Promalactis similibellatula Wang, 2021

Wang, Shuxia & Liu, Chen, 2021, Taxonomic study of the genus Promalactis Meyrick, 1908 (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) X. The commotica species-group, with descriptions of twenty-two new species, Zootaxa 4980 (2), pp. 293-330 : 317-318

Promalactis similibellatula Wang , sp. nov.

( Figs 17 , 39 , 54 )

Type material. CHINA, Sichuan: Holotype ♂, Bifengxia (30.07°N, 102.97°E), Ya’an City, 1115 m, 28.VI.2016, leg. KJ Teng & XF Yang, slide No. JYY17610 . Paratype (1♀): same data as holotype, slide No. JYY17918 .

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to P. bellatula Wang, 2006 in forewing pattern and in the features of the male genitalia. It can be distinguished from the latter by the juxta exceeding the base of the uncus, and the aedeagus almost as long as the valva; in P. bellatula , the juxta extends to about the middle of the tegumen, and the aedeagus is slightly shorter than the valva.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 17 ). Forewing length 6.0‒ 6.5 mm.

Head: Vertex shining white, frons shining dark brown, occiput dark yellowish brown. Labial palpus with basal and second palpomeres dark ocherous brown on outer surface, orange yellow on inner surface, whitish along dorsal edge; third palpomere dark ocherous brown, white at apex. Antenna with scape white on dorsal surface, greyish brown on ventral surface; flagellum black, with white annulations dorsally.

Thorax: Dorsum of mesothorax and tegula dark ochreous brown. Forewing orange yellow, with dense dark ocherous brown and black scales between fold and dorsum before end of fold; markings white edged with black scales: costal spot narrow, triangular, from beyond basal 2/3 oblique outward to posterior angle of cell; basal streak oblique inward to base of fold; antemedian streak straight, wide, from about dorsal 2/5 to anterior 1/3 from costal margin; dorsal streak from distal 1/4 extending obliquely outward to below and before posterior margin of cell, forming an inverted V-shaped; apical spot large, ovate, with a small spot above it, separated by black scales; terminal spot small, below apical spot; fringe orange yellow except brown on costal margin before apex. Hindwing and fringe greyish brown. Fore- and midlegs with dorsal surface white, ventral surface black, tibiae with white scale tufts at apex, tarsi with wide white distal band at basal two tarsomeres, white at apex; hindleg yellowish brown ventrally, greyish brown dorsally, tarsus with basal tarsomere white apically, rest tarsomeres white, with two black annuli on second and third tarsomeres basally.

Abdomen: Male genitalia ( Fig. 39 ). Uncus broad and parallel-sided from base to middle, narrowed gradually from middle to distal 1/4, then abruptly narrowed to pointed apex. Gnathos slightly longer than uncus, squamous near apex, rounded apically. Valva wide at base, narrowed to bilobed apex: dorsal lobe thumb-shaped, shorter than ventral lobe, rounded at apex, ventral lobe sub-rectangular, approximately 2.5 times as wide as dorsal process, setose ventrally, obtusely rounded apically; costa about 1/3 length of ventral margin; sacculus slightly narrowed from base to basal 2/3, distal 1/3 distinctly narrower. Saccus triangular, slightly longer than uncus, narrowly rounded apically. Juxta wide at base, narrowed to pointed and hooked apex, exceeding base of uncus apically, with small triangular process laterobasally, dentate and slightly produced from basal 1/6 to 1/3 along outer margin; basal lobe triangular, as large as laterobasal process. Aedeagus slender, curved, almost as long as valva, slightly dilated basally, shallowly bilobed distally; cornutus absent.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 54 ). Apophyses anteriores longer than half length of apophyses posteriores. Eighth sternum sub-rectangular, straight on posterior margin. Lamella postvaginalis sub-rounded. Antrum short, cup-shaped. Ductus bursae with posterior 3/4 sclerotized, inflated, with sparse short spines from posterior 3/5 to 3/4, anterior 1/4 membranous. Corpus bursae rounded; with two plate-shaped signa bearing dense teeth medially.

Distribution. China (Sichuan).

Etymology. The epithet of the new species is derived from the Latin simili- and the congener bellatula , referring to the similarities of the two species.

Figures

FIGURES 17‒22. Adults of Promalactis spp. 17, P. similibellatula, holotype, ♂; 18, P. squamacea, holotype, ♂; 19, P. stenognatha, holotype, ♂; 20, P. subgladiata, holotype, ♂; 21, P. tengchongensis, holotype, ♂; 22, P. triangulivalva, holotype, ♂. Scales = 2 mm.

FIGURES 35‒39. Male genitalia of Promalactis spp. 35, P. pedata, holotype, slide No. JYY17594; 36, P. quadriprocessa, holotype, slide No. JYY17674; 37, P. ramiformis, paratype, slide No. DZH11019; 38, P. senticosa, holotype, slide No. LC19424, 38a, enlarged aedeagus, slide No. LC19314; 39, P. similibellatula, holotype, slide No. JYY17610. Scales = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 51‒55. Female genitalia of Promalactis spp. 51, P. quadriprocessa, paratype, slide No. JYY17889; 52, P. ramiformis, paratype, slide No. LC19335; 53, P. senticosa, paratype, slide No. LC19308, 53a, enlarged corpus bursae, slide No. LC19315; 54, P. similibellatula, paratype, slide No. JYY17918; 55, P. spinosicornuta, slide No. LC19318. Scales = 0.2 mm.