Tactusa constrictor Fibiger, 2010

FIBIGER, MICHAEL, 2010, Revision of the Micronoctuidae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea) Part 3, Taxonomy of the Tactusinae, Zootaxa 2583 (1), pp. 1-119 : 31

Tactusa constrictor Fibiger , new species

( Plate 4 , figure 2; male genit. plate 13, figure 6)

Material examined. Holotype: male, Laos, Vientiane Prov., Ban Van Eue, 15.x.1967, genit. prep. 3328 M. Fibiger, coll. BPBM.

Diagnosis. Imago (external). Wingspan: 9 mm.

Forewing: relatively short and broad; ground colour whitish, with basal-costal patch and dorso-medial triangular patch; white between basal and antemedial lines, and between triangular patch and subterminal line; subterminal and terminal areas, including fringes, blackish brown, except large white costal patch (apo.).

Crosslines: invisible; terminal line dotted, weakly marked.

Reniform stigma: invisible (apo.).

Hindwing: white, with indistinct discal spot.

Underside: unicolorous grey.

Abdomen: whitish with black crest dorsally on first segment.

Male genitalia. Tegumen: relatively weakly built; greatly enlarged before articulation with vinculum.

Vinculum: strongly built.

Saccus: short; strongly built, U shaped.

Fultura superior: membranous.

Valvae: slightly asymmetrical.

Ampulla: forming a cross with axis of valva; distinctly asymmetrical, narrowest by valva; arms narrow, dorsal arm shorter, broader, straight, apically with many small, stout spines; ventral arm longer, narrower, tapered, with spine on left ampulla (apo.).

Digitus: absent, replaced by a small, heavily sclerotised hump.

Juxta and anellus plate: slightly asymmetrical, fused, almost quadrangular, rather strongly constricted medially (apo.).

Phallus: S shaped; broad at ductus ejaculatorius, and tapered smoothly from there; distally long, narrow, upturned (apo.).

Vesica: unarmed.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. T. constrictor differs from other members of species-group in small size, and in male genitalia in very specialised, asymmetrical, spiny ampulla, constricted juxta-anellus plate and shape of

Figures

PLATE 4. Figures 1–8. Tactusa, Conspica, and Tumula species, adults. 1, T. similis, female holotype, Thailand, Chiang Mai; 2, T. constrictor, male holotype, Laos, Vientiane; 3, T. assamia, male holotype, India NE, Assam; 4, T. discrepans, male holotype, Thailand, Chiang Mai; 5, T. spadix, male holotype, Laos, Vientiane; 6, T. pars, male holotype, Thailand W, Kanchannaburi; 7, Conspica inconspicua, male holotype, Thailand, near Ban Nam Lee Pattana; 8, C. parainconspicua, male holotype, Thailand, Chiang Mai.