Tineovertex canicoma ( Meyrick, 1911 )

Huang, Guo-Hua, Hirowatari, Toshiya & Wang, Min, 2011, A revision of the genus Tineovertex Moriuti (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Tineidae), with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 2991, pp. 1-12 : 5-6

Tineovertex canicoma ( Meyrick, 1911)

( Figs. 1 F–G, 3C)

Tinea canicoma Meyrick 1911: 120 (type locality: Khasi Hills, NE India).

Tineovertex canicoma: Robinson et al. 1995: 175 ; Robinson & Tuck 1996: 10; Huang et al. 2007: 40 .

Diagnosis. This species is similar to T. melliflua , but it can be distinguished by the following characters: in T. canicoma the phallus is stout, the uncus is very slender and ventrally curved, and the valva is narrow throughout and spatulate. In T. melliflua the phallus is tapered distally with a hook-shaped apex, the uncus is wedge-shaped, and the valva is broadened in the basal half.

Description. Forewing length 6.5–7.0 mm, antenna length 7.0– 7.5 mm in male ( Figs. 1 F–G).

Male. Head. Vertex and frons white. Thorax. Dorsum and tegula white with anterior portions black. Forewing with termen gold-yellow, about 3.8–4.0 × as long as wide including fringe (about 3.7–3.8 × as long as wide excluding fringe); costa with a broad irregular black streak from base to basal 5/6, dilated in middle reaching 2/5 across wing; a narrow and nearly straight black streak from basal 1/5 of dorsum to apex, separating creamy-white and gold-yellow areas. Hindwing brownish pale, 1.9–2.1 × as long as wide including fringe (3.6–3.7 × as long as wide excluding fringe). Abdomen. Male genitalia ( Fig. 3 C) with uncus lobes widely separated, very slender, about 0.8 × length of valva, apical half curved ventrally. Tegumen very narrow. Saccus elongate, triangular, about 1.3 × length of valva. Valva basal half broad, apical half curved dorsally. Phallus stout, about 1.5 × length of valva; apex slightly curved ventrally; vesica with cornuti consisting of short masses of minute spines.

Female. Unknown.

Material examined. Lectotype (in BMNH), male, ASSAM: Khasi Hills., VI.1906, leg. E. Meyrick, BM.

1938-290. Paralectotypes (in BMNH), 5 males, same data as lectotype, with Genitalia slide No. 32129 in BMNH.

Bionomics. Seasonal occurrence: June, with host unknown.

Distribution. India, Nepal.

Remarks. This species can be distinguished from other members of Tineovertex by the white vertex and pronotum and by the valva broadened over the basal half.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adults and labels of Tineovertex spp. A – B. “ Tinea melanochrysa Meyrick, 1911 ”, Male, Lectotype; C. Tineovertex melanochrysa (Meyrick, 1911), Female; D. Tineovertex gladiata Huang, Hirowatari & Wang, 2007, Male, Holotype (also see Huang et al., 2007: Fig. 2 A); E. Tineovertex gladiata Huang, Hirowatari & Wang, 2007, Female, Paratype (also see Huang et al., 2007: Fig. 2 A); F – G. “ Tinea canicoma Meyrick, 1911 ”, Male, Lectotype;. H. Tineovertex thailandia sp. nov., Female, Holotype; I – J. “ Tinea sartoria Meyrick, 1911 ”, Male, Holotype; K. Tineovertex sartoria (Meyrick, 1911), Female; L. Tineovertex hamoides, sp. nov., Male, Holotype.

FIGURE 3. Genitalia of Tineovertex spp. A. “ Tinea melanochrysa Meyrick, 1911 ”, Male, Paralectotype; B. Tineovertex gladiata Huang, Hirowatari & Wang, 2007, (Left: Male, Holotype; Right: Female, Paratype); C. “ Tinea canicoma Meyrick, 1911 ”, Male, Paralectotype; D. Tineovertex thailandia, sp. nov., Female, Holotype; E. “ Tinea sartoria Meyrick, 1911 ”, (Left: Male, Holotype; Right: Female); F. Tineovertex hamoides, sp. nov., Male, Holotype; G. “ Tinea melliflua Meyrick, 1911 ”, Male, Paralectotype; H. Tineovertex fibriformis, sp. nov., (Left: Male, Holotype; Right: Female, Paratype); I. Tineovertex expansa, sp. nov., (Left: Male, Holotype; Right: Female, Paratype); J. “ Tinea antidroma Meyrick, 1911 ”, Male, Paralectotype; K. Tineovertex elongata, sp. nov., Male, Holotype.