Epicephala duoplantaria Li, 2016

Li, Houhun & Zhang, Zhenguo, 2016, Five species of the genus Epicephala Meyrick, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) from China, Zootaxa 4084 (3), pp. 391-405 : 400-401

Epicephala duoplantaria Li , sp. nov.

Figs. 2 , 7 , 12 , 17

Type material. CHINA: Holotype ♂, Yunnan Province: Kongqueshan , Jingdong Yi Autonomous County (24°28'N, 100°48'E), 1320 m, Pu'er City, 29.iv.2015, reared from fruits of Glochidion daltonii by K.J. Teng, genitalia slide no . ZZG15179. Paratypes (44 ♂, 61 ♀): Hainan Province: 2 ♂, 3 ♀, Xinglong Tropical Garden (18°41′N, 110°13′E), 3.vi.2010, reared from fruits of Glochidion lutescens by B.B . Hu. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: 11 ♂, 12 ♀, Shaoping Forestry Centre (22°05'N, 106°54'E), 200 m, Pingxiang, 06−08.iv.2012, collected from leaves or reared from fruits of Glochidion daltonii by X.F. Yang ; 5 ♂, 1 ♀, same locality, 16-27.iii.2013, collected from leaves or reared from fruits of Glochidion daltonii by X.F . Yang. Sichuan Province: 11 ♂, 20 ♀, Pingdi Town (26°12'N, 101°50'E), 1845 m, Renhe District , Panzhihua City, 26.iv −01.v.2013, collected from leaves or reared from fruits of Glochidion daltonii by Z.G . Zhang. Yunnan Province: 15 ♂, 25 ♀, Jingdong Yi Autonomous county (24°28'N, 100°48'E), 1320 m, Pu'er City, 22.iv −04.v.2015, collected from leaves or reared from fruits of Glochidion daltonii by Z.G. Zhang and K.J. Teng.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 2 ). Forewing expanse 8.5−12.0 mm. Head snowy white; vertex tinged with pale yellow, with a few grey scales laterally. Labial palpus with outer surface greyish brown to blackish brown; inner surface white, in some individuals grey or greyish black on third palpomere. Antenna with ventral surface white; dorsal surface dark brown, indistinctly greyish yellow at apex of each flagellomere. Thorax snowy white to creamy white; tegula from deep grey to dark brown, in some individuals tinged with dim yellowish brown. Forewing deep greyish brown to dark brown, mixed with yellowish brown scales; costal margin with three white streaks: basal streak from about 1/4 extending obliquely outward to 2/5 of wing at anterior 1/4; median streak from about middle slightly oblique downward to anterior 1/4, then curved and parallel with costal margin to about distal 1/8, weak distally; distal streak indistinct, or weakly represented by white dots or short streaks; ventral margin with a creamy band from base to end of fold, narrowed and interrupted distally, produced to a broad band at about dorsal 2/3 which is oblique to middle or to 3/5 of wing at posterior 2/5 or at middle, sometimes interrupted distally, in some individuals slightly produced triangularly at about dorsal 2/5; fine white line from end of ventral band extending discontinuously along ventral margin to distal 1/8; two straight white streaks from above end of fold extending to distal 1/8 of wing, close and parallel basally, joined with median streak from costal margin distally, in some individuals dorsal streak interrupted or ill-defined distally; narrow greyish silvery fascia with metallic reflection at distal 1/8, edged with deep grey, short greyish silvery streak at apex; distal 1/8 ochre brown, with a small white dot beyond silvery fascia at costal margin, with a large white triangular spot narrowed to apex along ventral margin, with an ill-defined central black dot; cilia greyish white along costal margin and apex except black distally and with a distinct black basal line, grey along dorsal margin. Hindwing and cilia greyish brown.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 7 ). Tegumen broad, sub-elliptical, lateral margin sclerotized. Valva with costal part subrectangular, rounded apically, longer than tegumen, with dense long setae ventrally; costa basally wide, distally narrowed to a point, not reaching apex of valva, arched medially; ventral margin slightly concave at basal 1/4 and distal 1/3 respectively, medially protruded and dentate or produced to a semiovate dentate process (indistinct in some individuls); transtilla slender, curved ventrad, acute apically. Valva with sacculus fusiform, approximately 2/ 3 length of costal part, equal to costal part at maximum width; distal part densely toothed, gradually narrowed towards sharp or narrowly rounded apex; dorsal margin rounded, conspicuously protruded; ventral margin slightly arched. Vinculum in broad V shape; saccus nearly same length as arm of vinculum, broad and uniform, about half as wide as sacculus, rounded apically, in some individuals slightly narrowed distally. Phallus straight, slightly shorter than valva, dilated basally, thinner distally; cornutus a wrinkled elongate plate bearing an apical thorn.

Female genitalia ( Figs. 12 , 17 ). Ovipositor cone-shaped, dentate laterally, acute apically. Apophysis posterioris stronger and longer than apophysis anterioris. Lamella postvaginalis suboval; posterior margin shallowly and widely concave, slightly protruded posterolaterally ( Fig. 17 ), or weakly sinuate ( Fig. 17a ), or bluntly rounded ( Fig. 17b ), or nearly straight ( Fig. 17c ). Antrum heavily sclerotized, about 1/4 length of ductus bursae. Ductus bursae almost uniform, with toothed narrow pleats; ductus seminalis arising from between antrum and ductus bursae. Corpus bursae oval, slightly shorter than ductus bursae, full of reticular veins; signum a small elongate triangular or a subovate plate, in some individuls with a fine ridge.

Diagnosis. Epicephala duoplantaria sp. nov. is more similar to E. ancylopa Meyrick, 1918 in appearance, but can be distinguished from the latter in the male genitalia by the costa arched medially, the sacculus acute apically, the broad saccus parallel to rounded apex, and the cornutus with a spiniform spine of varying length distally; and in the female genitalia by the lamella postvaginalis shallowly and widely concave on the posterior margin, and the antrum about 1/4 the length of the ductus bursae. In E. ancylopa Meyrick , the costa is straight, the sacculus is blunt at apex, the clubbed saccus is narrowed to rounded apex distally, and the cornutus is absent of the apical spiniform spine in the male genitalia; and the lamella postvaginalis is deeply concave in broad V shape or U shape on the posterior margin, and the antrum is about 1/3 the length of the ductus bursae in the female genitalia.

Epicephala duoplantaria sp. nov. can also be separated from E. daltonii sp. nov., E. jianfenglingina sp. nov. and E. assamica sp. nov. by having a saccus about half width of the sacculus and the cornutus being a wrinkled elongate plate bearing an apical thorn in the male genitalia, and the suboval lamella postvaginalis ( Fig. 17 ). In E. daltonii sp. nov., the narrower saccus is less than 1/5 width of the sacculus and the cornutus is an elongate ovate plate bearing numerous denticles, and the torch-like lamella postvaginalis posterolaterally produced to triangular process with sharply pointed apex ( Fig. 18 ); in E. jianfenglingina sp. nov., the saccus is slightly less than half width of the sacculus and the cornutus consists of a row of clustered long spines ( Fig. 9b ), and the H-shaped lamella postvaginalis posterolaterally produced to a triangular process with narrowly pointed apex ( Fig. 19 ); in E. assamica sp. nov., the broad saccus is about 4/5 width of the sacculus and the cornutus consists of a row of clustered short spines ( Fig. 10d ), and the inverted trapezoidal lamella postvaginalis posterolaterally produced to a long thorn-like process with sharp apex ( Figs. 15a, 15b ).

Biology. Host-plants: Glochidion lutescens Bl. (in Hainan) and G. daltonii (Muell. Arg.) Kurz (in Guangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan) ( Phyllanthaceae ). Larvae feed on seeds in the fruits of their host-plants.

Distribution. China (Guangxi, Hainan, Sichuan, Yunnan).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin duo (two), and plantarius (plant), in reference to its association with two host-plants.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Male genitalia of Epicephala assamica sp. nov., paratype, slide no. WZB 14554. 10 a (slide no. WZB 14577), 10 b. enlarged distal of sacculus with costa; 10 c. enlarged distal denticle (slide no. ZZG 15007); 10 d. enlarged cornuti and distal denticle. (Scales 10 = 0.3 mm; 10 a – d = 0.1 mm).

FIGURE 15. Female genitalia of Epicephala assamica sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 15008. 15 a (slide no. WZB 1455), 15 b (slide no. WZB 14026). lamella postvaginalis; 15 c. enlarged signum. (Scales 15 = 0.5 mm; 15 ab = 0.2 mm; 15 c = 0.1 mm).

FIGURES 1 − 5. Adults of Epicephala spp. 1. E. ancylopa Meyrick, ♀; 2. E. duoplantaria sp. nov., paratype, ♀; 3. E. daltonii sp. nov., paratype, ♀; 4. E. jianfenglingina sp. nov., paratype, ♀; 5. E. assamica sp. nov., ♀ (Scales = 2.0 mm).

FIGURES 6 − 7. Male genitalia of Epicephala spp. 6. E. ancylopa Meyrick, slide no. ZZG 15077; 7. E. duoplantaria sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 15189. 6 a. enlarged ventral margin of costal part and distal part of sacculus; 6 b. enlarged cornutus. 7 ac. variations of ventral margin of costal part and distal part of sacculus: 7 a (slide no. HBB 10027), 7 b (slide no. ZZG 14015), 7 c (slide no. ZZG 15189). enlarged distal of sacculus with costa; 7 d. enlarged spinous cornutus. (Scales 6, 7 = 0.3 mm; a-d = 0.1 mm).

FIGURES 11 − 14. Female genitalia of Epicephala spp. 11. E. ancylopa Meyrick, slide no. ZZG 15014, 11 a. enlarged signum, slide no. ZZG 15076; 12. E. duoplantaria sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 14051; 13. E. daltonii sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 14043; 14. E. jianfenglingina sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 15199. (Scales = 0.5 mm).

FIGURES 16 − 19. Female genitalia: lamella postvaginalis of Epicephala spp. 16. E. ancylopa Meyrick, slide no. ZZG 15014 (slide nos.: 16 a. ZZG 15016, 16 b. ZZG 15076, 16 c. ZZG 15072, 16 d. ZZG 14012); 17. E. duoplantaria sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 14051 (slide nos.: 17 a. ZZG 14058, 17 b. ZZG 14024, 17 c. ZZG 14039); 18. E. daltonii sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 14043, 18 a. slide no. ZZG 14364; 19. E. jianfenglingina sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 15199. (Scales = 0.2 mm).

FIGURES 8 − 9. Male genitalia of Epicephala spp. 8. E. daltonii sp. nov., paratype, slide no. ZZG 14040; 9. E. jianfenglingina sp. nov., holotype, slide no. HBB 10039. 8 a, 8 b (slide no. YXF 13033), 9 a. enlarged distal of sacculus with costa; 8 c, 9 b. enlarged cornuti. (Scales 8, 9 = 0.3 mm; 8 a – c = 0.2 mm; 9 a, 9 b = 0.1 mm).