Thiotricha pontifera Meyrick, 1932

Lee, Ga-Eun & Li, Houhun, 2024, A taxonomic review of Thiotricha Meyrick, 1886 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Thiotrichinae) from China, with descriptions of 84 new species, Zootaxa 5449 (1), pp. 1-222 : 41-42

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CAC513A2-D2B4-4E6E-BAB6-CCE6E054680F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11232997
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CC3667-9813-1D56-FF05-8C45DA90E30A
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Thiotricha pontifera Meyrick, 1932
status

Treatment

Thiotricha pontifera Meyrick, 1932 View in CoL

( Figs 8G View FIGURE 8 , 24B View FIGURE 24 , 32D View FIGURE 32 , 49F View FIGURE 49 , 63C, D View FIGURE 63 , 69B View FIGURE 69 )

Thiotricha pontifera Meyrick, 1932: 196 View in CoL ; Gaede, 1937: 306; Liu, 1981: 21; Ivinskis et al., 1984: 39; Shen & Liu, 1988: 24; Omelko, 1999: 180; Park et al., 2000: 243; Li, 2002: 438; Hua, 2005: 8; Ueda & Fujiwara, 2005: 75; Zhen & Li, 2008: 90. TL: Japan. TD: NHMUK.

Polyhymno pontifera View in CoL : Moriuti, 1982: 280, 2: 213; Liu, 1997: 39; Park & Ponomarenko, 2007: 42; Ponomarenko, 2008: 91; Sakamaki, 2013: 295.

Polyhymno pantifera View in CoL : Hua, 2005: 7. Misspelling.

Type material ( Figs 63C, D View FIGURE 63 , 69B View FIGURE 69 ). Holotype ♀, JAPAN, Iwawakisan , 8.viii.1919, leg. S. Issiki, genitalia slide no. J. F.G.C. 8332 ( NHMUK).

Additional material examined. CHINA: Jilin Province: 1 ♂, Huinan County, 11.vii.1991, leg. Houhun Li, genitalia slide no. L00213 ; Liaoning Province: 3 ♂♂, Laotudingzi , Huanren County, 8, 9.viii.2009, leg. Weichun Li and Jiayu Liu, genitalia slide no. LGE18557 . JAPAN: 1 ♀, Honshu, Kooyasan , 21.vii.1956, leg. S. Moriuti, genitalia slide no. NHMUK010317557 About NHMUK ( NHMUK) . KOREA: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Gyeonggi-do, Pocheon-si, Idongyeon, Mt. Gakheulsan , 3.vii.2008, leg. B. W. Lee, S. Y. Park & S. R. Kim ( KNA) ; 1 ♀, Gyeonggi-do, Pocheon-si, Sohol-eup, Gungnipsumogwon , 21.vi.2012, leg. Sung-Soo Kim, genitalia slide no. LGE22114 ( NIBR) ; 1 ♂, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju-si, Geoncheon-eup, Hwacheon-ri , Mt. Danseoksan , 15.vi.2016, leg. S. Y. Park, Y. M. Shin, J. W. Nam & M. H. Kim ( KNA) ; 1 ♂, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju-si, Jinhyeon-dong, Mt. Tohamsan , 14.vi.2016, leg. S. Y. Park, Y. M. Shin, J. W. Nam & M. H. Kim ( KNA) ; 5 ♂♂, Gangwon-do, Pyeongchang-gun, Yongpyeong-myeon , Nodong-ri , 815m, 16.viii.2021, leg. Ga-Eun Lee, genitalia slide no. LGE22092 ( JNU) ; 5 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Jeju-do, Seogwopo-si, Hawon-dong, Yeongsil , 1226m, 29.vii.2022, leg. Ga-Eun Lee, genitalia slide nos. LGE 22084m, LGE22091f, LGE 22095m, LGE 22096m ( JNU) .

Diagnosis. Adult ( Fig. 8G View FIGURE 8 ). Wingspan 10.0−13.0 mm. Thiotricha pontifera is very closely allied to T. candidipalpa and it is difficult to separate them based solely on the superficial appearance. The two species show intraspecific variation in the forewing color, but in fresh specimens, the forewing ground is often strongly mixed with yellow or cream in T. pontifera whereas it is whiter in T. candidipalpa . Also, the mid and hind legs are marked with black streaks in T. pontifera , but the markings on the legs are usually dark grey in the latter species.A relatively good character separating the two species is the color of labial palpi: in T. pontifera the outer surface of segment I, basal 1/3 of segment II and the ventral surface of segment III are often suffused with fuscous whereas the labial palpus is usually white entirely in T. candidipalpa . The male genitalia of T. pontifera is distinctive and easily distinguished from other species by the valva bearing a spine-like projection at middle of the costa. The female genitalia are very similar to those of T. candidipalpa , but in T. pontifera the oblong sclerotization above ostium bursae is narrower and somewhat indistinctive compared to the latter, and weakly sclerotized antrum is sometimes present.

Variation. The oblique band running along the forewing dorsum is often indistinct basally. Specimens from Japan and Korea have cream to light yellow forewings (Park & Ponomarenko 2007; Sakamaki 2013) whereas specimens from China have white to dirty-white forewings slightly tinged with cream or light yellow distally.

Host plant. Fagaceae : Quercus serrata Murray ( Sakamaki 2013) .

Distribution. China (Anhui, Henan, Jilin, Liaoning), Japan, Korea, Russia (Primorsk Territory).