Thylacosceles ellipsoidala, Guan, Wei & Li, Houhun, 2016

Guan, Wei & Li, Houhun, 2016, Thylacosceles Meyrick new to China, with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera: Stathmopodidae), Zootaxa 4158 (2), pp. 213-220 : 219-220

Thylacosceles ellipsoidala sp. nov.

( Figs. 7 , 14 )

Type material. CHINA: Holotype ♂, Tropical Botanical Garden (102°39′E, 25°1′N), Xishuangbanna , Yunnan Province, 531 m, 19.viii.2010, leg. Yinghui Sun and Lixia Li, genitalia slide No. GW 14003 . Paratypes: 2 ♂♂, same data as holotype .

Description. Adult ( Fig. 9 ) with wingspan 7.0− 7.5 mm. Face and vertex shining slivery gray; occiput shining ochreous yellow, with metallic luster. Labial palpus pale grayish white on inner surface, brown on outer surface. Antenna with scape brown; flagellum pale grayish brown, distal 3−5 flagellomeres dark brown, distal two flagellomeres silvery gray. Thorax pale grayish brown; tegula pale ochreous brown. Forewing ochreous brown in basal 4/5, with scattered grayish brown scales, dark brown in distal 1/5; costal margin dark brown along basal half, dorsum silvery gray in basal 1/4; inverted triangular yellowish white spot between costal 3/5 and 4/5 posteriorly reaching basal 2/3 of wing above dorsum; cilia dark brown. Hindwing grayish brown; cilia pale grayish brown. Legs dominantly silvery white: fore femur and tibia dark brown on outer surface, tarsus with basal three tarsomeres dark brown on outer surface; mid tibia with a few dark brown scales at base and at apex, dorsally with long silvery white scales, tarsus blackish brown apically; hind tibia with distal 2/3 blackish brown on outer surface, dorsally with long yellowish white bristles in basal 1/3, with long bristles from pale brown deepening to blackish brown in distal 2/3, apically with black scales and whorls of long creamy white bristles, hind tarsus with distal four tarsomeres brown on outer surface, apically with whorls of bristles creamy white deepening to pale brown on basal three tarsomeres. Abdomen pale yellowish brown on dorsal surface, pale yellow on ventral surface.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 14 ). Uncus broad at base, slightly narrowed to 4/5, distal 1/5 subrectangular, blunt at apex, with long hairs laterally. Gnathos broad tongue shaped, slightly narrowed to rounded apex. Tegumen broad, about 1.5 times length of uncus, branched from posterior 1/3, gradually narrowed anteriorly. Valva subelliptical, sclerotized at base; ampulla hooked, at basal 1/5 of costa; sacculus about 2/5 length of valva, basal half nearly uniform, distal half slightly narrowed, apically reaching cucullus; cucullus subovate, rounded apically. Vinculum narrowly banded; saccus approximately half length of uncus, slightly narrowed medially, broadened anteriorly to straight apex. Juxta subrounded; anellus lobes short clubbed, shorter than juxta. Aedeagus about 1.5 times length of valva, basal 4/5 nearly uniform, distal 1/5 gradually narrowed to apex, ventrally produced to a short clubbed process; cornutus absent.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to T. judex Meyrick, 1913 in the forewing having a costal spot. It can be distinguished by the silvery gray head, the ochreous brown forewing with scattered grayish brown scales on basal 4/ 5 and dark brown on distal 1/5. In T. judex , the head and the forewing are dark brown.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. This specific name is derived from the Latin ellipsoidalis (subelliptical), referring to the shape of the valva.

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 7. Adults of Thylacosceles species. 1 − 4, T. nephroides sp. nov., holotype, ♂: 1, head (dorsal view); 2, head (lateral view, paratype, ♂); 3, hindleg; 4, adult; 5, T. clavata sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 6, T. cuneiformis sp. nov., holotype, ♀; 7, T. ellipsoidala sp. nov., holotype, ♂. (Scale bars = 2.0 mm).

FIGURES 10 − 14. Genitalia of Thylacosceles species. 10, T. nephroides sp. nov., holotype, ♂, slide No. GW 14002; 11, T. clavata sp. nov., holotype, ♂, slide No. GW 14006; 12, T. cuneiformis sp. nov., paratype, ♂, slide No. GW 14004; 13, ditto, holotype, ♀, slide No. GW 14005; 14, T. ellipsoidala sp. nov., holotype, ♂, slide No. GW 14003. (Scale bars = 0.2 mm, 13 = 0.5 mm).

FIGURES 8 − 9. Venation and abdomen of T. cuneiformis sp. nov., paratype, ♂: 8, venation, slide No. GW 14004 W; 9, abdomen (genitalia removed), slide No. GW 14004. (Scale bars = 0.5 mm).