Pammene sterigmata, Song & Na & Lee & Oh & Cho & Byun, 2025

Song, Young-Gwang, Na, Sol-Moon, Lee, Ji-Young, Oh, Jae-In, Cho, Kyung-Ho & Byun, Bong-Kyu, 2025, Description of a new species and one newly recorded species of the genus Pammene Hübner, [1825] (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae, Olethreutinae, Grapholitini) from Korea, Zootaxa 5716 (1), pp. 126-132 : 128

Pammene sterigmata Song & Byun, sp. nov.

( Figures 2, 2a, 2b, 4, 4a, 4b )

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Type material. Holotype. ♀ [ KOREA] Sinjeon-ri , Namji-eup, Changnyeong, GN, 7 viii 2024 (leg. BK Byun). gen. slide no. HNUSEL-1018-coll. HNUSEL.

Diagnosis. This species is morphologically similar to Pammene nemorosa Kuznetzov, 1968 , but it can be distinguished by the dorsal blotch on the forewing, consisting of two thick and broad creamy-white strigulae at the middle of the hind margin, and the trapezoid-sterigma in female genitalia. Moreover, given that the DNA barcode differs by more than 9 % from that of the closely related species P. nemorosa , this strongly supports the designation of the specimen as a distinct new species.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 2 ). Wingspan 12 mm. Head and frons pale ocherous ( Fig. 2a ); antenna grayish fuscous ( Fig. 2b ); labial palpus short, reaching 1/3 of the compound eye and ocherous in color ( Fig. 2a ). Thorax and abdomen blackish brown. Forewing broad; ground color brownish gray, marked with eight yellowish-white costal strigulae between apex and base, two strigulae near apex thick and relatively straight, six strigulae near base oblique; dorsal blotch well defined, two thick and broad creamy white strigulae middle of dorsum; ocelloid patch containing three irregular black dots at tornus, cilia dark gray, with a blackish subbasal line. Hindwing ground color light fuscous; cilia pale ocherous, with a gray subbasal line.

Male genitalia. Unknown.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 4, 4a, 4b ). Papillae anales large and broad, apex broader than distal part. Apophyses anteriores slightly longer than that of apophyses posteriores. Sterigma trapezoid in form, well sclerotized. Ostium bursae wide, bowl-shaped. Ductus bursae broad and short, well sclerotized. Ductus seminalis broad. Corpus bursae ovate with two horn-shaped signum.

Molecular analysis ( Fig. 1 ). The NJ analysis based on COI sequences revealed that Pammene sterigmata sp. nov. clusters in a distinct clade, forming a separate lineage from other Korean Pammene species. It shows a genetic distance of 9 % from P. nemorosa , indicating clear genetic divergence and supporting its delimitation as a separate species. The DNA barcode sequence of P. sterigmata sp. nov. has been registered in NCBI (Accession number: PV984507).

Distribution. Korea.

Host plant. Unknown.

Etymology. The species name “ sterigmata ” is derived from the Greek word “στῆριγμα” (stērigma), meaning “support” or “prop.” It refers to the distinctive trapezoid-shaped sterigma in the female genitalia, which is a key diagnostic character of the new species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Neighbor-joining tree of the genus Pammene in Korea based on the COI region. Pammene sterigmata sp. nov. is clearly separated from other Korean Pammene species, forming a distinct genetic lineage. Branch lengths are proportional to genetic distance and scale bar represents 0.010 substitutions per site.

FIGURES 2–5. Adults of Pammene. 2, Pammene sterigmata sp. nov. (Holotype); 2a, ditto, lateral view of head and labial palpus; 2b, ditto, antenna; 3, P. grunini; 4, female genitalia of P. sterigmata sp. nov. (♀, Holotype, gen. slide no. HNUSEL- 1018); 4a, magnification of sterigma; 4b, magnification of signa; 5, male genitalia of P. grunini (♂, gen. slide no. HNUSEL- 6874). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.