Scaeosopha nullivalvella Li et Zhang, 2012

Li, Houhun, Zhang, Zhiwei & Sinev, Sergey Yu., 2012, Review of the genus Scaeosopha Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera, Cosmopterigidae, Scaeosophinae) in the world, with descriptions of sixteen new species, Zootaxa 3322, pp. 1-34 : 17-18

Scaeosopha nullivalvella Li et Zhang sp. nov.

( Figs. 13, 13a, 37)

Description. Adult ( Fig. 13, 13a): Wingspan 14.5–17.0 mm. Head with frons grayish-white, vertex leaden; scale tuft behind compound eye grayish-yellow, black posteriorly. Antenna with scape leaden dorsally; flagellum deepyellow, annulated with deep leaden dorsally. Labial palpus deep-gray, second segment grayish-white on inner side, third segment grayish-white mottled black scales on ventral surface. Thorax and tegula deep leaden to grayish brown, mixed with yellow or white scales. Forewing with costal margin slightly convex, dorsal margin nearly straight; ground color grayish-brown, diffused with dense dark-brown scales; black patch at base of costal margin; elongate black patch along fold medially; rounded black spot at middle of cell; longitudinal dark-brown streak along distal part of cell medially; dark-brown streaks along veins from outer margin of cell to before apex; cilia brown mottled dark-brown scales. Hindwing and cilia deep-brown. Legs whitish yellow.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 37): Brachia of uncus gently curved outward, round at apex. Valva broad and short, rounded terminally, with a nearly rounded setose process along basal half on costal margin; valvella absent. Anellus strongly sclerotized, cone-shaped, rounded apically, reaching 1/4 length of uncus brachium. Phallus large, weakly sclerotized, evenly thick, curved at basal 1/3; cornutus a longitudinal sclerite, median half widened, basal and distal 1/4 tapering to acuminate end.

Female. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype ♂, BRUNEI: KG. Kapok [5°02' N, 115°02' E], 31.iii.1992, coll. G. Ping, BM 1992- 126, BMNH Microlep. slide no. 31013, Houhun Li ( BMNH, London).

Paratypes: 1 ♂, CHINA: Nanxi Protection Station, Mt. Diaoluo , Hainan Province , 250 m, 22.iv.2008, Bingbing Hu & Haiyan Bai, genitalia slide no. ZZW08164 ( NKUM, Tianjin) ; 2 ♂, INDONESIA: NO-SUMATRA, 180 m, Dolok Merangir, 9.ix–3.x.1969, coll. Dr. E. Diehl, genitalia slide No. ZZWGW006 ( LNK, Karlsruhe) .

Distribution. China, Brunei, Indonesia.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to S. pseusta (Diakonoff) , but can be separated from it by the absence of valvella in the male genitalia, which is present in S. pseusta (Diakonoff) .

Remarks. Specimens from Indonesia appear different from those from China and Brunei ( Fig. 13a): Forewing whitish yellow, overlaid with deep-brown and black spots, with dense deep-brown scales beneath fold; three black spots at 1/4, 2/5 and 2/3 along costal margin; cell with distinct deep-brown large spot at middle on anterior margin, circled by yellow; fold with a deep-brown spot circled by whitish-yellow distally; black spot situated before apex; yellow streak along fold, short streaks along veins beyond cell; terminal line yellowish-brown; cilia grayish-white except brown along dorsum. Legs dirty yellow, fore and mid tarsi black on outer side.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin prefix nulli- = null, and the word valvella, in reference to the absence of valvella.