Vietomartyria maoershana, Liao & Hirowatari & Huang, 2020

Liao, Cheng-Qing, Hirowatari, Toshiya & Huang, Guo-Hua, 2020, Descriptions of two new Vietomartyria species (Lepidoptera, Micropterigidae) from China, European Journal of Taxonomy 610, pp. 1-14 : 7-10

Vietomartyria maoershana sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4A00FA98-B2BA-4930-93ED-030407B3CDBD

Figs 1B , 2B , 4 A–F, 5D–F

Diagnosis

This species is very similar to V. wuyunjiena sp. nov. and V. expeditionis , but can easily be distinguished by the following characters: paired X tergal lobes slender and digitate (slightly emarginate in V. wuyunjiena sp. nov. and broadly emarginate at the middle in V. expeditionis ); basal process of valva long and pointed (absent in V. wuyunjiena sp. nov. and short obtuse in V. expeditionis ); slightly curved dorsal process of gonopod (strongly curved in V. expeditionis ).

Etymology

This specific epithet is derived from the name of the type locality, Mao’ershan National Nature Reserve.

Type material

Holotype

CHINA • ♂; Guangxi Province, Xin’an County, Guilin City, Mao’ershan National Nature Reserve ; 1500 m a.s.l.; 25–26 May 2010; T. Hirowatari and G.H. Huang leg.; HUNAU.

Paratypes

CHINA • 15 ♂♂; 4 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; HUNAU .

Description

FOREWING LENGTH. 3.0– 3.3 mm (3.1 mm in holotype).

WING EXPANSE. 6.6–7.1 mm (6.7 mm in holotype).

HEAD. Vertex densely covered with long piliform scales except for an exposed part between compound eye and ocellus; tufts of scales yellow to brown, mixed with dark brown hairs. Maxillary palpus pale yellow. Antennal scape and pedicel with pale brown hair-like scales; flagellum 58-segmented (46 segments in female), covered with dense black hairy scales, some basal segments with somewhat metallic blue luster.

THORAX. Tegular tufts of piliform brown scales; mesonotum with dense golden scales which possess metallic blue luster. Legs with black scales; inner surface of fore- and mid-femur yellow; fore-tibia without epiphysis, mid-tibia without spur, hind-tibia with two pairs of spurs. Forewing ground color yellow, basal 2⁄₅ with golden luster, apical 3⁄₅ with blue and purple luster; cilia dark brown, paler on posterior margin. Hindwing pale fuscous, covered with slender scales on basal half and broad golden scales on apical half; cilia dark brown.

WING VENATION ( Fig. 2B ). Very similar to V. wuyunjiena sp. nov., but Sc-R crossvein near Sc fork, about 1⁄9 of Sc 2, R 4 and R 5 relatively short stalked, and 2A almost absent in forewing.

ABDOMEN. Pregenital abdomen fuscous, covered with dark fuscous scales; venter paler. Genital segments dark gray to fuscous, covered with long fuscous scales.

MALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 4 ). Ring IX and tergite X strongly sclerotized and fused ( Fig. 4A ). Dorsal part of ring IX (tegumen) short, approximately 1⁄8 of length of ventral part (vinculum). Tergite X (uncus) deeply bilobed, dorsal part slightly arched upward; paired X tergal lobes slender digitate, bearing some long setae apically. Sternum X (gnathos) well developed, strongly sclerotized, extremely extended ventrally ( Fig. 4 C–D). Valva sclerotized, approximately 0.8 × as long as sternum IX; dorsal process slightly curved inwardly; basal inner surface expanding dorsally, with a long pointed arcuate projection near dorsal part ( Fig. 4B ). Medial plate (juxta) extended, with an oblong apex, slightly sclerotized ( Fig. 4A ). Phallobase slender, approximately as long as aedeagus; aedeagus covered with a lot of serrate minute processes at basal ¼ to apex ventro-laterally and at ⅓ to apex dorsally, with very narrow sclerites extending from base to gonopore at both sides; gonopore opening longitudinally at dorsal ½ to ¾ of aedeagus, bordered by radial folds ( Fig. 4 E–F).

FEMALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 5 C–D). Segment IX sclerotized, short in dorsal part (approximately ⅓ length of ventral part), slightly concave laterally. Segment X with a pair of triangular, well sclerotized lateral plates with broad digitate projections along apical half margin, and densely covered with minute spines on basal half ventrally. Corpus bursae membranous, oval, apical half covered with minute wrinkles; signa with two pairs of rhombus-shaped plates with many long hairs.

Immature stages

Unknown.

Distribution

This species is known from Mao’ershan National Nature Reserve (Xin’an, Guilin, China).

Remarks

Adults of V. maoershana sp. nov. were collected along a paved road at 1500 m a.s.l., half way up Mt Mao’ershan. Similar to V. wuyunjiena sp. nov., the adults were observed flying or perching on low shrubs and ferns in cloudy conditions and even in weak rainfall.

Figures

Fig. 1. Adults and habitat of Vietomartyria spp. A. Vietomartyria wuyunjiena sp. nov., holotype, ♂. B. Vietomartyria maoershana sp. nov., holotype, ♂. C. One adult of V. wuyunjiena sp. nov. perching on fern. D. Habitat of V. wuyunjiena sp. nov. E. Specimen collection of V. wuyunjiena sp. nov. by sweep net. F. One adult of V. wuyunjiena sp. nov. perching on the white curtain of a light trap.

Fig. 2. Wing venation. A. Vietomartyria wuyunjiena sp. nov. ♀. B. V. maoershana sp. nov. ♂.

Fig. 4. Male genitalia of Vietomartyria maoershana sp. nov. A. Dorsal view, with phallus removed. B. Ditto, ventral view. C. Ditto, lateral view. D. Phallus, dorsal view. E. Ditto, ventral view. F. Ditto, lateral view.

Fig.5.Female genitaliaof Vietomartyriaspp.A–C.Vietomartyria wuyunjienasp.nov.D–F. V.maoershana sp. nov. A, D. Terminalia, dorsal view. B, E. Ditto, ventral view. C, F. Terminalia and bursa copulatrix, lateral view.