Saridoscelis Meyrick, 1894

Liu, Haoyu & Wang, Shuxia, 2023, Review of the genus Saridoscelis Meyrick, 1894 (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) in China, with descriptions of four new species, Zootaxa 5375 (1), pp. 128-136 : 129

Genus Saridoscelis Meyrick, 1894

Type species. Saridoscelis sphenias Meyrick, 1894: 28 .

Generic characters. Head with appressed scales on frons and with long rough scales between antennae. Antenna filiform. Labial palpus long, porrect; third segment shorter than second segment. Forewing produced apically, 12- veined; R 1 from before middle, R 2 and R 3 fused, R 4 and R 5 separated, M 3 and CuA 1 approximated at base, 1A+2A forming a large basal fork. Hindwing 9-veined, all veins separated; Sc+R 1 reaching costal margin at 7/8, median vein three branched. Foreleg with tuft of dense long scales.

Abdomen. Eighth abdominal sternite developed as a sclerotized plate in males.

Male genitalia. Uncus bifid. Socius with plate/s of fringed sensillae distally. Gnathos fused with tuba anales; ventral plate of gnathos membranous or sclerotized. Valva elongate, varied in shape. Saccus long and slender, clavate.

Female genitalia. Intersegmental membrane between papillae anales and eighth abdominal segment rather short. Apophyses anteriores branched basally. Lamella postvaginalis with dense long setae. Ductus bursae membranous or sclerotized. Corpus bursae large, membranous or partly sclerotized; signum present or absent.

Diagnosis. Saridoscelis is characterized by the forewing with R 2 and R 3 fused, the hindwing with three median veins, the male eighth abdominal sternite developed as a sclerotized plate, and the socius with fringed sensillae in the male genitalia.

Host plants. Host records are available only for two Saridoscelis species, belonging to Ericaceae . Saridoscelis sphenias Meyrick is regarded as a pest on Vaccinium bracteatum Thunberg and Vaccinium virgatum Aiton ( Moriuti 1961; Hu et al. 2009). Larvae of S. kodamai Moriuti fed on Pieris japonica (Thunb.) D. Don ex G. Don and Leucothoe grayana Maxim. var oblongifolia (Miq.) H. Hara ( Moriuti 1977).

Key to the species of Saridoscelis in China based on males

1. Eighth abdominal sternite with a median concavity on posterior margin ( Moriuti 1961: 67, figs 3a‒e).......... S. sphenias

- Eighth abdominal sternite without a median concavity on posterior margin....................................... 2

2. Eighth abdominal sternite with a longitudinal anteromedial ridge and a pair of posterior processes ( Fig. 8a )................................................................................................ S. biprocessa sp. nov.

- Eighth abdominal sternite without an anteromedial ridge and paired posterior processes............................ 3

3. Tegumen with a conical process at anterolateral corner....................................................... 4

- Tegumen without a process at anterolateral corner........................................................... 5

4. Valva broadened medially ( Fig. 10 ).............................................................. S. kodamai

- Valva subparallel-sided from near base to before pointed apex ( Fig. 7 )........................... S. baoshana sp. nov.

5. Tegumen with a rod-shaped process medially at each side ( Fig. 11 ).......................... S. longiprocessa sp. nov.

- Tegumen without a rod-shaped process at each side ( Fig. 9 )..................................... S. exstria sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 7‒11. Male genitalia and eighth abdominal sternite of Saridoscelis spp. 7. S. baoshana Wang, sp. nov., holotype, slide No. LHY21766; 8. S. biprocessa Wang, sp. nov., holotype, slide No. LHY21764; 9. S. exstria Wang, sp. nov., holotype, slide No. LHY21053; 10. S. kodamai, slide No. LHY21763; 11. S. longiprocessa Wang, sp. nov., holotype, slide No. LHY21769. 7a‒11a, male eighth abdominal sternite. Scales = 0.2 mm.