Teliphasa spinaejuxta Ranjan, Singh & Kirti, 2022

Ranjan, Rahul, Singh, Navneet & Kirti, Jagbir Singh, 2022, On the taxonomy of genus Teliphasa Moore, 1888 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae Epipaschiinae) with the description of two new species and two new species records from India, Zootaxa 5141 (1), pp. 60-70 : 67-68

Teliphasa spinaejuxta Ranjan, Singh & Kirti , sp. nov.

( Figs 7, 8 , 13 , 19 )

Diagnosis: Teliphasa spinaejuxta sp. nov. is distinct from all other Teliphasa species by male genital with the apex of the large, plate-like juxta bearing two strong spines. Externally, T. spinaejuxta sp. nov. ( Figs 7, 8 ) is similar to T. elegans ( Liu et al. 2016: Fig. 11 ) and T. albifusa ( Liu et al. 2016: Fig. 10 ), but is distinct from T. elegans by the fuscous forewing with whitish scales on medial area and a fuscous band in the basal area (whereas in T. elegans , the forewing is almost uniformly fuscous), and from T. albifusa by the medial whitish area of forewing densely tinged with fuscous, and by the presence of a bar-shaped discal spot (whereas in T. albifusa , the medial area of the forewing is whitish with two prominent fuscous spots ( Liu et al. 2016: Fig. 10 )). In male genitalia, T. spinaejuxta sp. nov. ( Fig. 19 ) differs from T. elegans in the juxta with its two short, apical spike-like processes (juxta without processes in T. elegans ). In comparison to the male genitalia of T. albifusa , the costa of the valva is narrower and almost straight in T. spinaejuxta sp. nov. whereas in T. albifusa , it is convex ( Liu et al. 2016: Fig. 18 ).

Description: Adult with labial palpi upturned. Thorax covered with fuscous scales. Forewing with basal area olivaceous, outlined with fuscous. Medial whitish area tinged with olive scales. Postmedial fuscous zigzag line running outwards to vein R 5, then inwards, running parallel to median venation, then obliquely running to centre of the hind margin. Postmedial area shiny fuscous. Hindwing postmedial area fuscous, paler towards base. Legs fuscous and banded with white scales. Abdomen banded with black and white.

Male genitalia with uncus subovate, tegumen-vinculum complex forming an oval, saccus elongated; juxta broad, rectangular with a pair of apical spines; transtilla membranous; valva almost rounded, median (inner) surface densely covered with long setae; distal half of aedeagus strongly sclerotised.

Female genitalia posterior and anterior apophyses of equal length; ductus bursae slightly bent; corpus bursae oval with a patch of cornuti towards tip.

Material examined. Holotype (♂). India, Sikkim, Golitar , 08.ix.2013 ( R. Ranjan leg.) (NZCZSI).

Paratypes (7♂, 2♀). India, Sikkim, Golitar , 1 ♂, 20.ix.2014 ; Uttarakhand, Powali , 5 ♂, 1 ♀, 28.v.2014, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 30.v.2014 ( R. Ranjan leg.) (NZCZSI) .

Distribution: Indian record: Sikkim, Uttarakhand.

Etymology: The name of the species is coined due to the presence of spines on the juxta of male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 7–10. Imago of Teliphasa spp. 7, male & 8, female, T. spinaejuxta sp. nov; 9, male, T. erythrina; 10, male, T. similalbifusa.

FIGURES 11–13. Female genitalia of Teliphasa spp. 11, T. nubilosa; 12, T. hamata; 13, T. spinaejuxta sp. nov.

FIGURES 14–19. Male genitalia of Teliphasa spp. 14, T. erythrina; 15, T. nubilosa; 16, T. dodaki sp. nov.; 17, T. similalbifusa; 18, T. hamata; 19, T. spinaejuxta sp. nov..