Epicephala bipollenella Li, Wang & Hu

Zhang, Jing, Hu, Bingbing, Wang, Shuxia & Li, Houhun, 2012, Six new species of Epicephala Meyrick, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) associated with Phyllanthaceae plants, Zootaxa 3275, pp. 43-54 : 52

Epicephala bipollenella Li, Wang & Hu , sp. nov.

( Figs. 5 , 11 , 17, 23)

Type material. CHINA: Fujian Province: Holotype 3, Mt. Tianzhu (24°36ʹN, 117°59ʹE), Xiamen, 2.v.2010, leg. Jing Zhang. Paratypes: 5 3, 4 ƤƤ, 11–26.vii.2010, 3 3, 10 ƤƤ, 24.iv–18.v.2010, leg. Jing Zhang, 8 3, 19 ƤƤ, 26–29.vii.2010, leg. Bingbing Hu same locality as holotype; 18 3, 21 ƤƤ, leg. Jing Zhang and 4 3, 11 ƤƤ, leg. Bingbing Hu, Jiazou Lake (25°56ʹN, 119°38ʹE), Zhangzhou, 24–25.vii. 2010.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 5 ). Forewing expanse 7.0−12.0 mm. Head white, tinged with gray between antennae. Labial palpus with basal segment white, second and third segments white on inner surface, brown on outer surface. Antenna yellowish brown on ventral surface, brown with yellowish-brown rings on dorsal surface. Thorax white; tegula grayish brown. Forewing yellowish brown to brown; costal margin with three white striae from 1/3, 3/5 and 3/4 respectively, parallely extending outward, but not reaching 1/2 across wing, second stria extending discontinuously outward, indistinct, or edged with deep brown, or represented by distinct or indistinct white dots; dorsal margin with a broad longitudinal band about 1/3 width of wing at base, narrowed distally, its upper margin extended to a white spot at basal 1/4, to short white striae at 2/5 and 2/3 obliquely outward, a third white stria next to and parallel with second reaching distal 1/7; narrow deep silvery gray fascia with metallic reflection from costal 6/7 to dorsum, gently arched outward, with white dot at costa and dorsum; distal 1/7 yellowish brown, with a black dot at center and tiny deep silvery gray dot at apex, white along costa and dorsum; termen shinning deep silvery gray; cilia white from distal part of costal margin along termen to tornus except black around apex, grayish white along dorsal margin. Hindwing deep gray; cilia concolorous.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 11 ). Tegumen elongate triangular, gradually narrowed from base to narrowly rounded apex. Costa long and narrow, about 2/3 as broad as sacculus at middle, nearly parallel dorsoventrally, slightly broader and densely setose medially, apex rounded; transtilla slender and curved distally, acute at apex. Sacculus as long as costa, slightly narrowed at base, broadened to before rounded apex; dorsal margin gently arched, ventral margin slightly concave inward medially; with a weakly sclerotized, densely setose and spinous plate extending from base to before apex, distally sunk in a circle and bearing a semi-ring of clustered spines ventrodistally. Vinculum V-shaped, rounded posteriorly; saccus oval, about 1/3 length of vinculum. Phallus slender, shorter than costa, dilated slightly at base, narrowly rounded at apex; cornutus absent.

Female genitalia (Figs. 17, 23). Ovipositor narrowly rounded apically, edged with teeth laterally. Apophysis posterioris thicker than and about 1.5 times length of apophysis anterioris, both truncate terminally. Eighth sternite trapezoid, concave at middle on posterior margin, forming two rounded processes, wrinkled anteriorly. Lamella postvaginalis large elongate triangular, heavily sclerotized, longitudinally wrinkled, dentate laterally; caudal margin concave at middle, forming two small triangular processes. Antrum very short, narrowed posteriorly, heavily sclerotized, with clustered rumples. Ductus bursae membranous, slender, basal 2/3 with two selerotized longitudinal pleats; ductus seminalis basally as thick as ductus bursae. Corpus bursae elongate oval, membranous; signum absent.

Diagnosis. This species is very similar to E. stauropa Meyrick, 1908 in the male genitalia, but can be distinguished by the forewing being grayish-white along dorsal margin; the costa nearly parallel dorsoventrally, and the sacculus with a densely setose and spinous plate extending from base to before apex in the male genitalia. In E. stauropa (Holotype 3, BMNH, examined, genitalia slide No. 32275, dissected by Houhun Li), the brown forewing has three broad white striae on the dorsal margin; the costa is incurved medially; and the sacculus lacks the spinous plate.

Host plants. Phyllanthaceae : Glochidion zeylanicum (Gaertner) and G. hirsutum (Roxburgh) .

Distribution. China (Fujian).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin prefix bi - (two, both directions), the word pollen (pollen, pollinate), and the suffix - ellum (small), in reference to this species pollinating two plants.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Adults of Epicephala spp. 1, E. lanceolaria sp. nov., paratype 3; 2, E. lativalvaris sp. nov., paratype 3; 3, E. mirivalvata sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 4, E. vitisidaea sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 5, E. bipollenella sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 6, E. eriocarpa sp. nov., paratype Ƥ.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Male genitalia of Epicephala spp. 7, E. lanceolaria sp. nov., paratype, slide No. BHY 08332; 8, E. lativalvaris sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10007; 9, E. mirivalvata sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10080; 10, E. vitisidaea sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10041; 11, E. bipollenella sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10056; 12, E. eriocarpa sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 11038.