Meleonoma bitaeniana, Zhu & Wang, 2024

Zhu, Xiaoju & Wang, Shuxia, 2024, Six new species of the genus Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae) from China, Zootaxa 5536 (3), pp. 465-474 : 467-468

Meleonoma bitaeniana sp. nov.

( Figs 2 , 8 )

Type material. CHINA, Yunnan: Holotype ♂, Qiunatong Village (28.10°N, 98.57°E), Bingzhongluo Town , Gongshan County, Nujiang, 1767 m, 14.VI.2017, leg. KJ Teng et al., slide No. ZXJ18154.

Diagnosis. M. bitaeniana is similar to M. lunulata Wang & Zhu, 2020 as having the sacculus with two apical lobes formed by the concave apex in the male genitalia. It can be distinguished by the continuous median fascia of the forewing, in the male genitalia by the slender, elongate clavate uncus and the phallus without a spine near the middle. In M. lunulata , the forewing has a discontinuous median fascia, the uncus is triangular and the phallus has a spine near the middle (Wang & Zhu, 2020: 348, Figs 16, 32).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 2 ). Forewing length 7.5 mm.

Head orange yellow. Labial palpus orange yellow; second segment black in distal 1/3; third segment with scattered dark grey scales. Antenna orange yellow, flagellum alternated with dark brown on dorsal surface except basal several flagellomeres orange yellow.

Mesonotum and tegula orange yellow. Legs yellow, with exceptions on ventral surface: foreleg with femur and tibia dark grey, tarsus with apical three tarsomeres dark grey, mid- and hindlegs with scattered dark grey scales.

Forewing broad lanceolate, costal margin slightly arched, apex narrowly rounded; ground color orange yellow, with a black diffusion along basal 2/5 of costal margin; median fascia black, continuously extended from beyond middle of costal margin obliquely to tornus; subterminal fascia black, extended from distal part of costal margin along termen almost to tornus; plical spot black, at distal 2/5 of fold; discal spot black, rounded, placed beyond middle of cell; fringe yellow, dark grey around tornus. Hindwing and fringe grey.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 8 ). Uncus slender, elongate clavate, hooked apically. Tegumen narrowed medially, concave anteromedially. Costal part of valva with basal 1/3 nearly uniform, widened to middle, thereafter narrowed to rounded apex; ventral margin straight in basal 1/2, arched in distal 1/2; costa reaching before apex of costal part; transtilla triangular, narrowed toward middle, pointed at apex; sacculus wide at base, slightly narrowed to before apex; apically concave inwardly, forming two lobes: dorsal lobe produced to a clavate process, ventral lobe produced to a spine-shaped process. Saccus uniformly wide from base to narrowly rounded apex, slightly shorter than uncus. Juxta U-shaped. Phallus slightly longer than costal part of valva, narrow at base, widened from base to middle, distal 1/2 with two bands different in length: longer band arising from about middle exceeding apex of phallus, dorsally dentated in basal 2/5, pointed apically; shorter band from beyond middle, approx. 1/2 length of longer band, with fine wrinkles, dentated distally; cornutus absent.

Female unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin bi - and taenianus, referring to the two bands of the phallus.

Figures

FIGURES 1−6. Adults of Meleonoma spp. 1, M. avicapitata sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 2, M. bitaeniana sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 3, M. dorsidentata sp. nov., ♂, paratype; 4, M. hirsuta sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 5, M. longibursoides sp. nov., ♀, paratype; 6, M. spiculata sp. nov., ♂, holotype. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 7−12. Male genitalia of Meleonoma spp. 7, M. avicapitata sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZXJ19199; 8, M. bitaeniana sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19154; 9, M. dorsidentata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19516; 10, M. hirsuta sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19499; 11, M. longibursoides sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19350; 12, M. spiculata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19357. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.