Eretmocera octopunctata Li, 2019

Lou, Kang, Yu, Dian, You, Wanxue & Li, Houhun, 2019, Taxonomic study of the genus Eretmocera Zeller, 1852 (Lepidoptera: Scythrididae) from China, with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4624 (2), pp. 205-218 : 208-212

Eretmocera octopunctata Li , sp. nov.

( Figs 3 a–b, 6, 10–12)

Type materials. Holotype ♂: CHINA, Hainan Province: Maoyang (18.57°N, 109.29°E), Mt. Wuzhi , 210 m, 20.iv. 2009, leg. Bingbing Hu, net, slide No. LK 17207.

Paratypes (33 ♂, 20 ♀): CHINA, Hainan Province : 6 ♂, 8 ♀, same data as holotype, slide Nos. ZJ 09007 ♂, LK17056 ♂, LK17057 ♀, LK17086 ♂; 1 ♂, 13.xii.2009, leg. Zhaohui Du et al., net, other data same as holotype ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Datian National Nature Reserves (19.10°N, 108.48°E), 27.iv.2009, leg. Bingbing Hu, net, slide No LK 17085 ♂; 1 ♂, Shuiman Village (18.86°N, 109.67°E), Wuzhishan City, 700 m, 19.iv.2013, leg. Yinghui Sun, Wei Guan and Tengteng Liu ; 15 ♂, 5 ♀, Nanxi Village (18.66°N, 109.93°E), Diaoluoshan, Lingshui County, 75 m, 21–22.iv.2013, leg. Yinghui Sun, Wei Guan and Tengteng Liu, net, slide Nos. LK 17066 ♀, LK17203 ♀; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Pailiao Village (18.70°N, 109.67°E), Qixianling , Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County, 130 m, 24–25.iv.2013, leg. Yinghui Sun, Wei Guan and Tengteng Liu, net, slide Nos. LK 17065 ♀, LK17208 ♂; 4 ♂, 4 ♀, Jianfeng Town (18.70°N, 108.79°E), Ledong County, 40 m, 28.iv–2.v.2013, leg. Yinghui Sun, Wei Guan and Tengteng Liu, net, slide No. LK 17104 ♀; 1 ♀, Hongxin Village (19.08°N, 109.52°E), Yuanmen Town , Baisha County, 430 m, 16.iv.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu ; 1 ♂, Yaxing Village (19.02°N, 109.40°E), Nankai Town , Baisha County, 321 m, 21.vi.2015, leg. Peixin Cong, Wei Guan and Sha Hu.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to Eretmocera impactella ( Walker, 1864) in forewing pattern and in the male genitalia having a H-shaped gnathos arm and claviform valva. It can be distinguished by the forewing dorsum having a clearer and brighter spot at basal 1/3, the saccus as long as valva, and the posterior margin of tergum VIII with two small lobes. In E. impactella (see below), the forewing basal 1/3 of dorsum is without spot or with an indistinct spot, the saccus is 1.2 times the length of valva, and the tergum VIII posterior margin is rounded.

Description. Adult ( Figs 3 a–b, 6) wingspan 11.5–13.5 mm. Head blackish brown, with metallic sheen, smoothly scaled; neck with yellow scales, like a necklace. Labial palpus with basal segment shining white; second and third segments blackish brown except cream white on dorsal surface of second segment; third segment almost as long as second segment, acute at apex. Antenna ( Fig. 6 ) black, with bluish metallic hue, 3/5 length of forewing; flagellum with basal half thickened by moderately raised scales on posterior margin. Haustellum with whitish yellow scales basally. Collar, thorax and tegula blackish brown, with greyish metallic hue, tinged with some ochreous yellow scales; metathorax ochreous yellow medially. Forewing narrowly elongate, lanceolate, basal 2/3 uniformly wide, distal 1/3 narrowed to acute apex; blackish brown, with metallic hue; with four equally large orange yellow spots: costal margin with a spot at distal 1/4, cell with a spot at basal 2/5, sometimes crossing fold posteriorly, dorsum with a spot at basal 1/3 and end of fold respectively; cilia blackish brown. Hindwing and cilia dark brown, cilia tinged with yellow basally. Legs blackish brown except fore- and mid femora and tibiae creamy white on dorsal surface. Abdomen: dorsal surface blackish brown with copper and purplish metallic hue except ochreous yellow from fourth to seventh segment in male ( Fig. 3a ), from fifth to seventh segment in female ( Fig. 3b ); ventral surface yellow tinged with brown.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 10 ): Uncus strongly sclerotized, almost 3 times as long as tegumen; basal 1/3 fused, subquadrate; distal 2/3 bilobed, straight, with dense setae along lateral margins; each lobe with basal 2/3 uniformly wide, distal 1/3 narrowed to rounded apex. Gnathos arm broad-banded, H-shaped; distal process wide and weakly sclerotized basally, narrowed and more sclerotized distally, abruptly narrowed and beak-like from before apex to pointed tip, curved ventrad before apex. Tegumen narrowed posteriorly, mostly wider anteriorly, deeply concaved in broad V-shape on anterior margin. Valva straight, claviform, elliptically dilated and with dense setae distally, rounded apically, sparsely setose basally, approximately 1.5 times length of uncus. Vinculum very narrow, Yshaped, extending to before apex of saccus by two straight narrow folds. Saccus elongate triangular, as long as uncus. Phallus slightly longer than valva, strong, pointed apically.

Segment VIII ( Fig. 11 ). Tergum with anterior half wide and parallel laterally, narrowed from about middle to posterior margin; posterior margin concave at middle, with two small posterolateral lobes; anterior margin concave broadly and trapezoidally, forming two slender lateral lobes obliquely extending outward and narrowed to a point, less than half-length of tergum. Sternum with anterior 3/5 slightly wider, posterior 2/5 slightly narrowed; posterior margin concave at middle in U-shape, forming two triangular lobes with pointed apex; anterior margin deeply concave in U-shape, forming two obtuse lateral lobes, each lobe protruded outwardly at base.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 12 ). Papillae anales sub-rectangular, incised at middle on posterior margin. Apophyses posteriores 1.3 times longer than apophyses anteriores. Lamella postvaginalis widened, width greater than length, posterior margin gently concave to 2/5. Ostium bursae small, narrow longitudinally. Antrum thin and short, weakly sclerotized. Ductus bursae slender. Corpus bursae elongate rectangular, approximately as long as apophyses posteriores plus anteriores.

Distribution. China (Hainan).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Latin octo (eight) and punctatus (with points), referring to each forewing with four orange yellow spots.

Figures

FIGURES 2−5. Adults of Eretmocera spp. 2, E. yingjiangensis sp. nov., a, holotype, ♂, b, paratype, ♂; 3, E. octopunctata sp. nov., a, holotype, ♂, b, paratype, ♀; 4, E. artemisiae sp. nov., a, holotype, ♂, b, paratype, ♀, c, paratype, ♀; 5, E. impactella, ♂. (Scale bars = 2.0 mm).

FIGURES 6−9. Morphology of Eretmocera spp. 6, antenna of E. octopunctata sp. nov.; 7, venation of E. artemisiae sp. nov., slide No. LK17094W; 8–9, male genitalia of E. yingjiangensis sp. nov.: 8, male genitalia, slide No. LK17082; 9. tergum VIII (up) and sternum VIII (down), slide No. LK17082. (Scale bars: 6,7 = 0.5 mm; 8,9 = 0.25 mm).

FIGURES 10−12. Genitalia of Eretmocera octopunctata sp. nov. 10, male genitalia, holotype, slide No. LK17207; 11, tergum VIII (up) and sternum (down), slide No. LK17207; 12, female genitalia, paratype, slide No. LK17104. (Scale bars = 0.25 mm).