Ephysteris (Microcraspedus) wenquana, Li, Houhun & Bidzilya, Oleksiy, 2008

Li, Houhun & Bidzilya, Oleksiy, 2008, A review of the genus Ephysteris Meyrick, 1908 from China, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 1733, pp. 45-56 : 53-55

Ephysteris (Microcraspedus) wenquana sp. nov.

( Figs. 5 , 11 , 17 , 23 )

Type material: Holotype: ɗ, CHINA: Wenquan, Kunming, Yunnan Province, 1900 m, 30.viii.2005, Yingdang Ren leg. Paratypes: 2 ɗ with same label as holotype, genitalia slide no. L06064; 1 Ψ, Ruili, Yunnan Province, 1000 m, 5.viii.2005, Yingdang Ren leg. genitalia slide no. L06086 (NKU).

Adult ( Fig. 5 ). Length of forewing 4.0–4.5 mm. Head covered with pale grey, brown-tipped scales. Thorax and tegula pale-brown. Labial palpus strongly upcurved, second segment about 1.5 times length of third segment, covered with grey, brown-tipped scales, inner surface yellowish-white, apex whitish; third segment pale-grey, with brown subapical ring. Antenna dark-brown on scape, other antennal articles dark-grey. Forewing covered with pale-brown scales, sparsely mottled by black in apical zone mainly; three dark weakly prolonged spots present: first at one-third, second at two-thirds, and third in middle near costal margin; cilia grey, brown-tipped. Hindwing pale-grey.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 11 , 17 ). Incision on posterior margin of sternite VIII very small. Uncus triangular, apex rounded. Gnathos relatively broad, sickle-shaped, with broadened apex. Tegumen moderately broad. Valva at most level with base of gnathos, evenly curved, relatively slender, of equal width, apex pointed; sacculus weakly curved, slightly expanded distally, about two-thirds length of valva; paired process on posterior margin of vinculum short, digitate, curved outwards apically, medial incision deep, triangular. Saccus weakly narrowed at basal one-third, distally straight. Phallus about as long as tegumen, basal quarter rounded, bulbous; distal portion slender, straight, evenly tapered.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 23 ). Apophyses anteriores weakly curved, extended at apex. Segment VIII about as long as apophyses anteriores, weakly sclerotized, anterolateral corners distinctly prolonged, anterior margin straight; subgenital plates with paired triangular anteromedial sclerites separated by very slender membranous zone. Ductus bursae extremely slender, broadened near corpus bursae; antrum weakly sclerotized, distinctly shorter than apophyses anteriores. Corpus bursae large, suboval; signum a subtriangular plate, about twice longer than broad, basal corners short, medial process narrow, its distal part about twice length of basal part.

Variation. One paratype (male) has pale, yellowish forewing and almost white head.

Biology. Host plant unknown. Adults were collected in August from 1000 to 1900 m in mountains.

Distribution: China (Yunnan).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the type locality.

Remarks. Ephysteris (Microcraspedus) wenquana sp. nov. is very similar to E. (M.) flavida , but differs externally in the darker, pale-brown forewing with three dark spots. The male genitalia differ from those of E. (M.) flavida in the shorter sacculus and the paired process on posterior margin of vinculum which are digitate and outwardly curved rather than triangular. This new species also resembles externally and in the male genitalia E. subcaerulea ( Meyrick, 1918) (West India, Karnataka state), but slightly differ in longer and outwardly curved paired process on the posterior margin of vinculum. The female genitalia can easily be recognized by the triangularly sclerotized subgenital plate, straight anterior margin of sternite VIII, extremely narrow ductus bursae, and very short antrum.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Adults of Ephysteris spp. 1, E. promptella (Staudinger); 2, E. subovata (Povolný); 3, E. montana sp. nov. (paratype, male); 4, E. flavida Povolný; 5, E. wenquana sp. nov. (holotype, male); 6, E. insulella (Heinemann)

FIGURES 7 – 12. Male genitalia of Ephysteris spp. 7, E. promptella (Staudinger) (slide no. L 05198); 8, E. subovata (Povolný) (slide no. L 06032); 9, E. montana sp. nov. (holotype, slide no. L 05196); 10, E. flavida Povolný (slide no. L 05190); 11, E. wenquana sp. nov. (Paratype, slide no. L 06064); 12, E. insulella (Heinemann) (slide no. L 06128).

FIGURES 13 – 18. Male segment VIII of Ephysteris spp. 13, E. promptella (Staudinger); 14, E. subovata (Povolný); 15, E. montana sp. n.; 16, E. flavida Povolný; 17, E. wenquana sp. n.; 18, E. insulella (Heinemann).

FIGURES 19 – 24. Female genitalia of Ephysteris spp. 19, E. promptella (Staudinger) (slide no. L 06106); 20, E. subovata (Povolný) (slide no. L 06033); 21, E. montana sp. nov. (holotype, slide no. L 05197); 22, E. flavida Povolný (slide no. L 05184); 23, E. wenquana sp. nov. (paratype, slide no. L 06086); 24, E. insulella (Heinemann) (slide no. L 05194)