Merulempista pectinata Liu and Li, 2022

Liu, Hongxia, Zhang, Xiuying & Li, Houhun, 2022, Two new species of the genus Merulempista Roesler, 1967 from China (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae, Phycitinae), Zootaxa 5150 (2), pp. 293-300 : 296-299

Merulempista pectinata Liu and Li , sp. nov.

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:28A72BDE-25BE-4252-9847-C99883534C1C

( Figs. 4, 5 , 7 )

Type material. Holotype: CHINA: ♂; Hebao Island (21°51′N, 113°17′E), Guangdong Province, alt. 30 m, 14.v.2010, coll. Bing-bing Hu and Jing Zhang, genitalia slide no. LHX13258.

Paratypes: CHINA, Guangdong Province: 1 ♂, same data as the holotype ; 1 ♀, same locality as the holotype, 19.i.2010, coll. Hou-hun Li, genitalia slide no. LHX11128 . Hainan Province: 1 ♀, Tianchi , Jianfeng County (18°43′N, 108°43′E), alt. 810 m, 2.iv.2008, coll. Bing-bing Hu and Hai-yan Bai, genitalia slide no. LHX11187 . Yunnan Province: 1 ♂, Pingbian County, Honghe Prefecture (22°58′N, 103°42′E), alt. 2067 m; 7.viii.2019, coll. Kai-jian Teng, Chen Liu and Ai-ling Wang, genitalia slide no. LHX19014 .

Description. Adult ( Fig. 4 ). Wingspan 20.0–25.0 mm. Vertex with yellowish white scales. Antennae in male with grayish brown scales, length of scape about twice of width; basal flagella with two rows of grayish black scale clusters on dorsal side, basal 2/3 of ventral side pectinate; antennae in female grayish white with brown rings. Labial palpi in male dark brown, second segment appressed to forehead and upcurved over vertex, third segment length equal to 1/5 of second one; female labial palpi grayish brown mixed with white scales, second segment apart from forehead and upcurved over vertex, third segment grey, length about 1/3 of second one. Patagium, tegulae, and thorax grayish brown. Forewing grayish brown mixed with white scales; antemedian line white with black scales laterally, ranging from basal 1/3 of costa to middle of posterior margin, basally with a yellow round spot; discal spot black, separated; postmedian line grayish white, situated from distal 1/5 of costa to distal 1/4 of posterior margin, bending at vein M 1 and A; fringe basal 1/3 yellowish brown, distally grey. Hindwing grayish brown, along outer margin and vein dark brown, fringe basal 1/3 dark brown, distal part grey. Legs yellowish white on dorsal side, ventral surface dark brown mixed white scales, tarsus with each segment white distally.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 5 ). Uncus equilaterally triangular, distal part round. Gnathos length about 5/8 of uncus, distal half gradually narrow and incurved. Valva basal 2/5 narrow, distal 3/5 wide, nearly rectangular, densely covered with long bristles; setiferous lobe located at basal 2/5 of valva near costa, nearly rectangular, terminal densely bristled; costa well sclerotized, gradually wide, distally with a small thorn; sacculus about 1/3 length of valva; saccus near rectangular, covered with long bristles. Lateral arms of juxta digitiform, basal 1/3 bent outward at near right angles, densely setose distally. Vinculum V-shaped, length about twice of posterior width. Phallus cylindrical, about 1.2 times length of valva, distal 3/5 with sclerotized folds. Cornutus a cluster of long bristles. Complex male 8 th segment with scale tufts.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 7 ). Papillae anales triangular, length about 1.2 times of basal width, with dense bristles. Apophyses posteriores about same length as apophyses anteriores, basal 1/4 wide. Eighth abdominal segment length equal to width, V-shaped medially on posterior margin. Both sides of antrum torch-shaped, posterior margin serrated. Corpus bursae membranous, elliptical-shaped, posterior 2/5 weekly sclerotized. Ductus seminalis origin from middle of corpus bursae.

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished from other species of this genus by the the pectinate basal 2/3 of the male antenna flagellum. This species is similar to M. cyclogramma ( Hampson, 1896) , but can be distinguished by the following characters: in male genitalia the end of the costa with a small thorn-like projection, lateral arms of juxta thin, digitiform, phallus cornutus with one cluster of long bristles; in the female genitalia, both sides of the antrum torch- shaped, posterior margin serrated, and the ductus seminalis origin from the middle of corpus bursae; but in M. cyclogramma , the costa does not have a thorn-like projection, lateral arms of the juxta are stout, axe-shaped, phallus cornutus with two thorn-like bristles; in the female genitalia, both sides of antrum nearly rectangular, posterior margin smooth, and ductus seminalis origin from the posterior part of corpus bursae

Distribution. China (Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan).

Etymology. This species is derived from Latin pectinatus, referring to the basal 2/3 of the male antenna flagellumis pectinated.

Figures

FIGURES 4–5. Merulempista pectinata sp. nov. 4, Adult, paratype, female; 5, Male genitalia, phallus, and 8th abdominal segment, holotype, slide no. LHX13258. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 6–7. Female genitalia of Merulempista species. 6, M. similirubriptera sp. nov., paratype, slide no. LHX13254; 7, M. pectinata sp. nov., paratype, slide no. LHX11128. Scale bar: 1.0 mm.