Scrobipalpa zhongweina, Li, Houhun & Bidzilya, Oleksiy, 2019

Li, Houhun & Bidzilya, Oleksiy, 2019, New species and new records of the genus Scrobipalpa Janse (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) from China, ZooKeys 840, pp. 101-131 : 101

Scrobipalpa zhongweina sp. n. Figs 6, 19, 27

Type material.

CHINA: Holotype ♂, Shapotou, Zhongwei County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 1200 m, 10.viii.2000, coll. Houhun Li and Shuxia Wang (gen. slide no. L06088) (NKU). Paratype: 1 ♀, same data as holotype (gen. slide no. 46/14, O Bidzilya).

Diagnosis.

The new species resembles externally the light-brown specimens of the rather variable S. salinella (Zeller, 1847) (see Huemer and Karsholt 2010, fig. 107), but the black irroration under the costal margin and near the apex is less distinct and the reddish spots are smaller. The male genitalia look similar to those of S. grisea Povolný, 1969 (see Huemer and Karsholt 2010, fig. 34), but the saccus and the vincular processes are narrower whereas the sacculus is broader in S. grisea . The female genitalia are similar to those of S. thymelaeae (Amsel, 1939) (see Huemer and Karsholt 2010, fig. 111), but the outer margin of the ventromedial depression is weakly edged, the apophyses anteriores are thinner and the ductus bursae is narrower in the distal portion.

Description.

Adult (Fig. 6). Wingspan 11.0 mm. Head, thorax and tegulae light brown, frons nearly white, labial palpus light brown with diffuse inner and subapical white belts, inner and upper surface whitish, underside of segment 2 with brush of modified scales, segment 3 nearly as long as segment 2, two times narrower, pointed; antennae brown ringed with grey; forewing covered with light grey brown-tipped scales and densely irrorate with reddish along dorsum, on basal half of subcostal vein and in subapical 1/4, costal margin and termen mottled with black, reddish streak and prolonged reddish spot in fold, three reddish-brown spots in cell, white subapical fascia at 3/4, cilia grey brown-tipped, hindwing grey.

Male genitalia (Fig. 19). Uncus twice as long as broad, rounded in apical 1/3; gnathos short, weakly curved; tegumen prolonged with deep and broad anteromedial emargination; valva curved in middle, apex rounded, extending to the top of uncus; sacculus weakly curved inwards, ca. 5 times shorter than valva, broad at base, then narrowing, tip curved inwards, gap to the vincular process rounded; vincular process short, beak-shaped; posterior margin of vinculum with deep v-shaped medial emargination; saccus narrow, pointed, extending far beyond the apex of pedunculus; phallus straight, apical arm narrow, caecum strongly inflated, approx. as long as phallus.

Female genitalia (Fig. 27). Papilla analis subovate, sparsely covered with short hairs; apophyses posteriores ca. 4.5 times longer than segment VIII; sternite VIII approx. as broad as long, weakly narrowing apically, anterior margin straight, subgenital plates 1/3 width of sternite VIII, parallel-sided with foamy sculpture along medial margin from half-length to the base of apophyses anteriores; ventromedial depression trapezoidal, divided by anteromedial triangular incision to 3/4 length into densely covered with microtrichia subovate lobes, which extending to the anterior margin of sternite VIII; apophyses anteriores longer than segment VIII; ductus bursae narrow in posterior portion, then evenly broadened towards globular corpus bursae, colliculum narrow, ring-shaped; signum situated near the entrance of corpus bursae, stout, basal plate small, distal hook weakly curved.

Distribution.

China (Ningxia).

Biology.

Host plant unknown. Adults fly in July at an altitude of 1200 m.

Etymology.

The species name, a noun in apposition, is derived from the type locality: Zhongwei County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.