Promalactis indica Wang, 2024

Wang, Shuxia, Liu, Chen & David, Lees, 2024, Partial revision of Promalactis Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae), based on specimens deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, Zootaxa 5536 (1), pp. 1-58 : 28

Promalactis indica Wang , sp. nov.

( Figs 28 , 61 )

Type material. India: Holotype ♂, Khasias , VII.[19]99, slide No. NHMUK010317009 .

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to P. binipapillata Wang, 2021 . It can be distinguished by the uncus with a spine-shaped medioapical process and a quadrate gnathos in the male genitalia. In P. binipapillata , the uncus is produced into a clubbed process mediodistally, and the gnathos is sub-ovate.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 28 ). Forewing length 6.0 mm.

Head. Vertex snowy white, frons greyish brown, occiput rust brown. Labial palpus with second segment ochreous yellow on outer surface, orange yellow on inner surface; third segment black on outer surface, dark brown on inner surface. Antennal scape snowy white dorsally, greyish white ventrally; flagellum dark brown ventrally, white annulated with black dorsally except basal several flagellomeres entirely white.

Thorax. Mesonotum and tegula ochreous brown. Forewing pale ochreous brown; markings white edged with black scales: costal spot sub-rectangular, extending from distal 2/5 obliquely outward, crossing anterior angle of cell; basal streak from dorsum oblique inward to base of fold; antemedian streak from middle of dorsum to basal 1/3 of anterior margin of cell, slightly arched outward, parallel with basal streak; dorsal streak from distal 1/4 of dorsum oblique outward to posterior angle of cell; tornal streak oblique inward, meeting end of dorsal streak; apical spot narrow, rectangular; termen with a narrow white stripe interrupt by black scales; fringe ochreous yellow except grey around tornus. Hindwing and fringe deep grey. Foreleg black except femur white ventrally, tibia with white spot at base and middle, with a tuft of white scales at apex, tarsus with basal two tarsomeres white apically; midleg white ventrally, black dorsally, tibia with a white line running from base to apex, tarsus white at apices of basal two and apical tarsomeres; hindleg yellow ventrally, black dorsally, tibia white at apex of each tarsomere.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 61 ). Uncus parallel from base to middle where it slightly widened outward and forming an angle, then slightly narrowed to apex; apex concave at middle, with a small spine-shaped process medially. Gnathos with mesial plate quadrate, bearing dense teeth distally, straight at apex; basal arm wide and short. Tegumen furcate from posterior 2/5; lateral arm narrowed to anterior end. Valva narrowly elongate, basal 2/5 uniformly wide, distal 3/5 uniformly narrow to preapex, narrowed at apex; ventral margin with strong setae from basal 2/5 to apex; sacculus band-like, reaching basal 2/5 of valva. Saccus broad, about 3/5 length of valva, wide at base, narrowed to pointed apex. Juxta elongate sub-ovate, widened from base to basal 2/5, then narrowed to rounded apex; basal lobe clubbed, longer than juxta. Phallus shorter than valva, slender, with tiny denticles in distal 2/5, with small sclerites distally.

Female unknown.

Distribution. India.

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the country of the type locality, India.

Figures

FIGURES 24–29. Adults of Promalactis spp. 24. P. magnisaccata sp. nov.; 25. P. minuticornuta sp. nov.; 26. P. parvissima sp. nov. (female and paratype); 27. P. polyptycha sp. nov.; 28. P. indica sp. nov.; 29. P. similidierli sp. nov. 24–25, 27–29: Males and holotypes; 26: Male and paratype. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 58–63. Male genitalia of Promalactis spp. 58. P. minuticornuta sp. nov.; 59. P. parvissima sp. nov.; 60. P. polyptycha sp. nov.; 61. P. indica sp. nov.; 62. P. similidierli sp. nov.; 63. P. spinellosa sp. nov. All holotypes. Scale bar: 58, 60, 62–63 = 0.2 mm; 59, 61 = 0.25 mm.