Thiotricha poecilopa ( Meyrick, 1918 ), 2024

Lee, Ga-Eun & Li, Houhun, 2024, A taxonomic review of Thiotricha Meyrick, 1886 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Thiotrichinae) from China, with descriptions of 84 new species, Zootaxa 5449 (1), pp. 1-222 : 122-123

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CAC513A2-D2B4-4E6E-BAB6-CCE6E054680F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11233218
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CC3667-9842-1D05-FF05-8F00DA75E42A
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Thiotricha poecilopa ( Meyrick, 1918 )
status

Treatment

Thiotricha poecilopa ( Meyrick, 1918) View in CoL

( Figs 1E View FIGURE 1 , 4B View FIGURE 4 , 18C View FIGURE 18 , 26S View FIGURE 26 , 42A View FIGURE 42 , 58F View FIGURE 58 , 65G, H View FIGURE 65 , 72B View FIGURE 72 )

Semnostoma poecilopa Meyrick, 1918: 128 View in CoL ; 1925: 103; Gaede, 1937: 307; Clarke, 1969: 367. TL: Assam, India. TD: NHMUK. Comb. nov.

Type material ( Figs 65G, H View FIGURE 65 , 72B View FIGURE 72 ). Lectotype ♀, INDIA, Assam, Khasi Hills , ix.1906, genitalia slide no. J. F.G.C. 8385 ( NHMUK).

Additional material examined. CHINA: Yunnan Province: 5 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Mt. Xiaohei , 2300 m, Longling County, 10.viii.2005, leg. Yingdang Ren , genitalia slide nos. ZJL05391f, ZJL05392m; 2 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Xiaoheishan Nature Reserves (24.52°N, 98.84°E), 1974 m, Longling County, 18−19.vii.2013, leg. Shurong Liu, Yuqi Wang and Kaijian Teng GoogleMaps , genitalia slide no. 16135m; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Taiyanghe Nature Reserves (22.79°N, 100.98°E), 1450 m, 30.v−19.viii.2014, leg. Zhenguo Zhang GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, Yexianggu (22.17°N, 100.87°E), 762 m, Xishuangbanna , 13.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Baoshan (24.82°N, 98.78°E), 2009 m, 9, 17.viii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Shurong Liu and Hua Rong GoogleMaps , genitalia slide no. LGE18178f; 54 ♂♂, 27 ♀♀, Linjiapu (25.29°N, 98.70°E), 2144 m, Tengchong County, 14−16.viii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Shurong Liu and Hua Rong GoogleMaps , genitalia slide nos. LGE16136f, LGE18172f, LGE 19029m; 7 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Baoshan (24.82°N, 98.78°E), 2009 m, 16, 17.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai GoogleMaps , genitalia slide nos. LGE 16128m, LGE 18171m, LGE18173; 13 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Xiaoheishan Nature Reserves (24.52°N, 98.84°E), 1974 m, Longling County, 27−30.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai GoogleMaps , genitalia slide no. LGE16129f; Xizang Autonomous Region : 1 ♂, Pai Town (29.51°N, 94.86°E), 2900 m, Milin County, 1.viii.2010, leg. Houhun Li GoogleMaps et al., genitalia slide no. LGE16134; 1 ♀, 80K (29.66°N, 95.49°E), 2059 m, Motuo County, 8.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang. GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. Adult ( Figs 1E View FIGURE 1 , 4B View FIGURE 4 , 18C View FIGURE 18 ). Wingspan 10.0−13.0 mm. This species is unique in the genus as both sexes have long scale tuft on the ventral surface of the labial palpi ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ). It is striking that segment III of the labial palpi is white-banded, and the forewing ground is brassy yellow marked with white streaks and spots. The general coloration and the markings of T. poecilopa are similar to those of T. leucochalca ( Meyrick, 1918) described from India, but the markings are more distinct and a white spot near the base of costa is absent in the former. The male genitalia ( Fig. 42A View FIGURE 42 ) are diagnosed by the fan-shaped uncus, the narrow valva evenly elongated from base to 2/3 and the elliptical anellus lobe. The female genitalia ( Fig. 58F View FIGURE 58 ) are typical to the pancratiastis -group in having a spinous segment VIII, strongly produced anterior margin of sternum VIII, a small sclerite at the base of ductus bursae and a round signum consisting of minute denticles, but the corpus bursae are somewhat smaller and the signum is situated more posteriorly compared to its congeners.

Variation. The forewings can be strongly or weakly mixed with fuscous.

Distribution. China (Yunnan, Xizang), India.

Remarks. Thiotricha poecilopa and a related species T. scatebrosa are unusual in the genus as both sexes have a tufted segment II of the labial palpi. The two species were originally described in the genus Semnostoma along with T. leucochalca and T. barathrota , but that genus was synonymized with Thiotricha by Lee et al. (2021). Here we propose new combinations for the four species: T. barathrota ( Meyrick, 1918) comb. nov., T. leucochalca ( Meyrick, 1918) comb. nov., T. poecilopa ( Meyrick, 1918) comb. nov. and T. scatebrosa ( Meyrick, 1918) comb. nov. Thiotricha poecilopa is recorded from China for the first time in this study.