Metaeuchromius anacanthus Li & Li

Li, Weichun, Li, Houhun & Nuss, Matthias, 2009, Notes on the genus Metaeuchromius Bleszynski (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Crambinae) from China, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 2287, pp. 55-63 : 59-60

Metaeuchromius anacanthus Li & Li , sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 , 9–10 )

Type material. Holotype 3, CHINA: Wuzhishan (18°50´N, 109°42´E), Hainan Province, 700 m, 19.v.2007, leg. Zhiwei Zhang and Weichun Li, genitalia slide No. LWC07427. Paratypes: 1 3, Nanchahe, Bawangling, Changjiang (19°16´N, 109°03´E), Hainan Province, 600 m, 9.vi.2007, leg. Zhiwei Zhang and Weichun Li; 1 3, Jianfengling, Ledong (18°44´N, 109°10´E), Hainan Province, 940 m, 5.vi.2007, leg. Zhiwei Zhang and Weichun Li.

Diagnosis. This species resembles Metaeuchromius fulvusalis Song & Chen in the male genitalia, but can be distinguished from it by the forewing with four terminal black dots and the curved medial fascia, the hindwing with three black spots; the apex of valva rounded or blunt, and the phallus without cornutus in the male genitalia. In M. fulvusalis Song & Chen , the forewing has five terminal black dots and the medial fascia is straight, and the hindwing lacks black spots; the apex of valva is pointed and the phallus bears many tiny spinelike cornuti.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 2 ): Wingspan 10.0 mm. Frons white, medially mixed with pale yellow. Vertex pale yellow. Labial palpus nearly as long as eye’s diameter, pale yellow except pale brown basally and distally. Maxillary palpus pale brown, yellowish white basally, pale yellow distally. Antenna scapus pale yellow; flagellomere with dorsal surface yellowish white, ventral surface yellow ciliated with white. Patagium pale yellow. Thorax yellowish white on dorsal surface, glossy white on ventral surface. Tegula pale yellow. Forewing suffused with dark brown scales, costal margin pale yellow; basal area pale yellow except pale brown at base; medial fascia dark brown, sinuate; apex with three oblique golden stripes, between inner and median stripes silver gray, between median and outer stripes white; subterminal line pale brown; four terminal black dots running from three fifths of termen to tornus, fomula 3-1, each group divided with white, each dot of group divided with golden; cilia shiny, pale brown to dark brown. Hindwing greyish white; subterminal fascia absent; tornus with three black spots, arranged triangularly; cilia concolorous to forewing. Legs pale yellow, tarsi with two inconspicuous pale brown rings.

Abdomen. Sternite III without indication of scent organ or special formation of scales.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 9–10 ). Uncus slender, curved downward, tapering to pointed apex in lateral view, and to rounded apex in ventral view. Gnathos curved upward distally; apex pointed, with tiny dentations. Tegumen about twice length of gnathos. Valva basally broad, becoming narrower towards distal part, apex rounded or blunt; costa strongly sclerotized, with triangular apex-pointed projection at two thirds. Juxta nearly oblong, more or less concave at middle laterally; distal 1/4 notched at middle, forming a pair of narrow triangular lobes. Pseudosaccus absent. Saccus a bit narrower than juxta, about two thirds length of uncus, rounded anteriorly. Phallus straight; cornutus absent.

Female unknown.

Distribution. China (Hainan).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word anacanthus = spineless, in reference to the phallus without cornutus.

Remarks. This species varies slightly in the male genitalia. The valva is rounded apically and concave at about ventral two thirds in the specimens collected from Wuzhishan and Bawangling of Hainan Province. But the valva is blunt apically and straight ventrally in the specimen collected from Jianfengling of Hainan Province.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Adults of Metaeuchromius spp.; 1, M. singulispinalis sp. nov., paratype, female; 2, M. anacanthus sp. nov., holotype, male; 3, M. inflatus Schouten, male; 4, M. flavofascialis Park, female.

FIGURES 9 – 11. Genitalia of Metaeuchromius spp. 9, Male genitalia of M. anacanthus sp. nov.; 10, Phallus of M. anacanthus sp. nov. (9 – 10, genitalia slide No. LWC 07427, holotype); 11, Female genitalia of M. flavofascialis Park (genitalia slide No. LWC 07447).