Thiotricha parvimaculata, 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 : 141-143

Thiotricha parvimaculata sp. nov.

( Figs 20C , 27J , 28H , 43F , 60E )

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Hainan Province, Wuzhishan City, Shuiman Town (18.88°N, 109.67°E), 766 m, 28.ii.2016, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Shengnan Zhao, genitalia slide no. LGE18247 . Paratypes. CHINA: Hainan Province: 4 ♂♂, same data as holotype except 7, 8.vii.2015, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Mengting Chen ; 4 ♂♂, Tianchi, 810 m, Jianfengling , 30.iii.2008, leg. Bingbing Hu and Haiyan Bai , genitalia slide no. LGE18767; 2 ♂♂, Bawangling , 1000 m, 4, 9.iv.2008, leg. Bingbing Hu and Haiyan Bai ; 1 ♀, Tianchi (18.74°N, 108.84°E), 1050 m, Jianfengling , Ledong County, 29.iv.2013, leg. Yinghui Sun, Wei Guan and Tengteng Liu , genitalia slide no. CMT15071f 1 ♀, Wuzhishan Nature Reserves (18.91°N, 109.68°E), 710 m, 21.iv.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu , genitalia slide no. LGE18804; 1 ♂, Fanye Village (18.87°N, 109.67°E), 430 m, Shuiman Town, Wuzhishan City , 22.iv.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu ; 1 ♂, Jianfengling Nature Reserves (18.74°N, 108.84°E), 1050 m, Ledong County, 27.iv.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu ; 1 ♂, Hongxin Village (19.07°N, 109.52°E), 460 m, Yuanmen Town , Baisha County, 29.vi.2014, leg. Peixin Cong, Linjie Liu and Sha Hu , genitalia slide no. LGE18811; 1 ♂, Wuzhishan Nature Reserves (18.88°N, 109.65°E), 742 m, 4.vii.2014, leg. Peixin Cong, Linjie Liu and Sha Hu ; 3 ♂♂, Jianfengling Nature Reserves (18.74°N, 108.87°E), 770 m, Ledong County, 15, 16.vii.2014, leg. Peixin Cong, Linjie Liu and Sha Hu , genitalia slide no. LGE18412; 1 ♀, Wuzhishan Nature Reserves (18.88°N, 109.65°E), 742 m, 21.v.2015, leg. Peixin Cong, Wei Guan and Sha Hu ; 1 ♂, Limushan Nature Reserves (19.17°N, 109.73°E), 632 m, 3.vii.2015, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Mengting Chen ; 1 ♂, Wuzhishan Nature Reserves (18.90°N, 109.67°E), 738 m, 3.iii.2016, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Shengnan Zhao , genitalia slide no. LGE18248; 1 ♂, Mingfenggu (18.74°N, 108.84°E), 954 m, Jianfengling , 9.viii.2017, leg. Xia Bai, Ping Liu and Shuai Yu , genitalia slide no. LGE18805; Chongqing Municipality : 1 ♂, Mt. Simian , 1000 m, 21.vii.2010, leg. Xicui Du and Lifang Song , genitalia slide no. LGE18777; Fujian Province: 1 ♀, Guadun, 1100 m, Mt. Wuyi , 28.vii.2008, leg. Weichun Li, Yongling Sun and Haiyan Bai , genitalia slide no. LGE18776; Yunnan Province: 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Qinlangdang Conservation Station (27.69°N, 98.27°E), 380 m, Gaoligongshan Nature Reserves, Nujiang , 28.v.2017, leg. Kaijian Teng et al., genitalia slide nos. LGE 17251m, LGE17255f; Zhejiang Province: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Qianjiangyuan (30.39°N, 119.49°E), 866 m, Mt. Tianmu , 8.vii.2014, leg. Aihui Yin, Xuemei Hu and Qingyun Wang , genitalia slide nos. LGE18802f, LGE 18810m.

Diagnosis. This species is superficially somewhat similar to T. pediformis , T. apicidisca and T. villosa , but a fuscous spot is often present on the forewing dorsum of T. parvimaculata especially in the specimens from Hainan. The male sternum VIII of T. parvimaculata is striking as the anterior 3/5 is broad and the posterior 2/5 is deeply bifurcate, forming two very narrow tines. In the male genitalia, the broad valva gradually narrowing from base to apex and the apically triangular aedeagus are diagnostic. The female genitalia are differentiated from other species by the short segment VIII, the slender ductus bursae and the absence of colliculum.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 20C ). Wingspan 6.0− 13.5 mm. Head white. Labial palpus creamy white; segment III black-tipped, as long as II. Antenna with scape white; flagellum fuscous except basal 1/4 or 1/5 of dorsal surface white, male cilia as long as diameter. Thorax and tegula white. Forewing glossy white, anterior edge of costa black in basal 1/3, markings dark fuscous: a wedge-shaped costal streak from between distal 1/3 and 1/4 of wing, outwardly oblique, attenuated toward apex, not reaching apical spot; beyond this a costal streak from distal 1/5, running in parallel with and as long or slightly longer than former, usually reaching apical spot; beyond this mixed white and fuscous scales before apex; apical spot round, sometimes edged fuscous posteriorly; often with a spot on basal 1/3 of dorsum; near tornus with an inwardly directed V-shaped marking, the upper fork of this often interrupted at base, obliquely running and nearly reaching apical spot, the lower fork of this much shorter and broader, running along fold, sometimes indistinct; fringe on apical area grey with a terminal black band, produced downwards and bifurcate; fringe on termen white except near apex dark fuscous terminally and medially with a row of coarse metallic grey ciliation; fringe on dorsum greyish white. Hindwing grey except near apex slightly suffused with white; fringe greyish white to grey except apical area white with a terminal black band. Legs white; fore femur, tibia and tarsus black on outer surface; mid and hind tibiae with a short black streak near apex and at apex, respectively; mid and hind tarsi with outer surface of tarsomere I broadly black at middle, tarsomeres II-III black in basal half; mid tarsomere V black on outer surface, hind tarsomeres III-V black on inner surface.

Abdominal segments ( Figs 27J , 28H ). In male sternum VIII 1/4 length of abdomen, anterior 3/5 with lateral margins broadly convex; posterior 2/5 bifurcate, each tine very slender and uniformly elongate to posterior apex, between two tines U-shaped; tergum VIII sclerotized as a short plate, bearing coremata bilaterally and petal-like large scales mediolaterally.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 43F ). Uncus long tongue-shaped, broadest at middle, rounded at apex. Gnathos hook long and slender, acute at apex. Tegumen slightly longer than uncus. Valva with base broad, gradually narrowing toward apex, blunt apically. Anellus lobe very small, obovoid; apical bristle straight, directed inwardly, slightly longer than anellus lobe. Juxta with basal 2/3 of inner margin strongly angled, hummock-like, near base of valva shortly produced and bearing two or three setae. Vinculum simple. Saccus very short, sub-triangular. Aedeagus with basal 1/3 dilated, narrowed medially, triangular in apical 1/3.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 60E ). Papillae anales simple, moderately sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores slightly longer than half length of apophyses posteriores. Segment VIII short; sternum VIII with anterior margin broadly convex. Ostium bursae large, opening near anterior margin of sternum VIII. Ductus bursae slender, uniformly elongate to corpus bursae; ductus seminalis arising from posterior 1/3. Corpus bursae elliptical, as long or slightly shorter than ductus bursae; signum rounded, consisting of minute denticles, placed at posterior 2/5 or 1/4.

Variations. Most of specimens from Hainan have a fuscous spot at basal 1/3 of dorsum and the specimens from Yunnan are larger in size.

Distribution. China (Chongqing, Fujian, Hainan, Yunnan, Zhejiang).

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin, parvus (small) and maculatus (spotted), referring to the spot on the forewing dorsum.

Unplaced species

Remarks. There are 14 species unassigned to species-groups in this study. Many of these species have unusual morphological traits for the genus, such as T. villosa having long scale-tuft on the hindwing, T. dissobola with T-shaped uncus bearing large petal-like scales and T. scotaea Meyrick, 1908 with an elongated intersegmental membrane on the male abdomen. Further studies are required for the generic placement of some species and the details are mentioned under the species.

Key to unplaced species of Chinese Thiotricha based on males

1. Hindwing sexually dimorphic, males with long scale-tuft on costa.................................. T. villosa sp. nov.

- Hindwing sexually not dimorphic, males without long scale-tuft on costa......................................... 2

2. Labial palpus with hair pencil........................................................................... 3

- Labial palpus without hair pencil......................................................................... 4

3. Forewing with dark brown longitudinal streaks from base to near apex, apical spot not tinged with pink scales on inner margin.................................................................................... T. embolarcha

- Forewing without dark brown longitudinal streaks from base to near apex, apical spot tinged with pink scales on inner margin........................................................................................... T. acrantha

4. Forewing size and color sexually dimorphic, smaller and darker in male; only male abdomen with elongated intersegmental membrane between segment VII and VIII........................................................... T. scotaea

- Forewing size and color sexually not dimorphic; abdomen without elongated intersegmental membrane................. 5

5. Forewing ground color fuscous, with carmine-pink streaks running from base to near apex........ T. rosegrammica sp. nov.

- Forewing without carmine-pink streaks.................................................................... 6

6. Forewing with a broad streak running along costa or subcosta from base, dorsum with one or two oblique streaks reaching the costal streak......................................................................................... 7

- Forewing without a broad streak running along costa or subcosta, dorsum without oblique streaks reaching the costal streak.. ................................................................................................... 8

7. Labial palpus with erect scales on segment II; forewing with one oblique streak running from dorsum to costal streak.......................................................................................... T. acicularis sp. nov.

- Labial palpus smooth; forewing with two oblique streaks running from dorsum to costal streak............. T. hoplomacha

8. Forewing ground color white............................................................................ 9

- Forewing ground color grey, whitish grey or dark grey....................................................... 11

9. Forewing apex with yellow scales..................................................... T. flaviterminata sp. nov.

- Forewing apex without yellow scales..................................................................... 10

10. Forewing apical area with inwardly oblique costal strigulae; valval costa with a flap-like extension.. T. hamatisigna sp. nov.

- Forewing apical area without inwardly oblique costal strigulate; valval costa without a flap-like extension................................................................................................... T. apicidisca sp. nov.

11. Forewing apex yellow; sternum VIII very narrow, rod-shaped.......................................... T. pyrphora

- Forewing apex not yellow; sternum VIII subtriangular or semicircular.......................................... 12

12. Forewing with V-shaped markings in distal 1/2; uncus with large petal-like scales at base, T-shaped in distal 1/2..................................................................................................... T. dissobola

- Forewing without V-shaped markings in distal 1/2; uncus tongue-shaped, without large petal-like scales at base......... 13

13. Forewing with distinct six black spots; sternum VIII with lateral margins concave; ventral margin of valva bulged in basal 1/2........................................................................................... T. hexanesa

- Forewing with somewhat indistinct dull grey spots; sternum VIII with lateral margins nearly straight; ventral margin of valva not bulged........................................................................ T. canimaculata sp. nov.

Key to unplaced species of Chinese Thiotricha based on females

(Females of T. hoplomacha and T. hexanesa are unknown.)

1. Labial palpus with erect scales on segment II; papillae anales pointed at apex...................... T. acicularis sp. nov.

- Labial palpus without erect scales on segment II; papillae anales not pointed at apex................................ 2

2. Forewing ground color white, without markings in basal 1/2................................................... 3

- Forewing ground color white but with markings in basal 1/2, or ground color grey, fuscous or pale ochre................ 6

3. Forewing apex with yellow scales; corpus bursae with two signa............................. T. flaviterminata sp. nov.

- Forewing apex without yellow scales; corpus bursae with a single signum........................................ 4

4. Forewing apical area with inwardly oblique costal strigulae, a narrow, outwardly oblique streak present near basal 1/2 or 2/3 of dorsum; signum with a hook.......................................................... T. hamatisigna sp. nov.

- Forewing apical area without inwardly oblique costal strigulae, without streak near basal 1/2 or 2/3 of dorsum; signum without a hook.............................................................................................. 5

5. Forewing with glossy scales near apical spot; base of ductus bursae with a curved, spoon-like sclerite.. T. apicidisca sp. nov.

- Forewing without glossy scales near apical spot; base of ductus bursae with a short sclerite, not curved.... T. villosa sp. nov.

6. Signum present....................................................................................... 7

- Signum absent............................................................................... T. pyrphora

7. Forewing with carmine-pink streaks running from base to near apex ...; papillae anales with linear sclerotization along posterior edge............................................................................. T. rosegrammica sp. nov.

- Forewing without carmine-pink streaks; papillae anales without linear sclerotization................................ 8

8. Forewing with dark brown longitudinal streaks from base to near apex; signum not round, consisting of thorn-like processes.......................................................................................... T. embolarcha

- Forewing without dark brown longitudinal streaks from base to near apex; signum round............................ 9

9. Corpus bursae spinulate............................................................................... 10

- Corpus bursae not spinulate............................................................................ 11

10. Forewing apical spot tinged with pink scales on inner margin; corpus bursae spinulate posteriorly............. T. acrantha

- Forewing apical spot not tinged with pink scales on inner margin; corpus bursae spinulate anteriorly.......... T. dissobola

11. Forewing uniformly colored from base to near apex, size and color sexually dimorphic, larger and lighter in female; anterior margin of papillae anales without small sclerotization; signum large...................................... T. scotaea

- Forewing not uniformly colored, size and color sexually not dimorphic; anterior margin of papillae anales with small sclerotization; signum small.......................................................... T. canimaculata sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Adults of Thiotricha spp.A, T. clinopeda Meyrick, ♀; B, T. oxygramma Meyrick, ♂; C, T. parvimaculata sp. nov., ♂, holotype; D, T. apicidisca sp. nov., ♂, holotype; E, T. villosa sp. nov., ♂, holotype; F, ditto, ventral view; G, T. flaviterminata sp. nov., ♂, holotype; H, T. hamatisigna sp. nov., ♂, holotype.

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 28. Male tergum VIII and coremata of lata-group species. A, T. lata sp. nov.; B, T. emarginata sp. nov.; C, T. pediformis sp. nov.; D, T. curviciliaris sp. nov.; E, T. recticiliaris sp. nov.; F, T. clinopeda Meyrick; G, T. oxygramma Meyrick; H, T. parvimaculata sp. nov.

FIGURE 43. Male genitalia and enlarged view of anellus lobes of Thiotricha spp. A, I, T. pediformis sp. nov., holotype, slide no. LGE18732; B, J, T. curviciliaris sp. nov., holotype, slide no. LGE18750; C, K, T. recticiliaris sp. nov., holotype, slide no. LGE18765; D, L, T. clinopeda Meyrick, slide no. LGE18783; E, M, T. oxygramma Meyrick, slide nos. LGE18788 and LGE18357, respectively; F, T. parvimaculata sp. nov., holotype, slide no. LGE18247; G, T. lata sp. nov., paratype, slide no. LGE18756; H, T. emarginata sp. nov., holotype, slide no. LGE18714 (Scale bars = 0.2 mm).

FIGURE 60. Female genitalia of Thiotricha spp. A, T. curviciliaris sp. nov., paratype, slide no. LGE18752; B, T. recticiliaris sp. nov., paratype, slide no. LGE18812; C, T. clinopeda Meyrick, slide no. LGE18784; D, T. oxygramma Meyrick, slide no. LGE18791; E, T. parvimaculata sp. nov., paratype, slide no. LGE18802; F, T. apicidisca sp. nov., paratype, slide no. LGE18260 (Scale bars = 0.4 mm).