Lycophantis chalcoleuca Meyrick, 1914

Cong, Peixin & Li, Houhun, 2016, Taxonomic study of the genus Lycophantis Meyrick from China (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4084 (1), pp. 105-114 : 107

Lycophantis chalcoleuca Meyrick, 1914

Figs. 3a , 4a , 5a

Lycophantis chalcoleuca Meyrick, 1914: 123 ; Moriuti, 1963: 262; Sohn & Park, 2010: 227. Type locality: India (Assam). Lectotype in BMNH, designated by Clarke, 1965: 344.

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by the valva with a row of about ten large bent setae medially, the subtriangular sacculus separated from the valva apically, and the absence of the cornutus in the male genitalia ( Fig. 4a ). Lycophantis chalcoleuca is similar to L. moriutii in the female genitalia ( Fig. 5a ), but differs in its ductus bursae almost three times the length of the corpus bursae, which is about twice the length of the corpus bursae in L. moriutii .

Description. Adult ( Fig. 3a ): Wingspan 8.0−10.0 mm.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 5a ): Apophyses posteriores as long as apophyses anteriores. Eighth sternite with posterior margin concave at middle, slightly projected posterolaterally, lined with long setae. Ostium bursae round, with a sclerotized semielliptical plate placed on each side. Antrum small, cup-shaped, widened posteriorly; ductus bursae slender, almost three times length of corpus bursae, sclerotized posteriorly on ventral surface, slightly expanded shortly anterior to corpus bursae; ductus seminalis arising anterior to antrum. Corpus bursae oviform; signum subelliptical, consisting of numerous equable granules, situated in posterior part of corpus bursae.

Material examined. CHINA: Zhejiang Province: 1 ♂, Wuyanling, Taishun, 790 m, 2.viii.2007, coll. Qing Jin; Hubei Province: 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Songbai, Shennongjia, 1200–1400 m, 17.vii.2003, coll. Shulian Hao; Guangdong Province: 1 ♂, Mt. Dadong, Lianzhou, 650 m, 22.vi.2004, coll. Dandan Zhang; Hainan Province: 1 ♂, Shuiman, Wuzhishan, 650 m, 16.v.2007, coll. Zhiwei Zhang and Weichun Li; 2 ♀, Shuiman, Wuzhishan, 630 m, 16.iv.2009, coll. Qing Jin and Bingbing Hu; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Shuiman, Wuzhishan, 620 m, 19.iv.2014, coll. Tengteng Liu et al.; 1 ♀, Mt. Wuzhishan, 740 m, 15.iv.2009, coll. Qing Jin and Bingbing Hu; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Mt. Wuzhishan, 710 m, 20– 21.iv.2014, coll. Tengteng Liu et al.; 13 ♂, 6 ♀, Maoyang, Wuzhishan, 225 m, 18–20.iv.2009, coll. Qing Jin and Bingbing Hu; 1 ♂, 3 ♀, Yuanmen, Baisha, 430 m, 17.iv. 2014, coll. Tengteng Liu et al.; 1 ♂, Yuanmen, Baisha, 460 m, 29.vi.2014, coll. Peixin Cong et al.; 1 ♂, Mt. Jianfeng, Ledong, 1050 m, 27.iv.2014, coll. Tengteng Liu et al.; 1 ♀, Yinggeling, 508 m, 28.vi.2014, coll. Peixin Cong et al.; 1 ♀, Bawangling, Changjiang, 161 m, 21.vii.2014, coll. Peixin Cong et al.; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Nankai, Baisha, 321 m, 21.vi.2015, coll. Peixin Cong et al.; Yunnan Province: 1 ♂, Taiyanghe, Puer, 1450 m, 3.vi.2014, coll. Zhenguo Zhang; Hong Kong: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Jiadaoli Farm, 210 m, 12.iv.2007, coll. Houhun Li et al.

Distribution. China (Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong, Hubei, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India, Vietnam.

Remarks. Moriuti (1963) studied this species based on two male specimens from India (Assam) as well as one male (17.xii.1934) and one female (1.vi.1946) from Taiwan (Taibei). We examined 47 specimens belonging to L. chalcoleuca , with both male and female specimens collected from the same localities in Hubei, Hainan and Hong Kong. We found that our females were different from the female of L. chalcoleuca as illustrated by Moriuti (1963), and we suppose that the female described by Moriuti may represent an unknown Lycophantis species. Lycophantis vietnamica that Sohn & Park (2010) described based on one female specimen from Northern Vietnam is extremely similar to L. chalcoleuca in genitalia. We suppose Sohn’s L. vietnamica should be L. chalcoleuca , which can be confirmed after checking the type.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Adults of Lycophantis spp. a, L. chalcoleuca, ♂; b, L. elongata, ♂; c, L. leviaurata, ♀; d, L. mucronata sp. nov., holotype, ♂; e, L. stenopetala sp. nov., holotype, ♂; f, L. incurvula sp. nov., holotype, ♂. (Scales = 2.0 mm)

FIGURE 4. Male genitalia of Lycophantis spp. a, L. chalcoleuca, slide no. CPX 14162; b, L. elongata, slide no. CPX 14151; c, L. leviaurata, slide no. CPX 14145; d, L. mucronata sp. nov., paratype, slide no. CPX 14204; e, L. stenopetala sp. nov., holotype, slide no. LTT 12242; f, L. incurvula sp. nov., paratype, slide no. LTT 12243. (Scales = 0.2 mm)

FIGURE 5. Female genitalia of Lycophantis spp. a, L. chalcoleuca, slide no. CPX 14196; b, L. elongata, slide no. CPX 14191; c, L. leviaurata, slide no. CPX 14150; d, L. mucronata sp. nov., paratype, slide no. CPX 14203. (Scales = 0.5 mm)