Melinopteryx coruscans, Imada, Yume & Kato, Makoto, 2018

Imada, Yume & Kato, Makoto, 2018, Descriptions of new species of Issikiomartyria (Lepidoptera, Micropterigidae) and a new genus Melinopteryx gen. n. with two new species from Japan, Zoosystematics and Evolution 94 (2), pp. 1-25 : 3-4

Melinopteryx coruscans sp. n. Figs 1a, 3, 4, 5

Material examined.

Holotype: JAPAN [HONSHU] 1♂collected by MK on 29.VII.2007 at Shirabiso-touge (1800m), Iida-shi, Nagano Pref (Fig. 19:1), NMNS.

Paratypes: JAPAN [HONSHU] 13♂1♀ collected by MK on 29.VII.2007 at same locality as holotype, KUHE.

Additional materials: JAPAN [HONSHU] 1♀ emerged on 9.VI.2014 from a larva collected by YI on 27.IV.2014 at same locality as holotype, KUHE; 1♂1♀ collected by MK on 13.VII.2009 at Irisawai (1115m), Ohshika-mura, Nagano Pref (Fig. 19:2), KUHE.

Type locality.

Japan, Nagano Pref: Shirabiso-touge (Honshu).

Diagnosis.

Aedeagus with a pair of ventral longitudinal fins, extending more than half of aedeagal length; female corpus bursae with two forms of signa consisting of two semicircular sclerite and a long rectangular sclerite.

Description.

Head dark brown, naked and glossy on both sides, sparsely covered with brownish yellow piliform scales with dark yellow scales on vertex. Antenna about same length of forewing in male, about 4/5 in female; with 67 (60-74) flagellomeres in males (n=7). Labial palp 2-segmented. Thorax grayish brown, sparsely covered with purple and brownish gold scales on prothorax with blue metallic scales, with dark yellow piliform scales on tegula. Forewing with brownish purple luster tinged with coppery, densely covered with golden luster over basal half of dorsum; cilia grayish brown, pale yellow on apex; ventral surface glossy grayish purple. Forewing length 5.1 mm (4.8-6.0, n=8) and 5.1 mm (n=1) in male and female, respectively. Hindwing glossy brownish purple scattered with piliform scales on basal half; cilia grayish brown; ventral surface same as forewing. Abdomen sparsely covered with grayish brown piliform scales.

Male abdomen and genitalia (Fig. 4). Mid-dorsal length of segment IX ring about 1/6 of ventral length. Valva with obtuse apex, with a very small proximo-ventral ridge; inner ventral margin broad without concavity. Aedeagus with a ventral longitudinal fin extending vertically more than half of aedeagal length; three pairs of dorsal fins present; a pair of lateral triangular fins extending horizontally. Tergum X with longitudinal convex at medial part, with a pair of triangular lobes disto-dorsally.

Female abdomen and genitalia (Fig. 5). Segment IX ring strongly sclerotized, deeply concave dorso-laterally; mid-dorsal length about 1/3-1/2 of mid-ventral length, without lateral protrusion. Dorsal plate between segment X sclerites large, well sclerotized. Corpus bursae membranous, bulbous; signa consisting of two semicircular sclerites and a ribbon-shaped sclerite. Genital chamber armed with a large sclerite with four bar-shaped accessory sclerites.

Variations.

Geographic variation is recognizable between individuals in the populations at Irisawai and Shirabiso-touge. In the populations of Irisawai, the proximal portion of the male tergum X is stouter and much more developed than that of Shirabiso-touge; wing color tinged with strongly purplish scales at Irisawai population, whereas wing color of the individuals at Shirabiso-touge tend to be more tinged with coppery and golden scales.

Remarks.

Melinopteryx coruscans sp. n. is distinguished from M. bilobata sp. n. based on the following character states: aedeagus with a ventral longitudinal fin extending more than half of aedeagal length; female segment X with a rectangular plate of dorsal sclerites; corpus bursae with two different forms of signa consisting of a pair of semicircular sclerites and a ribbon-shaped sclerite. This species corresponds to " ' Issikiomartyria ' sp." in Imada et al. (2011).

Etymology.

The specific name is a participle in the nominative singular from the Latin word " coruscans ", which stands for flashing.

Distribution.

The Western mountain range of the Akaishi Mountain Range of Japan (Honshu: Nagano Pref.).

Bionomics.

There is a single generation per year; however, there may be one generation per two years in some populations at high elevation, where larvae exhibit two significantly different size during the same period of time. The habitat is the peak or valley of sub-alpine forests at approximately 1100-1820 m of the Akaishi Mountain Range of Japan. The dominant arboreal species of their habitat are Tsuga diversifolia (Maxim.) Mast., Abies veitchii Lindl., and Picea jezoensis (Sieb. & Zucc.) Carriere var. hondoensis (Mayr) Rehde ( Pinaceae ). The larvae feed on the thalli of Conocephalum liverworts.