Epicephala daltonii Li, 2016

Li, Houhun & Zhang, Zhenguo, 2016, Five species of the genus Epicephala Meyrick, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) from China, Zootaxa 4084 (3), pp. 391-405 : 401-402

Epicephala daltonii Li , sp. nov.

Figs. 3 , 8 , 13 , 18

Type material. CHINA: Holotype ♂, Sichuan Province: Pingdi Town (26°12'N, 101°50'E), 1800 m, Renhe District , Panzhihua City, 28.iv.2013, collected from leaves of Glochidion daltonii by Z.G. Zhang, genitalia slide no. YXF13033 . Paratypes (9 ♂, 7 ♀): Sichuan Province: 8 ♂, 6 ♀, same locality and host-plant as holotype, 1845 m, 26.iv −01.v.2013, collected under light or reared from fruits of host-plant by Z.G . Zhang. Yunnan Province: 1 ♀, Jingdong Yi Autonomous county (24°28'N, 100°48'E), 1320 m, Puer ' City, 15.v.2014, collected from leaves of G. daltonii by Z.B. Wang ; 1 ♂, same locality, 26.iv.2015, reared from fruits of G. daltonii by Z.G. Zhang.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 3 ). Forewing expanse 9.5−12.5 mm. Head snowy white; vertex tinged with pale yellowish white, with a few tufted grey scales laterally. Labial palpus with basal palpomere snowy white; second palpomere blackish brown on outer surface, white on inner surface; third palpomere blackish brown, pointed. Antenna with ventral surface dim yellow; dorsal surface dark brown, indistinctly greyish yellow at apex of each flagellomere; scape snowy white anteriorly. Thorax snowy white; tegula pale yellowish brown. Forewing deep greyish brown; costal margin with two white spots placed between distal 1/4 and 1/8, with three white streaks: basal streak from about 1/4, first extending along costal margin, then obliquely outward to 3/5 of wing, ending in a spot or streak; median streak from about middle slightly oblique to anterior 1/4, then parallel with costal margin to about distal 1/8, distally discontinuous in female; distal streak from beyond distal 1/4 extending slightly downward, then parallel with costal margin to distal 1/8, in some individuals discontinuous or represented by white spots or short streaks; ventral margin with a creamy band from base to end of fold, apically produced to a narrow slightly arched band extending to distal 1/8 at middle, another narrower streak from beyond it and parallel with it to distal 1/8, together forming a distinct pattern of four parallel and almost evenly spaced streaks; narrow greyish silvery fascia with metallic reflection at distal 1/8, edged with yellowish brown; distal 1/8 ochre brown, with a white dot at costal margin and a triangular spot along ventral margin, with an ill-defined central black dot beyond greyish silvery fascia, apex with a silvery dot; cilia greyish white along costal margin and apex except black distally and with a distinct black basal line, grey along dorsal margin. Hindwing and cilia greyish brown.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 8 ). Tegumen tongue-shaped, sclerotized laterally. Valva with costal part about same length as tegumen, subrectangular, bluntly rounded at apex; costa wide basally, tapering to a point, apically reaching apex of valva; ventral margin broadly and shallowly concave basally, slightly protruded and dentate at distal 1/3; transtilla slender, acute apically. Valva with sacculus elongate elliptical, about 3/4 length of costal part, approximately 1.5 times of costal part at maximum width; dorsal margin arched, distinctly curved in distal 1/3, in some individuals distinctly curved dorso-apically; ventral margin arched; apex narrowly rounded; with dense denticles distally, dentate along distal 2/5 of ventral margin. Vinculum broad V - shaped; saccus almost same length as arm of vinculum, narrow, less than 1/5 width of sacculus, distally narrowed to pointed apex. Phallus about same length as valva, straight, basal 2/5 slightly thicker, distal 3/5 uniform; cornutus an elongate ovate plate bearing numerous denticles, about 1/4 length of phallus.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 13 , 18 ). Ovipositor cone-shaped, dentate laterally, acute apically. Apophysis posterioris longer than apophysis anterioris. Lamella postvaginalis torch-like; lateral margin arched, dentate sparsely; posterior margin concave in broad U shape, dentate, posterolaterally produced in triangle, pointed apically. Antrum as thick as ductus bursae, about 2/3 length of ductus bursae. Ductus bursae with sparsely toothed pleats; ductus seminalis arising from between antrum and ductus bursae. Corpus bursae oval, shorter than ductus bursae, full of reticular veins; signum a small rounded or subovate plate, wrinkled.

Diagnosis. Epicephala daltonii sp. nov. is similar to E. ancylopa Meyrick, 1918 in appearance. It can be distinguished from the latter in the male genitalia by the sacculus about 3/4 length of the costal part and distinctly incurved in distal 1/3 dorsally ( Fig. 8 ); in the female genitalia by the significantly large lamella postvaginalis concave in broad U shape on the posterior margin ( Fig. 18 ) and the antrum about 2/3 the length of the ductus bursae. In E. ancylopa Meyrick , the sacculus is about 3/5 the length of the costal part and its dorsal margin is roundly arched in the male genitalia; the obviously small lamella postvaginalis is concave in broad V or U shape on the posterior margin ( Fig. 16 ) and the antrum is about 1/3 the length of the ductus bursae in the female genitalia.

Biology. Host-plant: Glochidion daltonii (Muell. Arg.) Kurz (Phyllanthaceae) . Larvae feed on seeds in the fruits.

Distribution. China (Sichuan, Yunnan).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the name of the host-plant Glochidion daltonii (Muell. Arg.) Kurz.

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 5. Adults of Epicephala spp. 1. E. ancylopa Meyrick, ♀; 2. E. duoplantaria sp. nov., paratype, ♀; 3. E. daltonii sp. nov., paratype, ♀; 4. E. jianfenglingina sp. nov., paratype, ♀; 5. E. assamica sp. nov., ♀ (Scales = 2.0 mm).

FIGURES 8 − 9. Male genitalia of Epicephala spp. 8. E. daltonii sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 14040; 9. E. jianfenglingina sp. nov., holotype, slide no. HBB 10039. 8 a, 8 b (slide no. YXF 13033), 9 a. enlarged distal of sacculus with costa; 8 c, 9 b. enlarged cornuti. (Scales 8, 9 = 0.3 mm; 8 a – c = 0.2 mm; 9 a, 9 b = 0.1 mm).

FIGURES 11 − 14. Female genitalia of Epicephala spp. 11. E. ancylopa Meyrick, slide no. ZZG 15014, 11 a. enlarged signum, slide no. ZZG 15076; 12. E. duoplantaria sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 14051; 13. E. daltonii sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 14043; 14. E. jianfenglingina sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 15199. (Scales = 0.5 mm).

FIGURES 16 − 19. Female genitalia: lamella postvaginalis of Epicephala spp. 16. E. ancylopa Meyrick, slide no. ZZG 15014 (slide nos.: 16 a. ZZG 15016, 16 b. ZZG 15076, 16 c. ZZG 15072, 16 d. ZZG 14012); 17. E. duoplantaria sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 14051 (slide nos.: 17 a. ZZG 14058, 17 b. ZZG 14024, 17 c. ZZG 14039); 18. E. daltonii sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 14043, 18 a. slide no. ZZG 14364; 19. E. jianfenglingina sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 15199. (Scales = 0.2 mm).