Epicephala vitisidaea Li, Wang & Zhang

Zhang, Jing, Hu, Bingbing, Wang, Shuxia & Li, Houhun, 2012, Six new species of Epicephala Meyrick, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) associated with Phyllanthaceae plants, Zootaxa 3275, pp. 43-54 : 50

Epicephala vitisidaea Li, Wang & Zhang , sp. nov.

( Figs. 4 , 10 , 16, 22)

Type material. CHINA, Fujian Province: Holotype 3, Xiamen University (24°27ʹN, 118°06ʹE), 8.x.2010, leg. Jing Zhang. Paratypes: 12 3, 8 ƤƤ, same data as holotype except 6.vii–8.x.2010; 15 3, 15 ƤƤ, Jinbang Park (24°27ʹN, 118°06ʹE), Xiamen, 1.viii–13.x.2010, leg. Jing Zhang.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 4 ). Forewing expanse 7.5−9.0 mm. Head snow-white, tinged with yellow on vertex. Labial palpus white, grayish brown to deep brown on outer surface of second segment. Antenna yellowish brown on ventral surface, black or deep brown with thin yellowish-white rings on dorsal surface. Thorax dirty white to yellowish white; tegula pale grayish brown to deep brown. Forewing grayish brown to yellowish brown; costal margin with three parallel white striae obliquely extending outward from basal 1/3, 3/5 and 3/4 respectively: first stria reaching 1/4 across wing, second stria long and slender, curved, faintly narrowed, discontinuously reaching midwing, third stria narrowest, reaching 1/3 across wing; dorsal margin with a broad creamy white band, about 2/5 as broad as wing at base, distinctly narrowing towards end of fold, with a broad white stria at 1/4 on its upper margin extending obliquely outward to meet second costal stria at midwing, second thinner white stria from beyond first one obliquely outward and arched toward costa to meet third costal stria; a broad silvery fascia with metallic reflection from costal 6/7 to dorsum, slightly arched outward medially, edged with deep gray; distal 1/8 yellowish brown, with a central black dot, with a small white dot at costa and a streak along dorsum; cilia white from distal part of costal margin along termen to tornus except blackish brown at base and apex, gray along dorsal margin. Hindwing deep gray; cilia concolorous.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 10 ). Tegumen broad oval. Costa nearly parallel dorsoventrally, slightly broader before rounded apex; with long dense setae ventrally; transtilla elongate triangular, straight, acute at apex. Sacculus narrowed at base, distinctively broadened to about middle, then gradually narrowed and curved down to narrowly rounded apex, shorter than costa and medially about 1.5 times width of costa; dorsal margin strongly arched and folded; ventral margin straight in basal half, with a narrow sclerotized band folded upwardly, distal half conspicuously concave inward. Vinculum broad U-shaped, rounded posteriorly; saccus slender, acute at apex, longer than vinculum. Phallus longer than and as broad as costa, more or less dilated basally; cornuti consisting of two rows of several compact or loosely grouped spines placed distally, medially with an inconspicuous oval plate of weak granules.

Female genitalia (Figs. 16, 22). Ovipositor small trapezoidal, much narrower than other genital segments. Apophysis posterioris thicker than apophysis anterioris, as long as two times of its length. Eighth tergite trapezoidal, shorter than width. Ostium bursae large and rounded. Lamella postvaginalis broad and short, concave at middle on posterior margin, with a broad sclerotized band anteriorly; lamella antevaginalis a sclerotized complete circle surrounding ostium. Antrum heavily sclerotized, very short, sclerotized on posterior margin, with an arched anterior ridge; ductus bursae about two times of eighth tergite in length, longitudinally wrinkled on basal 3/4, distal 1/4 membranous; ductus seminalis curved at base, as thick as ductus bursae basally. Corpus bursae large, elongate oval, slightly shorter than ductus bursae; two signa weakly sclerotized, rectangular, placed more posteriorly, about half as long as corpus bursae, with interlaced scalelike rumples.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to E. stauropa Meyrick, 1908 in the male genitalia, but can be distinguished by the costa nearly parallel dorsoventrally, the sacculus broad basally, distinctively narrowed and curved downward distally, the cornuti consisting of two rows of compact or loose spines placed distally, and the saccus longer than the vinculum in the male genitalia. In E. stauropa Meyrick (Holotype 3, BMNH, examined, genitalia slide No. 32275, dissected by Houhun Li), the costa is angularly protruding ventroapically, the sacculus is nearly parallel dorsoventrally, slightly curved, and the saccus is shorter than half the length of the vinculum in the male genitalia.

Host plant. Phyllanthaceae : Breynia vitis-idaea (Burm. f.) Fischer.

Distribution. China (Fujian).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the host plant name, Breynia vitis-idaea .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Adults of Epicephala spp. 1, E. lanceolaria sp. nov., paratype 3; 2, E. lativalvaris sp. nov., paratype 3; 3, E. mirivalvata sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 4, E. vitisidaea sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 5, E. bipollenella sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 6, E. eriocarpa sp. nov., paratype Ƥ.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Male genitalia of Epicephala spp. 7, E. lanceolaria sp. nov., paratype, slide No. BHY 08332; 8, E. lativalvaris sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10007; 9, E. mirivalvata sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10080; 10, E. vitisidaea sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10041; 11, E. bipollenella sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10056; 12, E. eriocarpa sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 11038.