Thiotricha pyrphora Meyrick, 1918

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 : 159-160

Thiotricha pyrphora Meyrick, 1918

( Figs 22 D−F, 27X, 46C, 62H, 68C, D, 75C)

Thiotricha pyrphora Meyrick, 1918: 122 ; 1925: 102; Gaede, 1937: 306; Clarke, 1969: 467; Ivinskis et al., 1984: 39. TL: N. Coorg, India. TD: NHMUK.

Type material ( Figs 68C, D , 75C ). Holotype ♂, INDIA, N. Coorg, Dibidi , 3,500 feet, i.1913, leg. L. Newcome, genitalia slide no. J. F.G.C. 8350 ( NHMUK).

Additional material examined. CHINA: Fujian Province: 1 ♀, Daiyun Village, 850 m, Mt. Daiyun , Dehua County, 14.ix.2002, leg. Xinpu Wang ; 1 ♀, Mt. Tianzhu, 220 m, Xiamen City , 15.viii.2010, leg. Bingbing Hu and Jing Zhang , genitalia slide no. LGE18705; 1 ♀, Mt. Tianzhu, 220 m, Xiamen City , 17.ix.2010, leg. Yinghui Sun and Jing Zhang , genitalia slide no. LGE18520; Guizhou Province: 1 ♂, Lanei Village, 800 m, Shuizu Town , Limingguan , Libo County, 22.vii.2015, leg. Meiqing Yang and Ga-Eun Lee , genitalia slide no. LGE18013; Hainan Province: 1 ♂, Mt. Diaoluo (18.67°N, 109.94°E), 940 m, 1.vi.2007, leg. Zhiwei Zhang and Weichun Li , genitalia slide no. LGE18006; 1 ♀, Mt. Limu , 700 m, 13.iv.2008, leg. Bingbing Hu and Haiyan Bai , genitalia slide no. LGE18699; 2 ♂♂, Hongxin Village (19.08°N, 109.52°E) 430 m, Yuanmen Town , Baisha County, 17.iv.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu , genitalia slide no. LGE18713; 1 ♂, Limushan Nature Reserves (19.17°N, 109.74°E), 640 m, 1.v.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu ; 1 ♀, Limushan Forest Park (19.17°N, 109.74°E), 607 m, 17.v.2015, leg. Peixin Cong, Wei Guan and Sha Hu , genitalia slide no. LGE18704; 1 ♂, Hongkan (19.08°N, 109.50°E), 508 m, Yinggeling , 15.vi.2015, leg. Peixin Cong, Wei Guan and Sha Hu , genitalia slide no. LGE18012; 1 ♂, Limushan Nature Reserves (19.17°N, 109.73°E), 632 m, 7.i.2016, leg. Kaijian Teng, Xia Bai and Mengting Chen , whole-body slide no. NKLGE010m; 2 ♂♂, Limushan Forest Park (19.17°N, 109.73°E), 607 m, 23.x.2016, leg. Xia Bai, Shuonan Qian and Wanding Qi , genitalia slide no. LGE18522; 1 ♂, Limushan Forest Park (19.17°N, 109.73°E), 607 m, 22.x.2016, leg. Xia Bai, Shuonan Qian and Wanding Qi , genitalia slide no. LGE18708; Taiwan Province: 1 ♂, Zhongaiqiao, 20 m, Lanyu , 19.viii.2006, leg. Houhun Li and Xicui Du , genitalia slide no. LGE18048; Xizang Autonomous Region: 1 ♀, Yadong Village (29.33°N, 95.34°E), 833 m, Motuo County, 16.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang ; 3 ♂♂, Dexing Village (29.32°N, 95.30°E), 833 m, Motuo County, 18.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang , genitalia slide nos. LGE17167, LGE17265; Yunnan Province: 1 ♂, Tropical Botanical Garden (21.92°N, 101.27°E), 560 m, Xishuangbanna , 3.viii.2010, leg. Yinghui Sun and Lixia Li , genitalia slide no. LGE18659; 5 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀, Xiaoheishan Nature Reserves (24.52°N, 98.84°E), 1974 m, Longling County, 17–19.vii.2013, leg. Shurong Liu, Yuqi Wang and Kaijian Teng , genitalia slide nos. LGE 16118m, LGE16119f, LGE18554f, LGE 18593m; 1 ♀, Baoshan (24.82°N, 98.78°E), 2009 m, 10.viii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Shurong Liu and Hua Rong , genitalia slide no. LGE18519; 1 ♂, Yexianggu (22.17°N, 100.87°E), 762 m, Xishuangbanna , 10.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai ; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Baoshan (24.82°N, 98.78°E), 2009 m, 16, 20.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai , genitalia slide no. LGE16295f; Zhejiang Province: 1 ♂, Linkeng Village (28.53°N, 120.7°E), 387 m, Yongjia County, 27.viii.2016, leg. Qingyun Wang, Meiqing Yang and Ping Liu.

Diagnosis. Adult ( Fig. 22 D−F). Wingspan 8.0−9.0 mm. This species has a forewing with the ground whitish grey to dark fuscous and the distal 1/3 yellow. The presence of three black spots on the forewing is striking, one on the costa near apex, one at apex and the other at tornus, but the costal spot can be indistinct. Unlike most other species of Thiotricha , the mid tibia is not marked with streaks or spots, and the first tarsomeres of mid and hind tarsi are uniformly colored in P. pyrphora . The male sternum VIII ( Fig. 27X ) is unique as it is very slender and long and densely covered with hooked setae. The male genitalia ( Fig. 46C ) are characterized by the enlarged and strongly curved anellus lobe and the small aedeagus with the base very narrowed. The corpus bursae of female genitalia ( Fig. 62H ) is very delicate and the signum is absent, which is unusual in this genus.

Variations. In some specimens (usually in males), the forewing is considerably darker in color, which can lead to misidentification. Also, the yellowish area in distal 1/3 of the forewing can be reduced, and the black costal spot can be indistinct or nearly obsolete.

Distribution. China (Fujian, Guizhou, Hainan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India.

Remarks. This species is recorded from China for the first time.

Figures

FIGURE 22. Adults of Thiotricha spp. A, T. scotaea Meyrick, ♂; B, ditto, ♀; C, T. dissobola Meyrick, ♀; D, T. pyrphora Meyrick, ♀; E, F, ditto, ♂.

FIGURE 27. Male sternum VIII of Thiotricha spp.A, T. asymmetricosta sp. nov.; B, T. aurea sp. nov.; C, T. lata sp. nov.; D, T. emarginata sp. nov.; E, T. pediformis sp. nov.; F, T. curviciliaris sp. nov.; G, T. recticiliaris sp. nov.; H, T. clinopeda Meyrick; I, T. oxygramma Meyrick; J, T. parvimaculata sp. nov.; K, T. apicidisca sp. nov.; L, T. villosa sp. nov.; M, T. flaviterminata sp. nov.; N, T. hamatisigna sp. nov.; O, T. acicularis sp. nov.; P, T. rosegrammica sp. nov.; Q, T. canimaculata sp. nov.; R, T. hoplomacha Meyrick; S, T. embolarcha Meyrick; T, T. hexanesa Meyrick; U, T. acrantha Meyrick; V, T. scotaea Meyrick; W, T. dissobola Meyrick; X, T. pyrphora Meyrick.

FIGURE 46. Male genitalia of Thiotricha spp. A, T. dissobola Meyrick, slide no. LGE17147; B, ditto, enlarged view of uncus (folded), slide no. LGE18555; C, T. pyrphora Meyrick, slide no. LGE18707 (Scale bars = 0.2 mm).

FIGURE 62. Female genitalia of Thiotricha spp. A, T. embolarcha Meyrick, slide no. LGE18403; B−D, ditto, variation of signa, slide nos. LGE15072, LGE16297, LGE15074; E, T. acrantha Meyrick, slide no. LGE16080; F, T. scotaea Meyrick, slide no. LGE18201; G, T. dissobola Meyrick, slide no. LGE18518; H, T. pyrphora Meyrick, slide no. LGE16119 (Scale bars = 0.4 mm).

FIGURE 68. Type specimens and label data of Thiotricha spp. deposited in NHMUK.A, B, T. dissobola Meyrick, ♂, lectotype; C, D, T. pyrphora Meyrick, ♂, holotype.

FIGURE 75. Abdominal segments and genitalia of type specimens deposited in NHMUK. A, T. scotaea Meyrick, ♀, holotype, slide no. J.F.G.C. 8381; B, T. dissobola Meyrick, ♂, lectotype, slide no. J.F.G.C. 8354; C, T. pyrphora Meyrick, ♂, holotype, slide no. J.F.G.C. 8350.