Gibbovalva clavata Bai

Bai, Haiyan, Xu, Jiasheng & Dai, Xiaohua, 2016, Two new and one newly recorded species of Gracillariidae from China (Lepidoptera), ZooKeys 559, pp. 139-150 : 147-149

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Gracillariidae

Gibbovalva clavata Bai sp. n. Figs 4, 8

Diagnosis.

A new species of Gibbovalva , with antennal scape bearing a ventral flap and valva with a costal process as for other members of the genus, with which it also shares the fore wing markings and characteristics of vinculum and saccus. The basal 1/3 of the forewing of Gibbovalva clavata sp. n. is white in ground color and has four black costal specks; the distal 2/3 is ochreous yellow in ground color and has four white fasciae. The valva is blade-shaped, the costa possesses a clavate process at the basal 1/6; saccus is thumb-shaped with rounded apex; the aedeagus does not have a flap-like process, and its thorn-like cornuti are arranged in rows from basal 1/3 to subapex.

Gibbovalva clavata sp. n. is similar to Gibbovalva magnoliae and Gibbovalva tricuneatella in the aedeagus lacking a flap-like process, but it is distinguishable by the forewing markings. In Gibbovalva clavata , basal 1/3 of forewing is white with four black costal specks; apical 2/3 of forewing has four white fasciae, whereas in Gibbovalva magnoliae forewing has a V-shaped speck at base and five white fasciae and in Gibbovalva tricuneatella forewing has three white fasciae which markedly dilate towards wing fold. In addition, Gibbovalva clavata resembles Gibbovalva quadrifasciata (Stainton) in the male genitalia, as in both species the ventral surface of valva is covered with lanceolate setae, but it is distinguishable by other characters.

Description. Adult (Fig. 4). Wingspan 7.0 mm. Head white, with frons fuscous. Labial palpus white, second segment apically and third segment basally with a fuscous spot on their outer side. Thorax white, its sides edged with fuscous line; tegula fuscous with white apex. Basal 1/3 of forewing white, with four black specks along costa, of which the last one smallest; distal 2/3 of forewing ochreous yellow with fuscous band along costa and four white, nearly equally spaced fasciae which obliquely extend outwards from costa to dorsum; two basal fasciae, approximately twice the width of the two distal ones, enclose a black spot on costa. Cilia black from dorsal third fascia to costal fourth fascia, white at the apical angle, the remaining cilia pale grey. Hind wing and its cilia pale grey. Legs with coxae and tarsi white; tarsi with three fuscous rings, the last tarsomere ochreous yellow apically. Profemur fuscous; protibia white in basal 1/3, the remaining part fuscous. Mesofemur with external surface fuscous, internal surface ochreous white; mesotibia white, with three fuscous rings, of which one at the basal 1/3, two at the distal part. Metafemur white, external side with a fuscous spot at base and middle respectively; metatibia white, with a median fuscous ring, the last tarsomere fuscous apically.

Male genitalia (Fig. 8). Tegumen approximately 400 μm long, tongue-like, slightly wider on apical half, densely covered with fine setae on ventral and dorsal surfaces and with a sparse row of longer setae on each side. Valva approx. 600 μm long, blade-shaped, slightly narrowed at base, obliquely truncated at apex and almost parallel-sided; costa straight with a clavate process at the basal 1/6, dorsum slightly upcurved near apex; inner surface covered with usual setae except for lanceolate setae clustered on distal part. Saccus thumb-shaped, rounded apically. Aedeagus nearly 650 μm long, tapering to a pointed apex from around the distal 1/4; vesica with acute, thorn-like cornuti arranged in rows from basal 1/3 to aedeagus subapex, some cornuti arranged between apical 1/5 and apex being larger than others. Antero-dorsal apodeme of the eighth tergite approx. 150 μm long, with slender sclerotization extending caudad to the middle of the eighth tergite; eighth sternite with a pair of very slender invaginations, nearly equal in length to dorsal apodeme.

Female. Unknown.

Type material.

Holotype ♂. China, Jiulian Mountain, Longnan, Jiangxi Province, 600 m, 30 March 2012, leg. Jiasheng Xu; genitalia slide No. B12020, in ICCC.

Etymology.

The species name is derived from the Latin “clavatus”, meaning “clavate”, in reference to the costal process of valva.

Distribution.

China (Jiangxi).