Ptycholoma lata Chen & Jinbo

Chen, Liusheng, Jinbo, Utsugi & Wang, Min, 2009, A new species of Ptycholoma (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) from South China, Zootaxa 2087, pp. 65-68 : 65-66

Ptycholoma lata Chen & Jinbo , nov. sp.

( Figs. 1, 3 )

HOLOTYPE 3, China, Hunan Province, Sangzhi County, Tianpingshan Mt., Zhangjiajie City, 12 May 2007, Chen Liusheng. PARATYPE (13). Same data as holotype.

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to P. lecheana in the forewing pattern and male genitalia, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: the forewing of P. lata has much broader subbasal and median fasciae, and the branch arising from the median fascia is shorter and digitiform; the male genitalia have a smaller uncus that does not expand apically, and the valva is not tapering toward the apex.

Description. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Head: Frons and vertex orange. Antenna brownish fuscous. Labial palpi short, porrect, second segment not expanded apically. Thorax: Wing expanse 16–17 mm; forewing ground color orange, with broad dark leaden gray fascia; basal patch small, irregular leaden gray, continguous with base of costal fold; costal fold leaden gray, extending nearly to middle of costa; subbasal fascia broad, leaden gray, extending from ca. 1/3 distance between base and apex to dorsum, width of faciae at dorsum ca. 2 times width at costa; median fascia leaden gray with darker edge, extending obliquely from distal end of costal fold to tornus; a short gray brown projection from base of R3 and R4 toward termen, about 1/3 length of median fascia, ca. same width as posterior margin of median fascia; subbasal and median fasciae joined at lower edge of discal cell by line of dark gray; area from distal end of costal fold to tornus leaden brown. Hindwing uniformly fuscous, with whitish cilia. Abdomen: Male genitalia ( Fig. 3 ) with uncus broad, uniform in width, with slightly concave apex; tegumen rather broad; socius small; gnathos a large long, terminal plate projecting ventrally, with obtuse apex; transtilla expanded and spinose laterally; valva elongate, rather narrow, costa membranous, concave medially; distal half of valva digitiform, not tapered toward apex, round apically; sacculus ca. ½ length of valva, with sharp, apical, digitiform free tip projecting dorsad; juxta small; vinculum simple; aedeagus stout, with large ventral process and short terminal thorn; cornuti deciduous, flat spines forming a cluster. Female genitalia unknown.

Distribution. China (Tianpingshan Mt., Hunan Province).

Etymology. The species name is from the Latin ‘ latus ’, which means ‘broad’, referring to the broad subbasal and median fasciae of the forewing.

Remarks. Among the members of Ptycholoma , three species, P. lata , P. lecheana and P. erschoffi , form a group defined by the orange of reddish forewing with broad leaden gray fasciae and the male genitalia with a very small juxta and short deciduous cornuti. In addition, P. l a t a and P. lecheana share a unique character: the aedeagus in both species has two apical processes. Hence, P. lecheana is likely the most closely related congener of P. lata . P. lata can be distinguished from P. lecheana by the following: the broad leaden gray forewing subbasal and median fasciae ( Fig. 1 ) are narrow and silver-gray in P. lecheana ( Fig. 2 ); the digitiform branch arising from the median fascia in P. l a t a is conspicuously hook-shaped in P. lecheana ; the uncus in P. lata is smaller than that of P. lecheana ; the valva is elongate and parallel-sided in the distal portion in P. lata ; and the costa is straight basally in P. l a t a ( Figs. 3–4 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Ptycholoma species. Ptycholoma lata, adult; 2. Ptycholoma lecheana, adult; 3. Ptycholoma lata, male genitalia; 4. Ptycholoma lecheana, male genitalia.