Thylacosceles nephroides, Guan, Wei & Li, Houhun, 2016

Guan, Wei & Li, Houhun, 2016, Thylacosceles Meyrick new to China, with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera: Stathmopodidae), Zootaxa 4158 (2), pp. 213-220 : 214-216

Thylacosceles nephroides sp. nov.

( Figs. 1−4 , 10 )

Type material. CHINA: Holotype ♂, Kuankuoshui National Nature Reserves (107°12′E, 28°14′N), Suiyang County, Guizhou Province, 1500 m, 11.viii.2010, leg. Linlin Yang, genitalia slide No. GW 14002 . Paratype: 1 ♂, same data as holotype except dated 13.viii.2010 .

Description. Adult ( Figs. 1−4 ). Wingspan 10.0− 10.5 mm. Face silvery white; vertex pale grayish brown; occiput yellowish white, with metallic luster. Labial palpus silvery white on inner surface, pale grayish white on outer surface, second and third palpomeres with fine brown line on outer surface. Antenna with scape dorsally grayish brown tinged with blackish brown, ventrally blackish brown; flagellum pale grayish brown, distal third to fifth flagellomeres blackish brown, distal two flagellomeres creamy white. Thorax silvery gray; tegula pale brown in anterior half, silvery gray in posterior half. Forewing silvery gray, distal half suffused with ochreous brown scales, darkening to pointed apex; costal margin dark brown in basal 1/3, beneath it with a pale ochreous brown streak; inverted triangular spot between costal 3/4 and 5/6 posteriorly reaching distal 1/5 of wing above dorsum; illdefined ochreous brown streak along distal 3/4 of fold; cilia brown. Hindwing grayish brown; cilia pale brown. Legs silvery white: fore femur blackish brown at base, tibia pale blackish brown on outer surface, tarsus with first tarsomere blackish brown on outer surface, second tarsomere pale brown on outer surface, fifth tarsomere brown at apex; mid tibia brown at base, outer surface with a brown streak in distal 1/4, dorsally with yellowish white bristles, tibia and basal three tarsomeres with short yellowish white bristles at apex; hind tibia pale brown on outer surface, dorsally with pale brown bristles in basal half, with dense long bristles from brown deepening to purplish black in distal half, apically with dense blackish brown scales, with whorls of long yellowish white bristles, hind tarsus with basal three tarsomeres having a fine pale brown line on outer surface, bearing yellowish white bristles at apex of each tarsomere. Abdomen pale grayish brown on dorsal surface, grayish white on ventral surface.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 10 ). Uncus broad at base, gradually narrowed to 5/6, distal 1/6 nearly quadrate, blunt apically, with long hairs laterally. Gnathos tongue shaped, rounded apically. Tegumen about same length as uncus, branched from posterior 1/5, gradually narrowed anteriorly. Valva wide at base, slightly narrowed to apex; ampulla absent; sacculus about 2/3 length of valva, narrow at base, gradually widened to 2/5, then narrowed to apex, apically reaching middle of ventral margin of cucullus, ventral margin straight; cucullus nephroid, dorsal margin slightly concave medially, ventral margin arched, apex rounded. Vinculum narrowly banded; saccus extremely short, about 1/8 length of uncus. Juxta nearly quadrate; anellus lobes clubbed, shorter than juxta. Aedeagus about 1.3 times length of valva, broad at base, slightly narrowed to apex, ventrally with a clubbed process at distal 1/4; cornutus about 3/4 length of aedeagus, narrow basally, expanded and curved medially, dilated distally.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to T. pithanodes Bradley, 1961 in the forewing having a costal spot. It can be distinguished by the silvery gray forewing, in the male genitalia by the apex-rounded cucullus and the curved cornutus. In T. pithanodes , the forewing is brown, the cucullus is straight at apex and the cornutus is straight. This new species is also similar to T. clavata sp. nov., and the differences between them are stated under the latter species.

Distribution. China (Guizhou).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin nephroides (nephroid), referring to the shape of the cucullus in the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 7. Adults of Thylacosceles species. 1 − 4, T. nephroides sp. nov., holotype, ♂: 1, head (dorsal view); 2, head (lateral view, paratype, ♂); 3, hindleg; 4, adult; 5, T. clavata sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 6, T. cuneiformis sp. nov., holotype, ♀; 7, T. ellipsoidala sp. nov., holotype, ♂. (Scale bars = 2.0 mm).

FIGURES 10 − 14. Genitalia of Thylacosceles species. 10, T. nephroides sp. nov., holotype, ♂, slide No. GW 14002; 11, T. clavata sp. nov., holotype, ♂, slide No. GW 14006; 12, T. cuneiformis sp. nov., paratype, ♂, slide No. GW 14004; 13, ditto, holotype, ♀, slide No. GW 14005; 14, T. ellipsoidala sp. nov., holotype, ♂, slide No. GW 14003. (Scale bars = 0.2 mm, 13 = 0.5 mm).