Tactusa jeppeseni Fibiger, 2010

FIBIGER, MICHAEL, 2010, Revision of the Micronoctuidae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea) Part 3, Taxonomy of the Tactusinae, Zootaxa 2583 (1), pp. 1-119 : 25-26

Tactusa jeppeseni Fibiger , new species

( Plate 3 , figure 1; female genit. plate 22, figure 5)

Material examined. Holotype: female, NE India, Assam, Khasis , -. viii.1896, Nat. Coll, coll. BMNH.

Paratypes: 1 female with same data as holotype, genit. prep. 3762 M. Fibiger, coll. BMNH .

Taxonomic notes. T. jeppeseni is a member of the T. nieukerkeni species-group, all of which have a blackish triangular or quadrangular patch between the antemedial and postmedial lines; the typical Tactusa features listed under the female genitalia of the species-group and individually for each species.

Diagnosis. Imago (external). Wingspan: 12 mm.

Crosslines: only subterminal and terminal lines indicated; former inwardly outlined by light yellow, latter by black interneural spots.

Reniform stigma: well marked, white, outlined black.

Hindwing: dark grey, with extremely faint discal spot.

Underside: unicolorous grey.

Male genitalia. Unknown.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor: quadrangular with rounded corners.

Posterior apophyses: much longer than anterior apophyses and ovipositor.

Anterior apophyses: much shorter than 8 th abdominal segment.

8 th abdominal segment: long.

Ostium: slightly displaced to left; positioned medially in 8 th segment (apo.)

Antrum: very long, coiled, as long as ductus bursae (apo.).

Ductus bursae: membranous, relatively short; shorter than width of corpus bursae (apo.).

Appendix bursae: arising medially between ostium and corpus bursae.

Corpus bursae: ovoid.

Signum: cross shaped.

Differential diagnosis. T. jeppeseni differs from other Micronoctuidae from SE Asian and Oriental regions in long, coiled antrum and short ductus bursae.

Distribution. Known only from NE India, Assam.

Figures

PLATE 3. Figures 1–8. Tactusa species, adults. 1, T. jeppeseni, female holotype, India NE, Assam; 2, T. bechi, female holotype, India NE, Assam; 3, T. dohertyi, male holotype, Indonesia, Java Centr.; 4, T. minor, female holotype, Thailand N, Chiang Mai; 5, T. tranumi, female holotype, Vietnam N, Vinh Phuc; 6, T. artus, male holotype, Thailand N, Chiang Mai; 7, 8, T. biartus, male holotype, Thailand N, Chiang Mai, and wing prep. 3198, with same data.