Scaeosopha spinivalvata Li et Zhang, 2012

Li, Houhun, Zhang, Zhiwei & Sinev, Sergey Yu., 2012, Review of the genus Scaeosopha Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera, Cosmopterigidae, Scaeosophinae) in the world, with descriptions of sixteen new species, Zootaxa 3322, pp. 1-34 : 18-20

Scaeosopha spinivalvata Li et Zhang sp. nov.

( Figs. 15, 39)

Description. Adult ( Fig. 15): Wingspan 12.5 mm. Head deep-yellow, scale tuft behind compound eye yellow. Antenna deep-yellow, with pale-brown annuli. Labial palpus dominantly deep-yellow, distal 1/3 of second segment and basal 2/3 of third segment mottled black scales on ventral surface. Thorax dark-brown. Tegula with basal half black, distal half yellow. Forewing yellow, tinged with ochreous at base; markings arranged roughly in four rows: first row consisting of four black spots along costal margin, spots at 1/3 and 2/3 larger; second row consisting of dark-brown patches along anterior margin of cell, the one beneath fourth spot of first row largest; third row having three black patches above fold from base to 4/5; fourth row including three dark-brown patches beneath fold, first one triangular, median one smallest, outmost one longest and curved; dorsum with a wedge-shaped black patch at about 2/5 length; indistinct pale-brown fascia from before costal 1/3 to tornus, arched outward; several short yellowish-brown streaks on veins along inner side of termen; cilia whitish-yellow, mottled yellowish-brown along apical part of costal margin, tinged with grayish brown on termen and tornus. Hindwing and cilia deep-brown. Legs deep-yellow, mid and hind tarsi with black patches at base on ventral margin.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 39): Brachia of uncus slightly narrowed medially, hooked apically. Valva broad and short, slightly expanded distally, rounded terminally, dorsal margin concave distally, ventral margin straight; valvella longer than valva, sparsely setose, medially slightly widened, distal 1/4 spine-shaped, apex acuminate. Vinculum a transverse band, anteriorly rounded. Anellus sclerotized, cone-shaped. Phallus curved to a right angle at middle; cornutus a longitudinal sclerite, curved to a right angle at basal 1/3, median 1/3 widened, base and apex acuminate.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♂, MALAYSIA: Sabah, Gunong Monkobo [5°48' N, 116°56' E], Dipterocarp for[est], 7–13.viii.1987, coll. K. R. Tuck, BM 1987-252, BMNH Microlep. slide no. 31023, Houhun Li ( BMNH, London).

Distribution. Malaysia.

Diagnosis. This new species resembles S. pseusta (Diakonoff) in the male genitalia, but can be separated from it by the valvella being spine-shaped in distal 1/4 and the phallus with one cornutus. In S. pseusta (Diakonoff) , the valvella is rounded apically and the phallus has two cornuti. Scaeosopha spinivalvata also is similar to S. tuberculata sp. nov. externally, but can be distinguished by the male brachia of uncus not expanded to a sclerotized quadrate plate basally, the valvella spinelike distally, and the phallus with one cornutus; in S. tuberculata sp. nov., the brachia of uncus are expanded to a sclerotized quadrate plate in basal half, the valvella is expanded to a densely setose tuberculum in distal 1/7, and the phallus lacks cornutus ( Fig. 40).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin prefix spin- = spine, and the word valvatus = valva, in reference to the spine-shaped distal 1/4 of valvella.