Thiotricha aurea, 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 : 126-128

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/03CC3667-9846-1D00-FF05-8AADDBF1E530
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Thiotricha aurea
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Thiotricha aurea sp. nov.

( Figs 1D View FIGURE 1 , 18H View FIGURE 18 , 27B View FIGURE 27 , 42D View FIGURE 42 , 59C View FIGURE 59 )

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Xizang Autonomous Region , Motuo County, 80K (29.66°N, 95.49°E), 2076 m, 28.vii.2018, leg. Mujie Qi, genitalia slide no. LGE18616 GoogleMaps . Paratypes. CHINA: Xizang Autonomous Region: 8 ♂♂, 27 ♀♀, same data as holotype except 28.vii–8.viii.2018 GoogleMaps , genitalia slide no. LGE18615f; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 80K (29.66°N, 95.49°E), 2059 m, Motuo County, 7–9.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang GoogleMaps , genitalia slide nos. LGE 18191m, LGE18192f; 1 ♂, Chengjiao (29.32°N, 95.32°E), 1097 m, Motuo County, 3.viii.2018, leg. Mujie Qi GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, Chengjiao (29.33°N, 95.33°E), 1016 m, Motuo County, 4.viii.2018, leg. Mujie Qi GoogleMaps ; 3 ♀♀, Sangdeng Village (29.85°N, 95.76°E), 2695 m, Bomi County, 10.viii.2018, leg. Mujie Qi GoogleMaps ; 16 ♂♂, 19 ♀♀, Tongmai Town (30.10°N, 95.08°E), 2029 m, Bomi County, 12–16.viii.2018, leg. Mujie Qi GoogleMaps (two males and two females are deposited in NHMUK) .

Diagnosis. Superficially this species can be distinguished from its congeners by the golden forewing broadly marked with large white spots. The male sternum VIII is distinctively broader than those of its allies. The male genitalia are diagnosed by the uncus bearing stiff setae, the narrow valva and the very slender anellus lobe with a long apical bristle. The female genitalia are similar to those of T. scatebrosa , but the apophyses anteriores and posteriores are longer, and the ductus bursae is narrower than the latter species.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1D View FIGURE 1 , 18H View FIGURE 18 ). Wingspan 13.0− 15.5 mm. Head white. Labial palpus golden ochre mixed with fuscous, segment II white at apex; segment III slightly longer than II, dirty-white on dorsal surface and fuscous on ventral surface. Antenna with scape golden ochre mixed with fuscous except its apex tinged with white; flagellum fuscous except basal 1/3 of dorsal surface cream, male cilia as long as diameter. Thorax white, with a gold median streak. Tegula golden ochre, strongly mixed with fuscous anteriorly, outer margin broadly white. Forewing ground color golden ochre, broadly mixed with fuscous at base; apical spot small and elongate, bordered inwardly with white scales, apex falcate; a broad, fuscous irregular band from basal 1/3 and 2/3 of costa, respectively, gradually attenuated, obliquely running toward dorsum, first band broadly disconnected on fold and reaching basal 1/4 of dorsum, then extended to base along dorsum as a streak; second band broadly disconnected above fold, not reaching dorsum; other markings white: a short costal streak at distal 1/4 of wing, obliquely extended toward termen, bordered outwardly by a narrower fuscous streak; a slender streak from base to basal 1/7 along fold, sometimes indistinct; five large, elongate spots: two at basal 1/4 of wing, first between costa and fold, second between fold and dorsum; third at 1/3 beneath fold; fourth at 1/2 between costa and fold; fifth at 3/4 above fold, interrupted medially by a slender fuscous line, suffused outwardly with grey scales; termen, tornus and distal 1/4 of fold white, two narrow longitudinal lines within this white area, running parallel with fold; fringe on costa white with a terminal black band, sometimes with a subterminal black band; fringe on termen ochre, dark fuscous distally; fringe on dorsum greyish brown. Hindwing dark grey, black at apex; fringe greyish brown except apical area white with a terminal black band. Legs ochre mixed with fuscous; fore femur, tibia and tarsus dark fuscous on outer surface; mid femur strongly mixed with dark fuscous, white at apex; mid tibia white, distal half of outer surface dark fuscous except apex; hind tibia with outer surface strongly mixed with dark fuscous, white at base, a white oblique streak before middle; mid and hind tarsi dark fuscous on outer surface, first tarsomere white at base and apex, remaining tarsomeres white at apex.

Male sternum VIII ( Fig. 27B View FIGURE 27 ). Approximately 1/6 length of abdomen, broad, sub-pentagonal, with a pair of slender projection laterally near posterior apex.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 42D View FIGURE 42 ). Uncus tongue-shaped, distal 1/3 with stiff setae along its margin, apex rounded. Gnathos hook long and simple. Tegumen approximately 3 times as long as uncus. Valva with base very narrow, gradually broadening to basal 1/3, then almost uniformly elongate to blunt apex. Anellus lobe very slender, 1/3 length of valva, slightly curved inward; apical bristle 1/4 length of anellus lobe. Juxta with a broad hummock-like process in basal 1/2 of inner margin, setose in distal 1/2. Vinculum strongly convex on posterior margin at middle. Saccus subtriangular, blunt at apex, not exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal 1/2 dilated, after middle cylindrical and uniformly elongate, distal 1/4 slightly twisted and narrowed, blunt at apex.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 59C View FIGURE 59 ). Papillae anales with anterior margin well-sclerotized.Apophyses anteriores slightly shorter than apophyses posteriores. Tergum VIII very short, broadly concave posteriorly. Sternum VIII 3 times as long as tergum VIII, broadly concave posteriorly, strongly produced in U-shape anteriorly. Ostium bursae elliptical. Ductus bursae narrowed at base, anterior 3/4 moderately broad; colliculum at base, slender; ductus seminalis arising from posterior 1/3. Corpus bursae 1.5 times longer than ductus bursae, pyriform; signum situated between posterior 1/2 and 1/3, sub-rectangular with a central ridge.

Distribution. China (Xizang).

Etymology. The species name is from Latin, aureus (golden-yellow), referring to the golden forewing.

The lata -group

Diagnostic characters. Members of the group usually have white forewings marked with fuscous streaks or spots. They do not show sexual dimorphism on the labial palpi, but some of the males (e.g. T. curviciliaris and T. recticiliaris ) have short ciliae arising from the forewing costa ( Fig. 19F, H View FIGURE 19 ). The male sternum VIII of this group is often deeply bifid posteriorly, which is typical to Thiotricha . The structure of tergum VIII is extraordinary not only in the genus but also in the subfamily. Unlike most other species bearing a very reduced tergum VIII, those of the lata -group species have enlarged and sclerotized, subtrapezoidal or semielliptical plates. Moreover, long coremata and a bundle of petal-like large scales are usually present on tergum VIII ( Fig. 28 View FIGURE 28 ). The male genitalia are diagnosed by the thin, membranous uncus usually without setae and the small anellus lobe and the saccus. In the female genitalia, the colliculum is usually present, and the signum is circular formed by minute denticles similar to those of the pancratiastis -group.

Remarks. The lata -group has long bilateral coremata similar to those of Palumbina and Pulchrala , but tergum I is usually melanized medially as in Polyhymno . The presence of well-developed ternum VIII bearing petal-like large scales and the membranous uncus of male genitalia are unique in the subfamily, and the systematic placement of this group should be further discussed. Based on examination of the type specimens deposited in NHMUK, four non-Chinese species T. amphixysta Meyrick, 1929 , T. sciurella , T. tenuis and T. tethela Bradley, 1961 can be placed in the lata -group since their male abdomens and genitalia exhibit typical characteristics of this group. Three other species T. angelica Bradley, 1961 , T. aucupatrix and T. cuneiformis Meyrick, 1918 are also presumably the members of this group, but further examination is required because the male abdominal structures are not preserved in good condition or only female genitalia are known for the species.

Key to Chinese species of the lata View in CoL -group based on males

1. Forewing brownish grey to brownish fuscous..................................................... T. oxygramma View in CoL

- Forewing white, creamy white or light yellow............................................................... 2

2. Forewing with an outwardly oblique streak near base of dorsum....................................... T. clinopeda View in CoL

- Forewing without an oblique streak near base of dorsum...................................................... 3

3. Forewing costa sexually dimorphic, males with a row of raised ciliae near base.................................... 4

- Forewing costa sexually not dimorphic, males without ciliae near base........................................... 5

4. Forewing costal ciliation curved; valva broadened apically, juxta strongly produced in sub-triangle.. T. curviciliaris sp. nov.

- Forewing costal ciliation straight; valva not broadened apically, juxta broadly convex.............. T. recticiliaris sp. nov.

5. Forewing dorsum usually with dark suffusion, costal streak at distal 1/3 of wing long and often reaching apical spot, dorsum without a spot at basal 1/3.............................................................................. 6

- Forewing dorsum without dark suffusion, costal streak at distal 1/3 of wing short and not reaching apical spot, dorsum often with a small fuscous spot at basal 1/3.................................................. T. parvimaculata sp. nov.

6. Forewing with a short, longitudinal streak near tornus; valval base broader than width of uncus....................... 7

- Forewing without a short, longitudinal streak near tornus; valval base narrower than width of uncus.... T. pediformis sp. nov.

7. Fore coxa strongly suffused with dark fuscous, hind tibia fuscous along dorsal margin; sternum VIII with posterior apex emarginate; valva gradually narrowed distally, with ventral margin not emarginate....................... T. lata View in CoL sp. nov.

- Fore coxa weakly suffused with dark fuscous, hind tibia uniformly colored; sternum VIII with posterior apex deeply bifurcate; valva with ventral margin emarginate at distal 1/3........................................... T. emarginata sp. nov.

Key to Chinese species of the lata View in CoL -group based on females

1. Forewing brownish grey to brownish fuscous..................................................... T. oxygramma View in CoL

- Forewing white, creamy white or light yellow............................................................... 2

2. Forewing with an outwardly oblique streak near base of dorsum....................................... T. clinopeda View in CoL

- Forewing without an oblique streak near base of dorsum...................................................... 3

3. Forewing with a short, longitudinal streak near tornus........................................................ 4

- Forewing without a short, longitudinal streak near tornus...................................................... 5

4. Fore coxa strongly suffused with dark fuscous, hind tibia fuscous along dorsal margin; anterior margin of sternum VIII broadly sclerotized; corpus bursae ovate............................................................... T. lata View in CoL sp. nov.

- Fore coxa weakly suffused with dark fuscous, hind tibia uniformly colored; anterior margin of sternum VIII narrowly sclerotized; corpus bursae elliptical................................................................ T. emarginata sp. nov.

5. Forewing dorsum often with a small fuscous spot at basal 1/3; colliculum absent................ T. parvimaculata sp. nov.

- Forewing dorsum without a spot at basal 1/3; colliculum present................................................ 6

6. Forewing dorsum with dark suffusion..................................................................... 7

- Forewing dorsum without dark suffusion................................................... T. pediformis sp. nov.

7. Forewing cream to light yellow, costa with a dark fuscous streak from base; sternum VIII gradually narrowed anteriorly, covering colliculum................................................................. T. curviciliaris sp. nov.

- Forewing glossy white to creamy white, costa black only along anterior edge, without a long streak; sternum VIII not gradually narrowed anteriorly, not covering colliculum.............................................. T. recticiliaris sp. nov.