Lecithocera dondavisi Park

Park, Kyu-Tek, Heppner, John B. & Bae, Yang-Seop, 2013, Two new species of Lecithoceridae (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea), with a revised check list of the family in Taiwan, ZooKeys 263, pp. 47-57 : 51-53

Lecithocera dondavisi Park sp. n. Figs 13-23

Diagnosis.

This species is one of the largest species of Lecithocera . It is externally similar to Lecithocera praeses Meyrick, 1919 from North India, but can be distinguished by different following genital features: male genitalia with uniquely specialized cornuti of aedeagus, consisting of a heavily sclerotized ellipticity with an acute spine apically, a heavily sclerotized, elongate trapezoidal plate, and a series of spines, as in Figs 17, 18; and also cucullus with more gently arched ventral margin and juxta not so much produced latero-caudally. Female genitalia with cup-shaped antrum, instead of the elongate, more or less triangular antrum in Lecithocera praeses, and the signum strawberry-shaped, located medially, whereas it is transverse elongated and located posteriorly in the latter.

Description.

Male and female (Figs 13-15). Wingspan, 23-26 mm. Head yellowish brown medially on vertex, with pale grayish-orange erect scales laterally; frons pale grayish-orange. Basal segment of antenna rather short, pale grayish orange; flagellum orange white to pale grayish–orange, with distinct brownish annulations in apical third. Second segment of labial palpus (Fig. 14) thickened with appressed scales, grayish orange on outer surface, speckled with dark-brown scales in basal 2/3, orange white to pale grayish orange on inner surface; 3rd segment slender, shorter than 2nd segment, dark brown on ventral surface, with acute apex. Thorax and tegula yellowish brown. Forewing elongate; ground color pale grayish orange, speckled with fine dark-brown scales, more dense posteriorly; first discal stigma small, dark brown at middle of cell; second stigma larger, dark brown, at end of cell; basal blackish streak running along costa in ¼ length; costa nearly straight, then gently arched beyond ¾; apex obtuse; termen oblique, not sinuate, dark-brown scales along margin; fringe orange white in basal 1/3, then brownish; venation with R1 arising from before middle, R2 arising near upper corner of cell, distance between R1 and R2 about 2.5 times of distance between R2 and R3; R2 free; R3 and R4 stalked near middle; R5 reach apex; M1 at middle between R3 and M2, M2 nearly parallel with M1; M3 at middle between M2 and CuA1+2; CuA1 and CuA2 very short-stalked. Hindwing pale gray, broader than forewing; apex obtuse; termen oblique, slightly sinuate; fringe grayish, with orange white basal line; venation with, M2 well developed, connected to M3 with cross vein; M3 and CuA1 short-stalked; cell nearly closed with an oblique cross vein. Hind tibia with orange-white rough scales above. Abdomen with pale grayish-orange scales dorsally, with a well-developed scales-tuft dorsally in terminal segment, as indicated in Fig. 15; sternite VIII bilobed medially, as indicated in the Fig. 12.

Male genitalia (Figs 16-22). Basal lobes of uncus more or less semiovate, gently concave on caudal margin. Gnathos (Fig. 19) relatively slender; apical part heavily scle rotized, strongly bent downward. Tegumen weakly sclerotized with anterior margin incised medially. Valva broad at base, width as wide as length of tegumen; costal bar connecting with tegumen strong, angled medially; ventral margin gently concave before cucullus; cucullus elongate, narrowed towards apex, dense setose, with bundle of setae at lower corner at base, apex rounded; sacculus sclerotized, slender. Juxta shield-shaped, with small projection at middle on anterior margin; caudal margin slightly emarginated, with crescent extension laterally. Vinculum broad, with round apex. Saccus round. Aedeagus (Figs 17, 18) with uniquely specialized cornuti of aedeagus, consisting as heavily sclerotized ellipticity with acute spine at apex, about half length of aedeagus, and a row of short spines. Abdominal tergites without spines; sternite VII-VIII as figured in Fig. 20.

Female genitalia (Figs 21-23). Abdominal sternite VIII weakly sclerotized, nearly straight anterior margin. Apophyses anteriores thick, short, nearly 1/5 length of apophyses posteriors. Antrum (Fig. 22) cup-shaped, weakly sclerotized, about 2/3 length of abdominal sternite VIII. Ductus bursae slightly longer than corpus bursae, shortly necked between antrum and ductus bursae, then broadened; ductus seminalis as broad as ductus bursae, arising from middle. Corpus bursae large, elongate; signum strawberry-shaped, with dense conic spines.

Holotype

. ♂, Taiwan, Hsinchu County., Kuangwu, 24-25 vi 1985 (J. Heppner & H. Wang), gen. slide no. CIS-6168/Park, deposited in MCUF.

Paratypes.

4 ♂, 1♀, same data as the holotype, gen. slide no. CIS- 6192/Park(♀); 1♂, Taiwan, Nantou Co., Meifeng 30 km S Tayuling 2200 m, 1-8 vi 1980 (D. R. Davis), gen. slide no. USNM-92499/Park.

Distribution.

Taiwan.

Etymology.

The species is named after Dr. Donald R. Davis, Curator of Lepidoptera , US National Museum Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, USA, an authority on the microlepidoptera of the world.