A taxonomic review of Thiotricha Meyrick, 1886 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Thiotrichinae) from China, with descriptions of 84 new species Author Lee, Ga-Eun 0000-0002-5774-5850 College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China gaeunlee 486 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 5774 - 5850 & Research Institute for Basic Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea Corresponding author: lihouhun @ nankai. edu. cn; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 8953 - 3422 gaeunlee486@gmail.com Author Li, Houhun 0000-0002-5774-5850 College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China gaeunlee 486 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 5774 - 5850 & College of Life and Geographic Sciences, Kashi University, Kashi 844000, China; Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Ecology of Pamirs Plateau, Kashi 844000, China gaeunlee486@gmail.com text Zootaxa 2024 2024-05-15 5449 1 1 222 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1 1175-5334 11233121 CAC513A2-D2B4-4E6E-BAB6-CCE6E054680F Thiotricha tylephora Meyrick, 1935 ( Figs 14 , 26A , 39A , 55C , 65E, F , 72A ) Thiotricha tylephora Meyrick, 1935 , in Caradja & Meyrick: 68; Gaede, 1937: 307 ; Clarke, 1969: 475 ; Ivinskis et al ., 1984: 41 ; Park, 1998: 302 ; Hua, 2005: 8 ; Ueda & Fujiwara, 2005: 75 ; Li & Wang, 2009: 125 . TL: China ( Zhejiang ). TD: NHMUK. Polyhymno tylephora : Park & Ponomarenko, 2006: 277 ; 2007: 44; Sakamaki, 2013: 47 , 296. Type material ( Figs 65E, F , 72A ). Holotype ♂ , CHINA , Tien-Mu-Shan, C. 5,000, xi.1932 , leg. Hermann Höne , genitalia slide no. J. F.G.C. 8379 ( NHMUK ). Additional material examined. CHINA : Hubei Province : 2 ♂♂ , 3 ♀♀ , Qingtaiguan Forest ( 31.19°N , 115.7°E ), 570 m , Luotian County , 2, 3.vii.2014 , leg. Wei Guan and Meiqing Yang , genitalia slide nos. LGE15054f, LGE 15055m , LGE 16173m , LGE16174f, LGE17195f ; Zhejiang Province : 1 ♀ , Sanmuping , 800 m , Mt. Tianmu , 19.viii.1999 , leg. Houhun Li et al .; 1 ♀ , Sanmuping , 1000 m , Mt. Tianmu , 28.vii.2011 , leg. Linlin Yang and Na Chen , genitalia slide no. LGE16179 ; 1 ♀ , Qianmutian ( 30.40°N , 119.44°E ), Mt. Tianmu , 1320 m , 1.vii.2013 , leg. Aihui Yin and Xiuchun Wang , genitalia slide no. LGE16022 ; 2 ♀♀ , Laoan ( 30.33°N , 119.40°E ), 555 m , Mt. Tianmu , 4, 6.vii.2014 , leg. Aihui Yin , Xuemei Hu and Qingyun Wang , genitalia slide no. LGE16178 ; 2 ♂♂ , 4 ♀♀ , Qianjiangyuan ( 30.39°N , 119.49°E ), 866 m , Mt. Tianmu , 8−10.vii.2014 , leg. Aihui Yin , Xuemei Hu and Qingyun Wang , genitalia slide nos. LGE 15060m , LGE23028f, LGE 23031m ; 3 ♀♀ , Sanmuping ( 30.37°N , 119.43°E ), 789 m , Mt. Tianmu , 13, 15.vii.2014 , leg. Aihui Yin , Xuemei Hu and Qingyun Wang , genitalia slide no. LGE23030 ; 1 ♀ , Xiguan ( 30.36°N , 119.48°E ), 566 m , Mt. Tianmu , 18.vii.2014 , leg. Aihui Yin , Xuemei Hu and Qingyun Wang ; 1 ♀ , Sanmuping ( 30.37°N , 119.43°E ), 789 m , Mt. Tianmu , 10.viii.2014 , leg. Aihui Yin , Qingyun Wang and Suran Li , genitalia slide no. LGE23029 ; 1 ♂ , 1 ♀ , Qianjiangyuan ( 30.39°N , 119.49°E ), 866 m , Mt. Tianmu , 13, 15.viii.2014 , leg. Aihui Yin , Qingyun Wang and Suran Li , genitalia slide nos. LGE 16175m , LGE16177f . Diagnosis. Adult ( Fig. 14 ). Wingspan 10.5−17.0 mm. The holotype of T. tylephora has a creamy forewing sprinkled with fuscous scales and marked with longitudinal streaks in the distal 1/3, but there is a great variation in the forewing pattern in other specimens examined. The male genitalia ( Fig. 39A ) are diagnosed by the narrow valva, the large ovate anellus lobe bearing a robust apical bristle and the long aedeagus strongly narrowed distally. In the female genitalia ( Fig. 55C ), the strongly produced posterior margin of tergum VIII and the presence of a long and linear sclerite at the base of ductus bursae are diagnostic. Distribution. China ( Henan , Hubei , Hunan , Shaanxi , Sichuan , Tianjin , Zhejiang ) (Li & Wang 2009 ), Korea , Japan . Remarks. In the Chinese specimens, the wing pattern of T. tylephora is extremely variable ( Fig. 14 ): some have a large patch at the base of dorsum; some have longitudinal streaks from base to near apex or only in distal half; or the markings are all indistinct. Among them, the individuals with a trapezoidal patch are closely related to T. trapezoidella ( Caradja, 1920 ) described from Far East Russia . The male genitalia are unknown for T. trapezoidella , but the female genitalia of the lectotype have been illustrated in previous studies ( Park 1998 ; Park & Ponomarenko 2007 ). Based on that, there is no difference distinguishing T. trapezoidella from T. tylephora except the size of corpus bursae, which can be variable within a species of Thiotricha . Considering that the male genitalia of the specimens with the trapezoidal patch are nearly identical to those of the holotype of T. tylephora , it is possible that T. tylephora is a junior synonym of T. trapezoidella . However, further examination will be required using both molecular and morphological evidence since a high degree of intraspecific variability in the COI gene has been detected among T. tylephora specimens (LGE personal observation, unpublished data). We identify the Chinese T. tylephora based on examination of specimens collected from the type locality (Mt. Tianmu of Zhejiang Province) and their similarity in male genitalia. Some specimens from the Hubei Province are genetically grouped with the materials from Mt. Tianmu and these were also included in this study.