Thiotricha tridentata, Lee & Li, 2024

Lee, Ga-Eun & Li, Houhun, 2024, A taxonomic review of Thiotricha Meyrick, 1886 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Thiotrichinae) from China, with descriptions of 84 new species, Zootaxa 5449 (1), pp. 1-222 : 50-51

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CAC513A2-D2B4-4E6E-BAB6-CCE6E054680F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11233020
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CC3667-980A-1D4D-FF05-8D34DBF5E222
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Thiotricha tridentata
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Thiotricha tridentata sp. nov.

( Figs 9F View FIGURE 9 , 24I View FIGURE 24 , 33E View FIGURE 33 , 51A View FIGURE 51 )

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Yunnan Province, Wenshan City, Malipo County, Xiajinguang (23.17°N, 104.8°E), 1470 m, 26.vii.2016, leg. Kaijian Teng, Ga-Eun Lee and Tao Wang, genitalia slide no. LGE18464 GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same data as holotype, genitalia slide no. LGE18465f GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. The forewing pattern of T.tridentata is somewhat similar to those of T.spinesigna , T.angusteproducta , T. crassiflagella , T. cornuata and T. minorirugata , but the fuscous costal band is much reduced in T. tridentata as a slender line. The male genitalia are very distinctive and well defined by the short gnathos hook, the valva strongly expanded in basal 1/2 and the aedeagus with a row of ventral teeth. The trifid male sternum VIII and the small corpus bursae without signum are also diagnostic characters for the species.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 9F View FIGURE 9 ). Wingspan 8.0− 9.5 mm. Head cream to light yellow. Labial palpus light yellow, segment II sometimes suffused with dark fuscous on ventral surface apically; segment III as long as II, dark fuscous on ventral surface. Antenna with scape cream to light yellow, slightly tinged with fuscous; flagellum dark fuscous except basal 1/3 or 1/4 of dorsal surface light yellow, male cilia as long as diameter. Thorax cream to light yellow, with a broad fuscous median line. Tegula cream to light yellow, fuscous along anterior margin. Forewing ground color cream to light yellow, dark fuscous apically; apical spot tinged inwardly with white scales; markings dark fuscous: a line from base to apex along costa, broadened beyond middle, interrupted by a short creamy costal streak at distal 1/5 or 1/4; a broad band on dorsum from base to middle, its distal half obliquely extended to distal 1/4 across wing, gradually attenuated, not reaching costal line;; an inwardly directed, V-shaped marking in distal 1/3 above fold, reaching apical spot anteriorly and near tornus posteriorly; fringe on costa, termen and dorsum dark fuscous. Hindwing dark fuscous; fringe dark fuscous except apical area white with a terminal black band. Legs as in T. spinesigna except ground color dirty-white to cream.

Male sternum VIII ( Fig. 24I View FIGURE 24 ). 1/5 length of abdomen, posterior 3/4 melanized, posterior 1/2 trifid; median tine elongate-triangular, slightly longer than lateral tines, with apex acute; lateral tines rounded at apex.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 33E View FIGURE 33 ). Uncus oval, densely setose in distal 1/2. Gnathos hook very short, with basal 1/3 convex ventrally. Tegumen approximately 4.5 times as long as uncus. Valva robust, strongly broadened after base, then gradually narrowed to distal 1/3, with inner margin convex medially; distal 1/3 narrow and digitate, uniformly elongate to blunt apex. Anellus lobe bulbous, approximately 1/6 length of valva, with long setae. Juxta with basal 1/2 of inner margin convex. Vinculum with posterior margin broadly convex. Saccus subtriangular, blunt at apex, slightly exceeding tegumen pedunculus.Aedeagus large, with basal 1/2 globular, slightly constricted beyond middle, broadened before apex; distal 1/4 with a row of minute teeth along ventral margin; apex shortly emarginate.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 51A View FIGURE 51 ). Papillae anales moderately sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores 1/2 length of apophyses posteriores. Tergum VIII concave posteriorly and nearly straight anteriorly. Sternum VIII longer than tergum VIII, weakly sclerotized around ostium bursae, posterior 1/2 with an elongate-oval sclerotization above ostium bursae, anterior margin produced in V-shape. Ostium bursae opening at posterior 1/3 of sternum VIII. Ductus bursae slender, with ductus seminalis arising from near base. Corpus bursae small, ovate, 1/5 length of ductus bursae, without signum.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. The species name is from Latin, tridentatus (trident), referring to the trifid sternum VIII in males.