Thiotricha vivida, Lee & Li, 2024

Lee, Ga-Eun & Li, Houhun, 2024, A taxonomic review of Thiotricha Meyrick, 1886 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Thiotrichinae) from China, with descriptions of 84 new species, Zootaxa 5449 (1), pp. 1-222 : 108-110

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CAC513A2-D2B4-4E6E-BAB6-CCE6E054680F
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CC3667-9850-1D12-FF05-8CD0DDA2E32E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Thiotricha vivida
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Thiotricha vivida sp. nov.

( Figs 16E View FIGURE 16 , 26J View FIGURE 26 , 40D View FIGURE 40 , 56F View FIGURE 56 )

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Guizhou Province, Mt. Fanjing, Jinding (27.95°N, 108.62°E), 2100 m, 30.vii.2001, leg. Houhun Li and Xinpu Wang, genitalia slide no. LGE16155 GoogleMaps . Paratypes. CHINA: Guizhou Province: 16 ♂♂, 10 ♀♀, same data as holotype except 30, 31.vii.2001, genitalia slide nos. ZJL05005m, ZJL05006f, ZJL05007m, ZJL05008f (one male and one female are deposited in NHMUK) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♀♀, Huixiangping

(27.90°N, 108.71°E), 1700 m, Jiankou County, 29.vii.2001, leg. Houhun Li and Xinpu Wang, genitalia slide no. LGE18198; Henan Province: 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Mt. Baotianman (33.52°N, 111.94°E) GoogleMaps , 1350 m, Neixiang County, 13, 15.vii.1998, leg. Houhun Li, genitalia slide nos. ZJL05046m, ZJL05031f; 4 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Mt. Baiyun (33.68°N, 111.85°E) GoogleMaps , 1580 m, Luoyang City, 21−24.vii.2002, leg. Xinpu Wang; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Mt. Baiyun (34.13°N, 112.08°E) GoogleMaps , 1400 m, 14, 15.viii.2008, leg. Houhun Li et al., genitalia slide no. LGE18195f; Hubei Province: 1 ♀, Houhe , 1100 m, Wufeng County, 11.vii.1999, leg. Houhun Li et al., genitalia slide no. LGE18199; Sichuan Province: 8 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, Rize (33.12°N, 103.88°E) GoogleMaps , 2700 m, Jiuzhaigou, 13.viii.2002, leg. Shulian Hao; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Zezhawa (33.16°N, 103.92°E) GoogleMaps , 2400 m, Jiuzhaigou, 14.viii.2002, leg. Shulian Hao, genitalia slide no. ZJL05001m; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Zharu (33.25°N, 103.97°E) GoogleMaps , 2250 m, Jiuzhaigou, 19.viii.2002, leg. Shulian Hao; 1 ♀, Yonghong (26.35°N, 103.52°E) GoogleMaps , 900 m, Mabian County, 21.vii.2004, leg. Yingdang Ren; 2 ♂♂, Wolong (31.48°N, 103.6°E) GoogleMaps , 1900 m, 7.viii.2004, leg. Yingdang Ren, genitalia slide no. ZJL05071; 1 ♀, Muyangchang (32.97°N, 104.10°E) GoogleMaps , 2577 m, Wanglang Nature Reserves, 19.vii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Baozigou (32.91°N, 104.16°E) GoogleMaps , 2369 m, Wanglang Nature Reserves, 20.vii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Shanmen (32.89°N, 104.16°E) GoogleMaps , 2377 m, Wanglang Nature Reserves , 22.vii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide no. LGE 17080m; 3 ♀♀, Shanpo (32.97°N, 104.10°E) GoogleMaps , 2569 m, Wanglang Nature Reserves, 23.vii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide nos. LGE17081, LGE18196; Xizang Autonomous Region : 6 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Yadong County (27.49°N, 88.91°E) GoogleMaps , 2950 m, 26−29.viii.2003, leg. Xinpu Wang and Huaijun Xue, genitalia slide nos. ZJL05027f, ZJL05028m, ZJL05103m, ZJL05104; 7 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Mt. Birishen (29.66°N, 94.38°E) GoogleMaps , 3245 m, Bayi Town , Linzhi County, 28.vii.2010, leg. Houhun Li et al., genitalia slide nos. LGE 16153m, LGE16154f; 1 ♀, Plant station (29.69°N, 94.37°E) GoogleMaps , 3110 m, College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry , Bayi Town , Linzhi County, 13.viii.2010, leg. Houhun Li et al .

Diagnosis. This species is easily recognized by the dark brown forewing contrasting with the vivid light markings. The specimens with denuded wing scales might be confused with T. cultriformis , but T. vivida can be distinguished from the latter by the presence of a large, somewhat elliptical basal patch on the forewing and the thorax with a single median streak. In T. cultriformis , the basal 1/3 of forewing is broadly white instead of having the patch, and the thorax has two rows of slender median streaks. Moreover, the inner margin of tegula is fuscous in T. cultriformis whereas it is white in T. vivida . The male sternum VIII of T. vivida is somewhat similar to that of T. rotundata , but the posterior apex is more narrowed in the former. The male genitalia of T. vivida are diagnosed by the oblong uncus, the narrow valva distally broadened, the digitate anellus lobe with a long apical bristle and the short saccus. The female genitalia are characterized by the long intersegmental membrane between the papillae anales and segment VIII, strongly produced anterior margin of sternum VIII and the long ductus bursae. Segment VIII of female genitalia has minute spines only in the posterior 1/4 of sternum whereas both sternum and tergum are broadly covered with spines in other related species.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 16E View FIGURE 16 ). Wingspan 13.5−20.5 mm. Head white, frons usually slightly tinged with dark brown. Labial palpus white; in male, shorter than that of female, segment I long, fuscous on outer surface; segment II slightly longer than I, basal half of outer surface fuscous, hair pencil reaching basal half of segment III; segment III 1.5 times longer than II, ventral surface and apex fuscous; in female, segment I short, fuscous on outer surface; segment II approximately 3 times as long as I, with basal 3/4 fuscous on ventral and outer surfaces, slightly suffused with fuscous on inner surface; segment III as long as II, fuscous. Antenna with scape white except dorsal surface and posterior margin dark brown; flagellum dark brown except basal 1/4 or 1/5 of dorsal surface white, male cilia as long as diameter. Thorax white to creamy white, dark brown medially. Tegula creamy white, with anterior margin dark brown. Forewing ground color dark brown, apical area brown; apical spot round, bordered inwardly by white scales, apex falcate; markings creamy white, rarely white: two outwardly oblique, very slender costal streaks from distal 1/2 and 1/4 of wing, respectively, first streak running toward second streak close to costa, second streak running toward tornus, its posterior half mixed with grey, reaching half way across wing; beyond this an inwardly oblique, white costal strigula before apical spot; from base to basal 1/3 a broad, irregular patch along fold, its base wide and reaching dorsum, narrowed after base, widened at basal 1/4, then sharply narrowed distally; beyond this a small spot before middle on discal cell; a very broad, outwardly oblique band from middle of dorsum, gradually broadening to fold, then narrowing toward apex, interrupted by a dark brown elliptical spot near end of discal cell, sometimes confluent with an inwardly directed V-shaped marking arising from near tornus; a triangular patch on tornus, mixed with grey anteriorly; fringe on apical area creamy white with basal and terminal black bands, on termen fuscous except base creamy white, on dorsum fuscous, sometimes mixed with creamy white near tornus basally. Hindwing dark grey, black at apex; fringe fuscous except apical area creamy white with a terminal black band. Legs white, slightly mixed with beige; fore leg dark fuscous on outer surface; mid femur dark fuscous at base and apex, mid tibia with distal half fuscous except apex; hind femur dark fuscous at base, mid tibia dark fuscous at base and near apex on outer surface; mid and hind tarsi fuscous except each tarsomere white ringed apically.

Male sternum VIII ( Fig. 26J View FIGURE 26 ). Triangular, with lateral margins serrate, posterior apex shortly bifid.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 40D View FIGURE 40 ). Uncus broad, widely oblong, rounded apically. Gnathos hook simple, long. Tegumen approximately 3.5 times as long as uncus. Valva narrow at base, gradually broadening toward apex; basal 1/2 with long setae along ventral margin; distal 1/3 spatulate and setose, rounded at apex. Anellus lobe digitate, 1/5 length of valva, slightly dilated apically; apical bristle slightly shorter than anellus lobe, hooked. Juxta convex in basal 1/2. Vinculum broad, posterior margin shortly produced at middle. Saccus very short, triangular, pointed at apex. Aedeagus with basal 2/5 dilated, gradually narrowing toward apex, subapex slightly broadened, apex pointed.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 56F View FIGURE 56 ). Papillae anales weakly sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores 3/4 length of apophyses posteriores. Intersegmental membrane between papillae anales and segment VIII elongated. Segment VIII with posterior margin deeply concave; sternum VIII twice length than tergum VIII, with minute spines in posterior 1/4 laterally, anterior margin strongly produced in U-shape. Ostium bursae round. Ductus bursae very long, narrow; base constricted, with a short and slender sclerite; ductus seminalis arising from near base. Corpus bursae ovate, 1/3 length of ductus bursae; signum round, situated at posterior 1/4, consisting of petal-like sclerites, bulged inward.

Variations. The color of the head, thorax and forewing markings of specimens collected from Wanglang Nature Reserves (Sichuan) is whiter whereas those are generally creamy white in other specimens from different regions. Females have hind tibiae more extensively colored with dark fuscous compared to those of males.

Distribution. China (Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan, Xizang).

Etymology. The species name is from Latin, vividus (vivid), referring to the intense pale markings on the forewing.

Remarks. One female specimen collected from Wanglang Nature Reserves (Sichuan) has a long-ciliated antenna as in males. This is very rare in the genus and has not been reported or observed in other related genera (LGE, personal observation). Such an unusual trait has only been observed in one female of T. rotundata , which is also a species of the pancratiastis -group collected from the same locality.