Merulempista digitata Li & Ren

Ren, Yingdang, Liu, Shurong & Li, Houhun, 2011, Review of the genus Merulempista Roesler, 1967 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) from China, with description of two new species, ZooKeys 77, pp. 65-75 : 69-71

Merulempista digitata Li & Ren sp. n. Figs 14812

Type material.

Holotype ♂ - China,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region: Xinyuan (43.19°N, 84.01°E), 1562 m, 7.VIII.2007, coll. Xinpu Wang, genitalia slide no. LSR09078. Paratypes: 22 ♂♂, 33 ♀♀, same data as for holotype except dated 6-7.VIII.2007; 1 ♂, Mohe, Gongliu (43.13°N, 82.45°E), 1500 m, 29.VII.1994, coll. Houhun Li and Hongyan Qin; 4 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, Kuerdening, Gongliu (43.13°N, 82.50°E), 1500 m, 27.VII.1994, coll. Houhun Li and Hongyan Qin; China, Gansu Province: 2 ♀♀, Sunan (39.42°N, 98.29°E), 2251 m, 16.VIII.2007, coll. Feng Yang and Hanguang Gao.

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Merulempista cingillella , but differs in the clearly separated discocellular stigmata on the forewing; in the male genitalia the costa with distal process arising from 5/6 of the valva and in the female genitalia the antrum being triangular posterolaterally. In Merulempista cingillella , the discocellular stigma on the forewing is kidney-shaped, the distal process of the costa arises from 3/4 of the valva, and the antrum is elongately leaf-shaped posterolaterally.

Description.

Adult (Fig. 4). Wingspan 22.0-27.0 mm. Head greyish brown to dark brown. Antenna with scape greyish brown to dark brown, twice longer than wide; flagellum greyish yellow ringed with brown on dorsal surface, yellowish brown on ventral surface; male sinus with brush of brownish black scales. Labial palpus in male stronger than in female; first segment greyish white, in male mixed with pale ochreous; second and third segments brown, mixed with pale ochreous except greyish white dorsally. Maxillary palpus columniform; in male golden yellow, about equal length to second segment of labial palpus; in female greyish white, slightly longer than third segment of labial palpus. Patagium pale reddish brown. Thorax and tegula brown tinged with greyish white except tegula pale reddish brown at base. Forewing three times longer than wide, apex rounded, termen bluntly oblique; ground coloration greyish brown to brownish black, mixed with reddish brown and greyish white; antemedian line white, extending from 1/4 of costal margin to 1/3 of posterior margin, edged with erect black scales along outside; discocellular stigmata brownish black, clearly separated, forming two distinct spots; postmedian line white, dentate, parallel with termen; termen pale brown to brownish black, discontinuous, sometimes forming small dark spots; cilia grey mottled brown. Hindwing pale grey; cilia yellowish white.

Male genitalia

(Fig. 8). Uncus wide at base, narrowed toward bluntly rounded apex, length as long as basal width. Gnathos dilated basally, slender and pointed distally, hooked apically, about 2/5 length of uncus. Costa wider than sacculus; distal process fingerlike, arising from about 4/5 length of valva, forming an acute angle with valva at outside, bearing a needlelike apical prong slightly exceeding end of valva. Valva about four times longer than wide, basal half slightly narrower, widened and arciform ventrally from middle to 5/6; distal 1/6 triangularly shaped, densely covered with long setae, narrowly rounded at apex; clasper finger-shaped, blunt apically; sacculus about half length of valva, basal half slightly wider than distal half. Vinculum broad, U-shaped; anterior margin slightly concave inward at middle. Juxta V-shaped; lateral lobe narrowed distally, curved inward. Phallus about same length as valva, thick at base; with three needle-like cornuti, longest one about 3/5 length of phallus, located medially, other two placed distally. Eighth sternite and culcita shown in figure 8a.

Female genitalia

(Fig. 12). Papillae anales triangular, finely haired. Apophyses anteriores shorter than apophyses posteriores, slightly expanded at base. Antrum large, with a longitudinal crevice centrally, triangularly protruding backward posterolaterally. Ductus bursae slightly shorter than corpus bursae; posterior 1/3 membranous, smooth; anterior 2/3 sclerotized, with small pieces of sclerites. Corpus bursae ovate, membranous; large elongate accessory sac from left side of corpus bursae posteriorly, ductus seminalis from its distal part; signum deeply sunken, with numerous coniform spines, placed posteriorly.

Distribution.

China (Gansu, Xinjiang).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin digitatus (= digitate), in reference to the distal process of costa.