Meleonoma robustispina Wang, 2020

Zhu, Xiaoju, Cai, Bo & Wang, Shuxia, 2020, Genus Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera, Autostichidae) from Hainan Island, China, with descriptions of sixteen new species, ZooKeys 975, pp. 125-157 : 125

Meleonoma robustispina Wang sp. nov. Figs 19 , 35

Type material.

China, Hainan: Holotype: ♂, Mt. Limu (19.17N, 109.73E), 632 m, 29.VI.2015, leg. QY Wang et al., slide No. ZXJ19014. Paratype: 1♂, Yinggezui, Yinggeling, 599 m, 1.VIII.2017, leg. X Bai et al.

Diagnosis.

The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the ventral band of the valva widened distally and having two spines apart from each other, the sacculus produced to a short semielliptical process apically, and the phallus with a large spine-shaped cornutus more than 1/2 length of the phallus.

Description.

Adult (Fig. 19 ). Wingspan 11.0-13.0 mm. Head yellowish white. Labial palpus pale yellow; second segment with blackish brown scales on outer surface, with a black ring apically; third segment with blackish brown scales on dorsal surface. Antenna yellow; scape with blackish brown scales on posterior margin; flagellum annulated with greyish brown on dorsal surface. Thorax pale yellow except black at base; tegula black basally, pale yellow distally. Forewing pale yellow, with scattered blackish brown scales, with blackish brown spot at base and between Sc and fold respectively; costal margin with four blackish brown dots spaced from before middle to pre-apex, becoming smaller; apex with an elliptical blackish brown spot; termen with three blackish brown dots evenly spaced from below apical spot; cell with a small rounded blackish brown spot before posterior angle of cell; plical spot blackish brown, placed at middle of fold; fringe pale yellow, tinged with blackish brown on extension of apical spot, or blackish brown tinged with yellow except yellow on distal part of costal margin. Hindwing and fringe grey. Legs yellow, with exception on ventral surface: foreleg black, coxa yellow, tibia yellow apically, tarsus yellow at apices of basal two tarsomeres; mid tibia black, yellow apically, tarsus black except yellow at apices of basal two and apical one tarsomeres; hindleg mixed with sparse black scales on tibia and tarsus.

Male genitalia (Fig. 35 ). Uncus with basal half evenly wide, distal half narrowed to pointed apex. Tegumen U-shaped, widened medially, sclerotized along outer and inner margins; lateral arm uniformly narrow. Gnathos very weak laterally, just exceeding posterior margin of tegumen, invisible anteriorly. Valva narrow at base, widened medially, thereafter narrowed to rounded apex, with long setae; ventral margin heavily sclerotized, forming a band widened distally, with two spines apart from each other: short preapical spine directing downward and curved inward, longer apical spine extending outward and exceeding ventroapical corner; costa slightly concave medially, with sparse long setae in distal 2/3; transtilla slender, meeting medially. Sacculus irregularly shaped, with a sclerotized narrow edge dorsally, produced to a setose, semielliptical process apically; ventral margin overlapped triangularly. Saccus longer than twice length of uncus, wide at base, narrowed to rounded apex. Juxta widely arched. Phallus slightly longer than valva; basal 2/5 tubular, weakly sclerotized; distal 3/5 partly membranous, wrinkled, with a sclerotized band from middle to pre-apex, ending with a spine; cornutus large spine-shaped, more than 1/2 length of the phallus, strongly arched medially, narrowed to pointed apex, extending from middle to beyond apex of phallus apically.

Female unknown.

Distribution.

Hainan (Mt. Limu, Yinggeling).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin robustispinus (adj., having strong spines), referring to the strong spine-shaped cornutus of the phallus in the male genitalia.

Figures

Figures 12 - 19. Male adults of Meleonoma spp. 12 M. ornithorrhyncha sp. nov. 13 M. parilis sp. nov. 14 M. quadritaeniata sp. nov. 15 M. bidentata sp. nov. 16 M. apicirectangula sp. nov. 17 M. conica sp. nov. 18 M. puncticulata sp. nov. 19 M. robustispina sp. nov. All holotypes. Scale bars: 2.0 mm.

Figures 28 - 35. Male genitalia of Meleonoma spp. 28 M. ornithorrhyncha sp. nov., slide No. YAH 15446 29 M. parilis sp. nov., slide No. YAH 15444 30 M. quadritaeniata sp. nov., slide No. YAH 15450 31 M. bidentata sp. nov., slide No. ZXJ 18110 32 M. apicirectangula sp. nov., LJ 17529 33 M. conica sp. nov., slide No. LJ 17553 34 M. puncticulata sp. nov., slide No. YAH 15063 35 M. robustispina sp. nov., slide No. ZXJ 19014. All holotypes. Scale bars: 0.2 mm.