Thecobathra Meyrick, 1922

Liu, Haoyu & Wang, Shuxia, 2023, Taxonomic study of the genus Thecobathra Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) in China, with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 5325 (4), pp. 483-508 : 484

Thecobathra Meyrick, 1922

Thecobathra Meyrick, 1922: 553 . Type species: Thecobathra acropercna Meyrick, 1922 .

Pseudocalantica Friese, 1960: 36 . Type species: Niphonympha anas Stringer, 1930 .

Generic characters. Head with appressed scales on frons and with long rough scales between antennae. Antenna filiform. Labial palpus smooth, third segment longer than second segment. Thorax with developed patagium in males of some species. Forewing usually white, with an ovate subhyaline patch between vein Sc and cell; 13-veined, R 1 bent at base, R 1 and R 2 free, R 3, R 4 and R 5 free or stalked, M 3 and CuA 1 approximated at base or stalked, 1A+2A forming a long basal fork, accessory cell absent. Hindwing 10-veined, M 3 and CuA 1 stalked or arising from same point.

Male genitalia: Uncus small, produced posteromedially, with deep incision in middle. Socius from slender to wide, ending in point. Gnathos fused with tuba anales, forming a subscaphium; gnathal arm obsolete; ventral plate membranous or sclerotized. Valva broad, with long hair ventrally. Sacculus relatively short, varied in shape. Saccus elongate, Y-shaped posteriorly in most species. Aedeagus with one or two rows of distinct teeth; cornuti present.

Female genitalia:Apophyses posteriores much longer than apophyses anteriores; apophyses anteriores branched basally. Ostium bursae widely open. Antrum heavily sclerotized. Ductus bursae partly sclerotized. Corpus bursae membranous; signum usually a narrow plate with large lateral flange at each side.

Diagnosis. Thecobathra is similar to Niphonympha Meyrick, 1914 in having a white-grounded forewing. It can be distinguished by the forewing with R 1 bent at base, the saccus usually Y-shaped posteriorly, and the aedeagus with one or two rows of teeth. In Niphonympha , R 1 is almost straight, the rod-shaped saccus is not well divided posteriorly, and the aedeagus is absent of rows of teeth.