Meleonoma spiculata, Zhu & Wang, 2024

Zhu, Xiaoju & Wang, Shuxia, 2024, Six new species of the genus Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae) from China, Zootaxa 5536 (3), pp. 465-474 : 472-473

Meleonoma spiculata sp. nov.

( Figs 6 , 12 )

Type material. CHINA, Xizang: Holotype ♂, Tongmai Town (30.10°N, 95.08°E), Bomi County, 2029 m, 25.VI.2017, leg. MJ Qi & JQ Deng, slide No. ZXJ19357.

Diagnosis. M. spiculata is similar to M. longibursoides sp. nov. in the forewing pattern and male genitalia. The new species can be distinguished by the uncus rounded at apex, the sacculus not shrunk at middle and dentated dorsodistally, whereas the uncus is pointed at apex, the sacculus is shrunk at middle and not dentated dorsodistally in M. lonibursoides .

Description. Adult ( Fig. 6 ). Forewing length 5.5 mm.

Head yellow; frons yellowish white. Labial palpus yellow; third segment with sparse black scales on ventral surface. Antenna dark brown, flagellum annulated with yellow on ventral surface.

Mesonotum dark grey, yellow laterally; tegula dark grey basally, yellow distally. Legs yellow, with exceptions on ventral surface: coxa of foreleg with sparse dark brown scales, femora of fore- and midlegs with scattered dark brown scales, tibia of foreleg black except yellow apically, tibia of midleg dark brown, tarsi of fore- and midlegs dark brown except yellow at base of basal tarsomere and at apices of basal two tarsomeres, hindleg with scattered dark brown scales.

Forewing lanceolate, apex rounded; ground color yellow, with diffused black scales, with a black stripe along basal 1/3 of costal margin; median fascia black, extending from beyond middle of costal margin oblique to tornus, widened anteriorly and at tornus; subterminal fascia extending from distal part of costal margin along termen to tornus, black; plical spot indistinct; discal spot placed at middle of cell, dark brown; dorsum dark brown; fringe pale yellow, mixed with dark brown basally and greyish brown around tornus. Hindwing and fringe greyish brown.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 12 ). Uncus slender, clavate, rounded at apex. Tegumen sub-trapezoidal, with a shallow arched anterior emargination. Costal part of valva narrowed from near base to basal 1/4, widened to middle, thereafter narrowed to rounded apex, setose basally and ventrodistally; ventral margin arched inward in basal 1/3, produced in distal 2/3; costa distally narrowed to before costal margin of costal part; transtilla curved ventrally, rounded at apex; sacculus trapezoidal, with basal 2/3 uniformly wide, distal 1/3 triangular, narrowed to rounded apex; dorsal margin fused with costal part of valva basally, dentate dorsodistally. Saccus short, rounded at apex, approx. 2/5 time length of uncus. Juxta U-shaped, lateral arm narrow at base, widened to basal 2/3, thereafter narrowed distally, rounded at apex. Phallus tubular, nearly same length as costal part of valva; basal 3/5 uniformly wide, narrowed from basal 3/5 to apex; cornuti spike-shaped, containing row of spines.

Female unknown.

Distribution. China (Xizang).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin spiculatus, referring to the spike-shaped cornuti.

Figures

FIGURES 1−6. Adults of Meleonoma spp. 1, M. avicapitata sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 2, M. bitaeniana sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 3, M. dorsidentata sp. nov., ♂, paratype; 4, M. hirsuta sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 5, M. longibursoides sp. nov., ♀, paratype; 6, M. spiculata sp. nov., ♂, holotype. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 7−12. Male genitalia of Meleonoma spp. 7, M. avicapitata sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZXJ19199; 8, M. bitaeniana sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19154; 9, M. dorsidentata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19516; 10, M. hirsuta sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19499; 11, M. longibursoides sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19350; 12, M. spiculata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19357. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.