Thliptoceras impube Zhang

Zhang, Dandan, Xu, Jiawen & Li, Jinwei, 2014, Review of the genus Thliptoceras Warren, 1890 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Pyraustinae) from the Oriental region of China, Zootaxa 3796 (2), pp. 265-286 : 275-285

Thliptoceras impube Zhang , sp. nov.

Figs. 14, 28, 29, 38, 45

DIagnosIs. Thliptoceras impube , with modified scales along the forewing hind margin in the male, is closely related to T. filamentosum sp. nov., but can be distinguished by its much larger size and paler colour, as well as a very slender uncus without setae, a sacculus with a stout recurved thumb-shaped distal process and a sinuate aedeagus without cornuti. Female genitalia with a heavily adorned lamella postvaginalis and a loosely spiraled ductus bursae with a long sclerotized band in its posteriormost part characterize this species.

DescrIptIon. Head. Frons pale yellow, with white lateral bands. Vertex pale buff. Labial palpus exceeding frons by about length of head; yellowish, contrastingly white at base ventrally. Maxillary palpus yellowish, whitish terminally. Basal scaling of proboscis creamy white. Antenna in male with base of flagellum with a small dorsal expansion covered with two small scale tufts, following segments weakly compressed and slightly bent basally in male; yellow, with creamy white or pale yellow scales dorsally. Thorax. Pale yellow. Legs pale yellow; hind tibia with inner mid-spur longer than other inner spurs and outer mid-spur minute in male, other outer spurs about half length of inner. Wing expanse 22–24 mm. Wings pale yellow, gradually deepening from postmedial line to termen, markings fuscous. Forewing with antemedial line indistinct; cell with orbicular stigma at basal 2/3; reniform stigma a short streak, outwardly oblique; postmedial line a string of dots, with anterior 4/5 distinct from 2/3 costa arched to middle of CuA2; posterior margin with a band of modified, broad, forwardly oblique scales in male; fringe fuscous, basal half deep and pale yellow alternately. Hindwing translucent whitish at base and costa; postmedial line a string of dots from 3/4 costa, straight to behind CuA1, then bent basad and ending at anal fold; fringe as in forewing, paler in tornal region. Abdomen. Pale yellow. Male genitalia. Uncus small, widest at base, remainder finger-shaped, without setae, distally tapering. Valva with basal 4/5 costa slightly convex followed the deeply concave, ventral margin nearly straight except for strongly recurved apex, with a minute excavation at end of costa; editum rather short, distal end asymmetrically inflated on dorsal side, sparsely setose; sacculus with a small triangular process medially and a short, recurved, thumb-shaped process distally. Juxta anchor-shaped, with a long carina. Anellus indistinct. Aedeagus sinuate, vesica without cornuti but with weak filiform parallel wrinkles. Female genitalia. Ovipositor lobes flat, crescentic, densely setose. Apophyses anteriores with basal half widened, curved medially, about 1.7 times length of apophyses posteriores. Ventral corners of 8th tergite spinulose. Lamella antevaginalis with sclerotized spinules forming raised, angled ridges of spinules framing the ostium, with a strongly sclerotised, noseshaped ridge in between, in entrance to antrum; antrum strongly sclerotised, subcylindrical, sharply tapering FIGURES 3–14. Venations of Thliptoceras spp. 3–4. T. artatalis . 3, ♂; 4, ♀. 5. T. formosanum . 6–7. T. gladialis . 6, ♂; 7, ♀. 8. T. caradjai . 9–10. T. semicirculare sp. nov. 9, ♂, paratype; 10, ♀, paratype. 11. T. fulvimargo . 12. T. sinense . 13. T. filamentosum sp. nov. 14. T. impube sp. nov.

anteriorly, posteriorly connected with two membraneous lateral pockets and with a projecting, semicircular hind margin with a small median notch. Ductus seminalis from just anterior of antrum. Ductus bursae irregularly spiraled, length about 4 times diameter of corpus bursae, with long sclerotized striate band in posterior third of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae globular; signum small (about 1/3 diameter of corpus bursae), angles bearing carina pointed and of the angles without carina one flat, the other slightly extended; accessory bursae arising from posterior end of corpus bursae.

MaterIal examIned. Holotype: ♂, CHINA, Guangdong: Mt. Danxiashan (25°04'N, 113°64'E), Shaoguan County, alt. 408 m, 1.VI.2008, coll. Jia Fenglong, genitalia slide No. HFX08193; Paratypes: Guangdong: 50 ♂, 60 ♀, Mt. Danxiashan (25°04'N, 113°64'E), Shaoguan County, alt. 96 m, 408 m, 30.V.–8.VI.2008, 6–7.VI.2012, coll. Li Jinwei and He Fengxia et. al., genitalia slide No. HFX08191, HFX08192, HFX08195, HFX08196, ZDD10060, XJW12004, XJW12010, XJW12011, XJW12024, XJW12025, XJW12026, venation slide No. ZDD10083; 1 ♂, 3 ♀, Shimentai, Yingde county (24°10'N, 113°22'E), 27.V.2012, coll. Yang Lijun and Jia Qianju, genitalia slide No. XJW12001; 1 ♂, 4 ♀, Yanshuitian, Mt. Heishiding (23°27'N, 111°54'E), Fengkai, 15.VI.2009, 3.VI, 3.VII.2011, coll. He Fengxia and Tong Bo et. al., genitalia slide No. ZDD03320.

DIstrIbutIon. China (Guangdong).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin impubis = hairless, referring to the uncus without setae.