Meleonoma bicornea, Wang & Zhu, 2020

Wang, Shuxia & Zhu, Xiaoju, 2020, Study of the genus Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae) from China, with descriptions of twenty-one new species (II), Zootaxa 4881 (2), pp. 257-289 : 262-263

Meleonoma bicornea sp. nov.

( Figs 5 , 27 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5236BF31-63D8-49AF-AC99-08A7979F656C

Type material. CHINA, Yunnan: Holotype ♂, Botanical Garden (24.00°N, 97.83°E), Ruili, 1000 m, 6.VIII.2005, leg. YD Ren, slide No. YAH15106 ( NKU) . Paratypes: 3♂, 5–7.VIII.2005, other same data as holotype ( NKU) .

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to M. taeniophylla sp. nov. in the male genitalia. It can be distinguished by the transtilla not produced dorsally, the sacculus produced to a papillary process dorsoapically and the aedeagus with two spine-shaped processes and a spine-shaped cornutus distally; in M. taeniophylla , the transtilla is dorsally produced, the sacculus lacks a process dorsoapically and the aedeagus with several belt-shaped sclerites and a clavate cornutus distally.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 5 ). Forewing length 4.5‾5.0 mm.

Head with vertex blackish brown; frons with upper half blackish brown, lower half yellow; occiput blackish brown, with yellow scales laterally. Labial palpus yellow; first segment and basal half of second segment with dense blackish-brown scales; second segment with a blackish-brown ring distally; third segment blackish brown medially. Antenna blackish brown, scape yellow at apex, flagellum annulated with yellow on ventral surface.

Thorax blackish brown, yellow laterally; tegula blackish brown, mixed with yellow apically. Forewing narrowly elongate, parellel to about distal 1/5, then narrowed to round apex; ground colour blackish brown, with irregular yellow markings; costal margin with inner yellow spot from basal 1/3 running obliquely outward to middle of cell, outer yellow spot at distal 1/3, large, X-shaped, its inner arm of lower part reaching crossing middle of outer margin of cell, outer arm of lower part reaching termen; yellow stripe extending along fold, narrowed distally, widened and extending upward from end of fold to before posterior angle of cell, with a small black dot above basal 1/3 of fold; fold with a large black spot before end, edged with yellow scales; cell with a black spot at basal 2/3, touching inner yellow spot anteriorly, with smaller black spot before anterior and posterior angles respectively; termen with yellow dots, interrupted by black scales; fringe greyish black, mixed with yellow on extension of terminal dots. Hindwing and fringe greyish brown. Legs yellow; on ventral surface, fore coxa blackish brown, femora of fore- and midlegs blackish brown except yellow apically, hind femur with scattered blackish-brown scales, tarsi of fore- and midlegs blackish brown except yellow at apices of basal two tarsomeres, hind tarsus blackish brown except yellow at apex of each tarsomere, all tibiae blackish brown except yellow apically.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 27 ). Uncus slender, spine-shaped, hooked apically. Gnathos circular, slender except slightly widened at base, weakly sclerotized anteriorly. Tegumen narrowed medially; lateral arm narrowed anteriorly. Valva with basal half nearly uniform, inflated from middle to obliquely obtuse apex, with large setae basally in costal area, with dense long setae distally; ventral margin heavily sclerotized, widely banded, concave medially, bifurcate distally, forming two cornuted apical processes: dorsal process longer and slenderer, ventral process shorter and stronger; costa straight, very narrow, with sparse long setae; transtilla wide, slightly narrowed toward middle, joined medially by a short membranous band, arched dorsad. Sacculus shorter than its basal width, slightly narrowed to apex; apex narrowly sclerotized, dorsoapically produced to a papillary process, with dense long setae; ventral margin heavily sclerotized, almost straight. Saccus wide at base, distinctly narrowed to distal 2/3, then slightly narrowed to narrowly rounded apex, slightly longer than uncus. Juxta narrow, gently arched. Aedeagus nearly twice as long as valva, widened from base to about middle, weakly sclerotized distally, with two spine-shaped processes different in length: longer process arising from about middle exceeding apex of aedeagus, curved, pointed apically; shorter stout process from about basal 3/5, about 1/4 length of long process, dilated basally; cornutus strong, spine-shaped, about 1/4 length of longer process.

Female unknown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin bi- and corneus, referring to the two cornuted apical processes on the ventral margin of the valva in the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 3–8. Adults of Meleonoma spp. 3, M. acutata sp. nov., ♂; 4, M. basiprocessa sp. nov., ♂; 5, M. bicornea sp. nov., ♂; 6, M. bidigitata sp. nov., ♂; 7, M. circinans sp. nov., ♂; 8, M. compacta sp. nov., ♂. All holotypes. Scales = 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 25–30. Male genitalia of Meleonoma spp. 25, M. acutata sp. nov., paratype, slide No. YAH15102; 26, M. basiprocessa sp. nov., holotype, slide No. YAH15170; 27, M. bicornea sp. nov., holotype, slide No. YAH15106; 28, M. bidigitata sp. nov., paratype, slide No. YAH15459; 29, M. circinans sp. nov., holotype, slide No. YAH15397; 30, M. compacta sp. nov., holotype, slide No. YAH15073. Scales = 0.2 mm.