Promalactis palmifolia Wang, Du & Li, 2013

Wang, Shuxia, Du, Zhaohui & Li, Houhun, 2013, Taxonomic study of the genus Promalactis Meyrick, 1908 from Southeast Asia (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae), Zootaxa 3669 (4), pp. 401-455 : 422-423

Promalactis palmifolia Wang, Du & Li , sp. nov.

( Figs 18 , 50 )

Type material: Holotype ♂, MALAYSIA, Jeriau Road, Fraser’s Hill (3°43'N, 101°44'E), [Pahang], 1140 m, 5−12.viii.1986, leg. G. S. Robinson, BM 1986−299, genitalia slide No. BMNH-33541 ( BMNH) . Paratype: 1 ♂, same data as holotype, genitalia slide No. BMNH-33542 ( BMNH) .

Description. Imago ( Fig. 18 ) with wingspan 10.0 mm. Head with vertex shining white, frons yellowish gray, occiput dark ochreous brown. Labial palpus with basal and second segments ochreous brown on outer surface, basal segment pale yellow on inner surface, second segment dark ochreous yellow on inner surface, with black scales on dorsal surface; third segment black except white at base and apex, slightly shorter than second. Antenna with scape white, pecten dark brown; flagellum with basal two flagellomeres white, remaining ones white and black on dorsal surface, dark brown on ventral surface. Thorax and tegula ochreous brown, thorax with two white spots at apex. Forewing ochreous brown; costal margin with a few black scales at base, with an inverted triangular white patch at 2/3, extending down to midwing, edged with black scales except on anterior margin; three white streaks arising from dorsal margin, edged with black scales: first one from basal 1/6 to above base of fold, second one parallel to first one, extending obliquely from middle to Sc vein, third one from 5/6 extending upward to near lower angle of cell; apex with a nearly triangular white spot, edged with dense black scales except on anterior margin; cilia ochreous yellow, mixed with black scales at base, dark gray along distal part of dorsal margin, tinged with white on costal margin near apex. Hindwing and cilia dark gray. Foreleg black, tibia with white spot at base and middle on dorsal surface, with a tuft of short white scales at apex, tarsus with white spots on dorsal surface; midleg with tibia dark ochreous brown, with a white spot at base on dorsal surface, with a tuft of long white scales at apex, tarsus black with white spots; hindleg grayish black, tarsus with white spots on dorsal surface.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 50 ). Uncus broad, almost trapeziform, concave in an arc at middle on posterior margin, forming two small hill-like lateral processes, with a tuft of long setae at apex of each process. Gnathos narrow, subtriangular, pointed at apex, slightly longer than uncus. Tegumen branched from posterior 1/4, posterior 1/4 concave laterally, triangularly narrowed anteriorly. Valva heavily sclerotized, asymmetrical: left valva nearly rectangular, parallel dorso-ventrally, distally produced to a slightly down-curved triangular process, which is spinulose on ventral margin, with dense mane at base, with a spine at apex, costa concave in a notch near base; right valva irregular, narrow at base, gradually broadened to middle, distal 1/2 parallel dorso-ventrally, distally produced to a long spine-like process, which is spinulose on ventral margin, entirely with dense setae, with dense mane at base ventrally, with a spine at apex, costa projected at middle, distal half heavily sclerotized, with an ovate cluster of dense setae. Sacculus narrow, slightly broad at base. Saccus broad, about same length as gnathos, rounded at apex. Juxta sclerotized, maple leaf-like, with a finger-like handle at base, basal 1/2 narrow, distal 1/2 broad, with three apical processes: left process elongately triangular, right process small, spine-like, middle process broadly triangular, about same length as left one. Aedeagus slightly shorter than total length from apex of uncus to apex of saccus, apex with a short spine; cornutus rod-like, about 3/5 length of aedeagus, somewhat curved, with several spines at apex, one of which is much longer, remaining ones are short.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to P. mentawirella Lvovsky, 2000 , but differs in the uncus concave on posterior margin, the triangular gnathos, the broad saccus and one rod-like cornutus in the aedeagus in the male genitalia. In P. mentawirella , the uncus is rounded and not concave on posterior margin, the gnathos is nearly trapeziform, the saccus is very slender, and the aedeagus has several spine-like cornuti in the male genitalia.

Distribution. Malaysia (Pahang).

Remarks. Some minor variations exist in this new species: the left and middle triangular apical processes of the juxta are shorter, the left apical process has a small spine at base on outside and the right spine-like apical process is curved upward in the paratype. While the left and middle triangular apical processes of the juxta are longer, the left apical process has no spine at base and the right spine-like apical process is straight in the holotype.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin palmifolius (= maple leaf-like), referring to the shape of the juxta in the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 17–24. Adults of Promalactis spp. 17, P. medispinata sp. nov., holotype; 18, P.palmifolia sp. nov., holotype; 19, P. pectinifera sp. nov., holotype; 20, P. sectoralis sp. nov., holotype; 21, P.semiovata sp. nov., holotype; 22, P.sinualis sp. nov., holotype; 23, P. spinosicostalis sp. nov., holotype; 24, P.strena sp. nov., holotype (17–21, 23, 24: ♂, 22: ♀).

FIGURES 47–52. Male genitalia of Promalactis spp. 47, P. latuncata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. BMNH-33565; 48, P. medispinata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. MNHU-NK001; 49, P. lophacantha sp. nov., holotype, slide No. BMNH-33550; 50, P. palmifolia sp. nov., holotype, slide No. BMNH-33541, 50a, showing the variation of the juxta, slide No. BMNH-33542; 51, P. pectinifera sp. nov., holotype, slide No. BMNH-33534; 52, P. sectoralis sp. nov., holotype, 52a, enlarged distal process of aedeagus with dense spines, slide No. BMNH-33539.