Thiotricha brevissima, 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 : 55-57

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CAC513A2-D2B4-4E6E-BAB6-CCE6E054680F

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CC3667-980D-1D47-FF05-8C0CDBF1E57A

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Thiotricha brevissima
status

sp. nov.

Thiotricha brevissima sp. nov.

( Figs 10B View FIGURE 10 , 24M View FIGURE 24 , 34C View FIGURE 34 )

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Yunnan Province, Yingjiang County, Tongbiguan Conservation Station , 5.viii.2013, leg. Shurong Liu, Yuqi Wang and Kaijian Teng, genitalia slide no. LGE18284.

Diagnosis. The species is easily distinguished from its allies by the dark fuscous forewing marked with white and light ochre. The male genitalia are diagnosed by the following characteristics: bulbous anellus lobe, valva with a minute projection on costa and the aedeagus with slender and curved apex.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 10B View FIGURE 10 ). Wingspan 8.0 mm. Head dark ochre. Labial palpus dark ochre, segment II slightly suffused with fuscous on ventral surface distally; segment III as long as II, dark fuscous on ventral surface. Antenna with scape dark ochre mixed with fuscous; flagellum dark fuscous, male cilia shorter than diameter. Thorax and tegula dark ochre mixed with fuscous. Forewing ground color dark fuscous, apical area strongly mixed with dark brown, apical spot tinged inwardly with white scales; a white costal streak running from distal 1/5, shortly extended to anterior 1/3 of wing; somewhat indistinct, a light ochre line from base to dorsum along fold, broadly disconnected at middle; a light ochre, outwardly produced V-shaped marking between distal 2/5 and 1/5 of wing, nearly reaching costal streak; tornus slightly tinged with light ochre, a white tornal streak shortly extended to posterior 1/3 of wing; fringe dark fuscous, with metallic reflections on termen. Hindwing dark fuscous, fringe dark fuscous except apical area white with a terminal black band. Legs ochre; fore coxa strongly mixed with dark fuscous; fore femur, tibia and tarsus black on outer surface; mid tibia black at base, with a broad black streak lying between near base and apex on outer surface; mid tarsus with each tarsomere black on basal half of outer surface; hind tibia with an oblique black streak lying between middle and apex on outer surface; hind tarsus black except apex of each tarsomeres.

Male sternum VIII ( Fig. 24M View FIGURE 24 ). Approximately 1/5 length of abdomen, with lateral margins rounded, two slender projections near posterior apex.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 34C View FIGURE 34 ). Uncus oblong. Gnathos hook moderately long, simple. Tegumen 4 times as long as uncus. Valva narrow, gradually broadening from base to basal 1/3, then uniformly elongate to round apex; right valva with a minute subtriangular projection at basal 1/4 of costa. Anellus lobe robust and bulbous, 1/6 length of valva, its ventral margin slightly dented. Juxta with asymmetrical projections in basal 1/3 of inner margins: right projection hummock-like, left projection subtriangular. Vinculum simple. Saccus short, subtriangular, blunt at apex, not exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal 1/2 globular, then gradually narrowing to 2/3; near apex abruptly constricted, slender and curved downward apically.

Female unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. The species name is from Latin, brevissimus (very short), referring to the very short projection on the valva.

The confluens -group

Diagnostic characters. The forewings are usually very narrow, and the apex is strongly extended. The ground color is white to whitish ochre marked with dark fuscous, dark brown or carmine-pink streaks and spots. Many species in this group have carmine-pink ciliation along the termen. The black apical spot is usually small and sometimes obsolete. The labial palpi are very slender and long, with segment I very short and segment III often slightly longer than II. The males have unmodified labial palpi and short antennal ciliation. The male sternum VIII is typically narrowed and bifid posteriorly. The valvae of male genitalia are usually slender and rarely asymmetrical. The anellus lobes are usually short, slender and strongly curved inward, and the apical bristle is often absent. In the female genitalia, the antrum or colliculum are typically present. The signa are round or elongate oval plates.

Key to Chinese species of the confluens -group based on adult and genitalia

(The females of T. albimaculata , T. deltaloba , T. roseapicalis and T. jianfengensis are unknown.)

1. Forewing with carmine-pink ciliation on termen............................................................. 3

- Forewing without carmine-pink ciliation on termen.......................................................... 2

2. Forewing costal spot large oval; valva broadened distally.......................................... T. grandimacula

- Forewing costal spot semicircular or subtrapezoidal; valva narrowed distally.................... T. jianfengensis sp. nov.

3. Forewing ground color creamy white..................................................... T. roseapicalis sp. nov.

- Forewing ground color yellowish or ochre................................................................. 4

4. Forewing dorsum with large white patches................................................................. 5

- Forewing dorsum without white patches................................................................... 8

5. Forewing strongly mixed or scattered with carmine-pink scales from base to near apex.............................. 6

- Forewing with carmine-pink scales distally................................................................. 7

6. Mid tibia with two black oblique streaks at basal 1/3 and 1/2; valva with ventral margin serrate; anellus lobe spoon-shaped..................................................................................... T. cochlearis sp. nov.

- Mid tibia with a black oblique streak after middle; valva not serrate; anellus lobe digitate.......... T. albimaculata sp. nov.

7. Head white to cream; forewing with a dark brown spot near base of costa and a carmine-pink patch on tornus; male sternum VIII not serrate laterally; female genitalia with stout antrum, signum with four different length of projections................................................................................................ T. rosatorna sp. nov.

- Head light ochre; forewing without a spot near base of costa and a carmine-pink patch on tornus; male sternum VIII serrate laterally; female genitalia with colliculum near base of ductus bursae; signum with a single large projection projecting anteriorly............................................................................. T. confluens sp. nov.

8. Forewing with a large, inverted triangular patch.......................................... T. rufimarginata sp. nov.

- Forewing without a large patch.......................................................................... 9

9. Forewing irregularly sprinkled with dark brown or fuscous from base to apex.................................... 10

- Forewing not sprinkled with dark brown or fuscous from base to apex.......................................... 11

10. Male genitalia with anellus lobe robust, strongly curved inward; female genitalia with papillae anales strongly melanized, colliculum absent.......................................................................... T. microrrhoda View in CoL

- Male genitalia with anellus lobe weak, narrow, not strongly curved; female genitalia with papillae anales not strongly melanized, colliculum present.......................................................................... T. rhodomicta View in CoL

11. Forewing broadly mixed with carmine-pink; anellus lobe triangular at middle...................... T. deltaloba sp. nov.

- Forewing not broadly mixed with carmine-pink; anellus lobe very narrow, rod-shaped............. T. bacilliformis sp. nov.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Gelechiidae

Genus

Thiotricha

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