of Dr. Ming–Qiang Wang ( China) for his valuable contributions to the taxonomy of the genus Coenodomus Walsingham.

Distribution: The new species is so far reported from its type locality only.

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Imago and male genitalia of Coenodomus spp.: 1, 4, C. wangi sp. nov., male; 2, 5, C. dudgeoni, male (photo credit: Wang et al. 2017); 3, C. dudgeoni, male (© NMHUK).