Thisizima Walker, 1864

Yang, Linlin, Li, Houhun & Kendrick, Roger C., 2012, Taxonomic study of the genus Thisizima Walker, 1864 in China, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera, Tineidae), ZooKeys 254, pp. 109-120 : 110-112

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.254.3952
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/4858FD5D-4386-E986-D614-804220D40352
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Thisizima Walker, 1864
status

Treatment

Thisizima Walker, 1864 View in CoL

Thisizima Walker, 1864: 820.

Type species:

Thisizima ceratella Walker, 1864: 820, by monotypy.

Generic characters.

Head with tufts of erect piliform scales. Antenna (Figs 5, 6) about 1.2 × length of forewing in male, and 0.75 × length in female; scape expanded, pecten with fewer than 15 bristles; flagellum compressed broadly and flatly, although considerably broader in male, with appressed scales, cilia not visible without removal of scales. Maxillary palpus rather reduced, minute, 1/3 length of first segment of labial palpus, 4-segmented, segmental ratio 2:1:1.5:1. Labial palpus (Figs 7, 8) rather long, almost 2.5 × height of head, curved, ascending; segmental ratio 1:2:2; second segment with dense forwards projecting piliform scales, with 6−7 lateral bristles; third segment with appressed scales, slender and pointed, without vom Rath’s organ. Forewing (Fig. 4) with costa moderately arched, apex roundly obtuse, termen obliquely rounded; unicolored or bicolored; all veins separate, R1 from basal 1/4 of cell, R3 from upper angle, R5 to apex, M3 close to CuA1 at base, CuA1 from lower angle of cell, forked portion of A1+2 about 1/3 length of vein, trace of CuP weak, cell closed, with trace of chorda and M stem; retinaculum in male subcostal, elongately triangular, with broad base and curled apex. Hind wing (Fig. 4) with costa moderately arched, apex rounded, slightly pointed than forewing, termen more oblique than forewing; all veins present, Rs parallel to Sc+R1, CuA2 from middle of lower margin of cell, trace of CuP weak, cell closed, with weak trace of M stem; frenulum with one stout bristle, sharp toward apex, angled at basal one third in male; also one bristle in female, much slender and shorter than in male. Legs smoothly scaled, except hind tibia with moderately elongate scales; foretibial epiphysis absent, hind tarsus without spine; tibial spur pattern 0-2-4, mid leg with outer spur about half length of inner spur, hind leg with outer mid spur about 0.4 × length of inner spur, outer proximal spur about 0.6 × length of inner spur.

Male genitalia. Corema absent in eighth segment. Vinculum rather broad, forming a strongly sclerotized cylinder with ill-defined tegumen. Uncus bilobate. Gnathos and subscaphium absent. Valva complex, base broad, scattered with strong hairs on outer surface; apodeme short, digitate. Transtilla absent.

Female genitalia. Corethrogyne present in seventh segment, invaginated into three intersegmental pouches. Ovipositor short and broad; papillae anales large, setose, sclerotized laterally; with one membranous dorsal sac and three ventral sacs between papillae anales, flower-like on top view. Apophyses short, apophysis posterior about 0.4 × length of apophysis anterior. Ostium located on seventh sternite. Antrum distinct, anatropous.

Diagnosis.

The elongate, curved, ascending labial palpus of Thisizima is quite similar to that of Tinissa Walker, 1864 in Scardiinae , to that of Euplocamus Latreille, 1809 and Psecadioides Butler, 1881 in Euplocaminae . Thisizima can be distinguished by the antenna with flagellum strongly flattened in both sexes; while the antenna is filiform in Tinissa , and bipectinate in male and filiform in female in Euplocaminae . Besides, R4 and R5 on the forewing are separated in Thisizima , but stalked in the last three genera. The corethrogyne of Thisizima in female is invaginated into three intersegmental pouches that can also be found in Perissomasticinae , but its other female characters are quite different from those of the members in Perissomasticinae .

Biology.

Little is known about its biology. The living habitat is shown in figures 12 and 13.

Distribution.

China (Fujian, Hainan, Hong Kong); Burma, Thailand, West Malaysia, India, Sikkim, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands and the Anambas Islands.

Remarks.

Thisizima was placed in Tineidae since its establishment. The genus belongs to Tineidae without doubt, represented by the head with erect piliform scales, the subovate forewing with R4 terminating on costa, the male retinaculum arising from Sc, and the female abdomen with corethrogyne in the seventh segment. However, its subfamily position has not been assigned due to some characters that indicate the uniqueness of this genus: the strongly flattened antenna, the rather reduced maxillary palpus, the absence of foretibial epiphysis and the position of ostium. The shape of the labial palpus may suggest its affiliation with Scardiinae and Euplocaminae ; the corethrogyne in female may suggest its affiliation with Perissomasticinae . The status of Thisizima might be settled with further work on its morphology and biology.

Checklist of the genus Thisizima Walker, 1864

1. Thisizima antiphanes Meyrick, 1894

Thisizima antiphanes Meyrick, 1894: 27.

Type locality: Burma.

Depository of type: BMNH (HT).

Distribution: Burma and Thailand.

2. Thisizima bovina Meyrick, 1928

Thisizima bovina Meyrick, 1928: 428.

Type locality: Andaman Islands.

Depository of type: Unknown.

Distribution: Andaman Islands.

3. Thisizima bubalopa Meyrick, 1911