Vietomartyria wuyunjiena, 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 : 2-6

Vietomartyria wuyunjiena sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9A2480D0-2ADB-4050-BF44-62F620AD14B7

Figs 1A , C–F, 2A, 3A–F, 5A–C

Diagnosis

The adults of this species are very similar to Vietomartyria nankunshana Hirowatari & Hashimoto, 2009 and V. nanlingana Hirowatari & Jinbo, 2009 because of their same ground color, but are separable from these two species by the dorsal process of the valva slightly curved inwardly (but almost right-angularly curved inwardly in V. wuyunjiena sp. nov.), and by tergite X slightly emarginate at the middle (but broadly emarginate in V. nankunshana and narrowly in V. nanlingana ).

Etymology

The specific epithet is derived from the name of the type locality, Wuyunjie National Nature Reserve.

Type material

Holotype

CHINA • ♂; Hunan Province, Taoyuan County, Changde City, Wuyunjie National Nature Reserve ; 21 Apr. 2019; C.Q. Liao, M.W. Liao and G.H. Huang leg.; HUNAU.

Paratypes

CHINA • 19 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; HUNAU .

Description

FOREWING LENGTH. 2.9–3.5 mm (3.0 mm in holotype).

WING EXPANSE. 6.3–7.5 mm (6.6 mm in holotype).

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

THORAX. Tegular tufts of piliform brown scales; mesonotum densely covered with golden broad scales, possessing metallic blue luster. Legs with dark brown scales; inner surface of fore- and mid-femur and apical band of each tarsal segment yellow; fore-tibia without epiphysis, mid-tibia without spur, hindtibia with two pairs of spurs. Forewing ground color dark brown, basal 2⁄₅ with golden luster, apical 3⁄₅ with purple luster; metallic blue luster along costa; cilia brown, paler on posterior margin. Hindwing dark fuscous except costal margin with metallic blue luster, covered with slender scales on basal half and broad scales on apical half; cilia dark brown.

WING VENATION ( Fig. 2A ). Forewing with humeral vein (h) present at base; Sc deeply bifurcate; R with five branches, primary R fork equal to Sc fork, R 4 and R 5 long stalked; Sc-R crossvein near basal ⅓ of Sc 2; M with three branches; CuA with two branches, M-CuA crossvein present; CuP separate; 1A and 2A fused at basal 3⁄₅. Hindwing venation very similar to forewing venation, except Sc and R1 fused; M-CuA crossvein absent; 1A fused with CuP basally, then independent and fused with 2A.

ABDOMEN. Pregenital abdomen dark brown to black, covered with glossy dark brown scales; venter paler. Genital segments dark yellowish to fuscous, covered with long fuscous scales.

MALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 3 ). Ring IX and tergite X strongly sclerotized and fused ( Fig. 3 A–B). Dorsal part of ring IX (tegumen) short, approximately 1⁄₅ of length of ventral part (vinculum). Tergite X (uncus) short bilobed, dorsal part arched upward; paired X tergal lobes triangular with rounded apex, bearing some long setae apically. Sternum X (gnathos) well developed, strongly sclerotized, extremely extended ventrally, ventro-posterior corners hook-like, right-angularly curved laterally ( Fig. 3A, C ). Valva rectangular, approximately 0.9 × as long as sternum IX; dorsal process slightly curved inwardly; basal inner surface with a small denticulate projection. Medial plate (juxta) oval, slightly membranous ( Fig. 3 B–C). Phallobase slender, approximately as long as aedeagus; phallobase with an indistinct longitudinal keel on dorsal median line at posterior ⅓; aedeagus covered with a lot of serrate minute processes at basal 1⁄₅ to apex ventro-laterally and at ⁴⁄₅ to apex dorsally, with very narrow sclerites extending from basal 1⁄₅ to gonopore at both sides; gonopore opening longitudinally at ⅔ to ⁴⁄₅ of aedeagus, bordered by radial folds ( Fig. 3 D–F).

FEMALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 5 A–C). Segment IX sclerotized, short in dorsal part (approximately 2⁄₅ length of ventral part), slightly concave dorsally and laterally. Segment X and XI formed two pairs of well sclerotized lateral plates; anterior plates triangular, dorso-posterior angle slightly rounded; posterior plates irregular quadrilateral, with minute digitate projections along posterior and ventral margins.

Corpus bursae membranous, elongate, apical half covered with minute wrinkles; signa with two pairs of scale-like plates with many long hairs.

Immature stages

Unknown.

Distribution

This species is known from Wuyunjie National Nature Reserve (Taoyuan, Changde, Hunan, China).

Remarks

Adults of V. wuyunjiena sp. nov. were observed flying or perching on low shrubs and ferns along a muddy road leading to the mountain, of which the other side faces a river valley ( Fig. 1 C–D). It was cloudy and humid while the collections were made during 4– 6 p. m. on April 21 st 2019. Adults flew relatively slowly making them easy to collect with sweep nets ( Fig. 1E ). Unfortunately, we could not observe feeding and mating behaviors of adults, nor did we collect any specimens in immature stages. Additionally, we observed one adult attracted to a light trap at 11: 30 p. m. on April 21 st 2019 ( Fig. 1F ). The female adults of Agrionympha capensis Whalley, 1978 can also be attracted by lights at night ( Gibbs & Kristensen 2011).

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. 3. Male genitalia of Vietomartyria wuyunjiena 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.