Psoricoptera Stainton, 1854

Zheng, Meiling & Li, Houhun, 2021, Taxonomic revision of the genus Psoricoptera Stainton, 1854 (Lepidoptera Gelechiidae: Gelechiinae) from China, with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4975 (2), pp. 253-272 : 255-257

Psoricoptera Stainton, 1854

Psoricoptera Stainton, 1854: 100 . Type species: Gelechia (Chelaria) gibbosella Zeller, 1839 , by monotypy.

Phoricoptera Stainton, 1854: 76 , misspelling.

Generic Characters. Head smoothly scaled. Ocellus absent. Labial palpus long, upturned beyond vertex; second segment thickened with rough scales on ventral surface, forming a brush-like tuft; third segment about same length of second, with a loose scale tuft dorsally ( Fig. 3 ). Antenna filiform, without pecten, male with ciliae on flagellum in some species. Forewing lanceolate, apex acute; ground colour usually blackish brown or dark grey, costal spots or patch usually black; generally with several erect scale tufts on cell and fold. Hindwing a little wider than forewing, trapezoidal, apex blunt acute, termen slightly concave beneath apex ( Figs 2 , 5 ). Legs usually with 2–3 rounds of tufts on fore and mid tibiae ( Fig. 4 ), hind tibia densely covered with yellowish white hairs.

Venation ( Fig. 5 ). Forewing with cell longer than half length of wing, R 1 from middle of cell, R 3 from near anterior angle of cell, R 4 and R 5 stalked, R 5 to costa, M 2 almost parallel with M 1, M 3 and CuA 1 nearly connate, 1A+2A biforked basally. Hindwing with cell nearly half length of wing, Rs and M 1 connate at anterior angle of cell, M 3 and CuA 1 connate at posterior angle of cell.

Male genitalia ( Figs 6–13 ). Eighth tergite tongue-shaped, with a pair of long corematae; eighth sternite shorter than eighth tergite, broad, fan-shaped, posterior margin broadened to rounded ( Fig. 13 ). Uncus strongly developed, posterior margin usually with several incisions or emarginations of same or different depths, forming several branches of same or different lengths ( Fig. 6 ); basal part with a pair of symmetric affiliated plates convex into different shapes ( Figs 9–12 ). Tegumen nearly trapezoidal, anterior margin deeply concave to triangle, forming a distinct groove. Gnathos with lateral sclerites wedge-shaped or triangular, middle process well developed, normally hook-shaped, dilated at base in some species. Valva extending beyond tip of uncus, flagelliform and arched. Sacculus short, narrow, apex pointed or beak-like. Juxta usually as a pair of wedge-shaped sclerites. Saccus rectangular or subtriangular ( Fig. 6 , 36b ). Phallus often stout, slightly arched, narrowed from base to backward-curved and strongly sclerotized apex, usually with numerous microthorns on distal half of dorsal surface ( Figs 6–7 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs 14–16 ). Papillae anales sub-rectangular, setose. Apophyses posteriores extremely long. Subgenital plate strongly sclerotized, consisting of two sclerites, outer one sub-semicircular or sub-triangular, usually with an emargination distomedially; inner sclerite with a longitudinal broad crack posteromedially, posteriorly fused with apophyses anteriores and forming two various-shaped sclerites which bearing one or several folds; sometimes subgenital plate crown-shaped, with a highly microtrichiate membrane ( Figs 14–15 ). Apophyses anteriores short, rod-shaped. Antrum usually pentagonal. Ductus bursae broad and short, posteriorly with a sclerotized plate near antrum. Corpus bursae oval or rounded; signum cross-shaped, sub-hexagonal or sub-elliptical, with serrate edges and a horizontal axis, surface with dense denticles. Abdominal segment VII of Psoricoptera curva sp. nov. with tufts of modified scales on both sides ( Fig. 16 ).

Diagnosis. Psoricoptera can be easily recognized by the uncus shovel-shaped, usually with a pair of middle and lateral branches in the male genitalia; in the female genitalia, the species of Psoricoptera can be recognized by the strongly sclerotized subgenital plate with the various-shaped sclerites at base of apophyses anteriores. The raised scales on upper surface of third segment of labial palpus is an additional diagnostic character for separating species of Psoricoptera from other genera of Gelechiini .

Biology. Six plant families ( Fagaceae , Salicaceae , Juglandaceae , Anacardiaceae , Rosaceae , Betulaceae ) have been recorded as host plants of Psoricoptera species. Kaitila (1996) recorded the larva of P. speciosella feeds on Salix sp. in late June and early July in Europe; Arahou et al. (1991) reported larva of P. gibbosella lives in buds of Quercus ilex in Morocco; P. gibbosella has been reared from Quercus mongolica and Salix rorida Lacksch. in the Russian Far East ( Omelko 1999), and Rhus chinensis is reported as the host plant of P. kawabei ( Park & Karsholt 1999) . In China, Juglans mandschurica , Quercus sp. and Salix sp. were reported as host plants of Psoricoptera species ( Liu & Bai 1979), host plants of P. gibbosella have been recorded as Juglans mandshurica Maxim. , Quercus robur L., Salix caprea L., Malus pumila Mill. Crataegus sp. , Padus sp. Eriophyes sp. and Carpinus sp. ( Li 2002) , but Piskunov (1981) once thought records of larvae from Crataegus , Malus and galls of Eriophyes mites need confirmation. However, due to the inaccuracy of the previous identification of Psoricoptera species , the records of the above-mentioned host plants are doubtful.

Distribution. The genus Psoricoptera is predominantly recorded from the Palaearctic Region prior to this study ( Park & Karsholt 1999; Li 2002). In this paper, we also find several Oriental species of Psoricoptera , which mainly are distributed in southwest China.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Venations of Psoricoptera latignathosa, slide no. ZML19346W. Scale bar = 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 2–4. Adult morphology of Psoricoptera spp. 2–3, P. latignathosa: 2, adult, ♀; 3, labial palpus, ♀. 4, mid tibia of P. speciosella, ♀. Scale bars: 2 = 2.0 mm; 3–4 = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 6–13. Male genitalia structure and abdominal segment VIII of Psoricoptera spp. 6, male genitalia of P. latignathosa, slide no. ZML19331; 7, P. latignathosa, enlarged view of microthorns on phallus, slide no. ZML19333; 8, P. speciosella, enlarged view of microthorns on vinculum, slide no. ZML19342; 9–12, affiliated plates: 9, P. curva sp. nov., holotype, slide no. ZML19302; 10, P. proximikawabei sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZML19299; 11, P. minutignatha sp. nov., holotype, slide no. ZML19287; 12, P. speciosella, slide no. ZML19339; 13, abdominal segment VIII of P. speciosella, slide no. ZML19295. Scale bars: 6, 9, 12, 13 = 0.5 mm; 7, 8, 10, 11 = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 36–38. Male genitalia of Psoricoptera spp. 36, P. minutignatha sp. nov., holotype, slide no. ZML19287, 36a–36b, showing variations in affiliated plate (36a) and saccus (36b), paratype, slide no. ZML19320; 37–38, P. proximikawabei sp. nov., paratypes, slide nos. ZML19299, SYW05489. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 14–16. Female genitalia structure and abdominal segment VII of Psoricoptera curva sp. nov. 14, female genitalia, paratype, 15, enlarged subgenital plate, slide no. ZML19301; 16, abdominal segment VII, paratype, slide no. ZML19301. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.