Tenupalpa nephodesma (Meyrick, 1918)

(Figs 6, 15, 27, 47, 66, 95–97)

Thiotricha nephodesma Meyrick, 1918: 103; Gaede, 1937: 306; Clarke, 1969: 463; Ivinskis et al., 1984: 39. TL: Assam, India. TD: NHMUK.

Tenupalpa nephodesma Lee et al., 2021: 371 .

Type material. Holotype ♀, INDIA, Khasi Hills, ix. 1908, leg. E. Meyrick, genitalia slide no. J. F.G.C. 8367 (NHMUK).

Additional material examined: CHINA: Guizhou Province: 1 ♂, Mt. Fanjing (27.55°N, 108.41°E), 2100 m, 31.vii.2001, leg. Houhun Li and Xinpu Wang, genitalia slide no. ZJL05343 ; 1 ♀, Chengjiashan, 1300 m, Daozhen County, 19.viii.2004, leg. Yunli Xiao, genitalia slide no. LGE19022 .

Diagnosis. The species is distinguished by the following characteristics: a broad transverse fascia before middle of the forewing, a fine longitudinal line arising from the fascia toward the apex, a small trapezoidal projection on the valva, and a conical-shaped anellus lobe. The female genitalia of T. nephodesma can be distinguished by a long and somewhat boomerang-shaped signum in lateral view. Externally, T. nephodesma is very similar to T. latifasciata sp. nov., but the apex of the forewing is not darkened in T. nephodesma .

Re-description. Adult (Figs 47, 95). Head: Silvery white. Labial palpus dirty white, except palpomere III mixed with grey. Antenna with scape dirty white; flagellum dark fuscous, except base of dorsal surface dirty white.

Thorax: Dorsum, tegula, and forewing dirty white mixed and pale brown; wingspan 9.0 mm; forewing with anterior edge of costa black in basal half, a very broad fuscous fascia between basal 1/3 and 2/3 of wing, a fine fuscous median line from outer margin of former fascia, running longitudinally toward apex; fringe scales grey. Hindwing and fringe scales grey. Legs dirty white and pale brown mixed, hind tibia broadly dark fuscous after middle and shortly dark fuscous at apex.

Abdomen: Male with coremata slightly shorter than sternum VIII; sternum VIII sub-pentagonal, rounded laterally (Fig. 15). Male genitalia (Fig. 66) with uncus small, sub-pentagonal, protruded medially. Gnathos hook short, gradually narrowing to apex. Tegumen with a set of papilliform tubercles at middle (Fig. 27). Valva with a small trapezoidal projection near middle of costa, apex rounded. Anellus lobe elongate-conical with a short subapical bristle, slightly curved, pointed apically. Juxta convex in basal 1/3 of inner margin. Vinculum simple. Saccus broad, slightly exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal half dilated, distal part slender with apex rounded. Female genitalia (Figs 6, 97) with papillae anales simple. Apophyses anteriores slightly shorter than 1/2 length of apophyses posteriores. Tergum VIII with posterior margin deeply concave at middle in V-shape, bearing a bundle of setae at the cleft; sternum VIII broadly convex anteriorly. Ostium bursae round, opening at middle of sternum VIII. Ductus bursae broad at base, constricted after base then gradually broadening toward corpus bursae; colliculum situated near base. Corpus bursae ovate, slightly shorter than ductus bursae; signum linear, situated in posterior half of corpus bursae.

Distribution. China (Guizhou), India. This species is newly recorded from China.

Remarks. The male genitalia are newly illustrated in this paper.