Meleonoma unijugata, Zhu & Wang, 2022

Zhu, Xiaoju & Wang, Shuxia, 2022, Taxonomy of the genus Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae) from China (IV), with descriptions of twelve new species, Zootaxa 5087 (4), pp. 501-521 : 520

Meleonoma unijugata sp. nov.

( Figs 15 , 27 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A8AAA986-9602-4579-A0AC-AB0A602C5F79

Type material. CHINA, Guangxi: Holotype ♂, Shaoping, Pingxiang , 280 m, 28.III.2013, leg. XF Yang, slide No. ZXJ19362 . Paratypes: 1♂, same data as holotype ; 4♂, 2–16.IV.2013, 2♂, 19.IV.2012, other data same as holotype, slide Nos. ZXJ19365, TZL19900, TZL19923, TZL19926, TZL19928 ; 1♂, Shiwandashan , 12–13.IV.2012, leg. XF Yang, slide No. TZL19901 .

Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the valva with a short spine beyond basal 1/3 on the ventral margin, the transtilla with a large hill-shaped process directed dorsad, and the sacculus with two horn-shaped apical processes in the male genitalia.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 15 ). Forewing length 5.5–6.5 mm.

Head pale yellow. Labial palpus yellow, second palpomere with greyish-brown scales on outer surface.Antenna yellow on ventral surface; scape greyish brown, flagellum with greyish-brown annuli on dorsal surface.

Thorax and tegula yellow; tegula greyish brown basally. Forewing yellow, with yellowish and greyish-brown scales; discal and discocellular dots black, discal dot larger, placed at middle, discocellular dots doubled, at anterior and posterior angles of cell; terminal dots black, ill-defined, extending from distal part of costal margin along termen to before tornus; fringe yellowish brown. Hindwing and fringe greyish brown. Legs yellowish white; on ventral surface, femur of foreleg greyish brown except yellow laterally, tibia greyish brown, tibia of midleg greyish brown except yellowish white at middle and at apex, tarsi of fore- and midlegs blackish brown except yellowish white at base of basal tarsomere as well as at apices of basal two and apical one tarsomeres.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 27 ). Uncus with basal 2/5 parallel sided, slightly widened and parallel sided from basal 2/5 to 4/5, thereafter narrowed to pointed apex. Tegumen narrowed medially; lateral arm banded, slightly widened medially, rounded at apex. Valva slightly widened from base to obtuse apex, setose in distal half; ventral margin with a setose patch bearing a small spine beyond basal 1/3 on ventral margin; costa banded, basal half uniform, distal half narrowed to before tip of costal margin; transtilla narrowed to pointed apex, with a large hill-shaped process directed dorsad. Sacculus wide at base, narrowed to obtuse apex, heavily sclerotized on dorsal margin, folded on ventral margin; apex with two stout horn-shaped processes. Saccus broadly inverted-triangular, approx. 1.5 times as long as uncus, slightly narrowed to rounded apex. Juxta broadly U-shaped. Aedeagus slightly shorter than valva, narrower in basal 1/3, uniform from beyond basal 1/3 to before 3/5, bilobed in distal 2/5: dorsal lobe banded, reaching before apex, ventral lobe heavily sclerotized, with two spines distally.

Female unknown.

Distribution. China (Guangxi).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin unijugatus, referring to the two horn-shaped processes of the sacculus.

Figures

FIGURES 10−15. Adults of Meleonoma spp. 10, M. curvicornuta sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 11, M. dilatilobata sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 12, M. globulosa sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 13, M. prospina sp. nov., paratype, ♀; 14, M. sinuata sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 15, M. unijugata sp. nov., paratype, ♂. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 22−27. Male genitalia of Meleonoma spp. 22, M. curvicornuta sp. nov., paratype, slide No. TZL19374; 23, M. dilatilobata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19366; 24, M. globulosa sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19354; 25, M. prospina sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZXJ19381; 26, M. sinuata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19361; 27, M. unijugata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19362. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.