Epicephala eriocarpa Li, Wang & Zhang

Zhang, Jing, Hu, Bingbing, Wang, Shuxia & Li, Houhun, 2012, Six new species of Epicephala Meyrick, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) associated with Phyllanthaceae plants, Zootaxa 3275, pp. 43-54 : 53

Epicephala eriocarpa Li, Wang & Zhang , sp. nov.

( Figs. 6 , 12 , 18, 24)

Type material. CHINA: Fujian Province: Holotype 3, Mt. Tianzhu (24°36ʹN, 117°59ʹE), Xiamen, 24.iv.2011, leg. Jing Zhang. Paratypes: 2 ƤƤ, 11.ix.2010; 8 3, 12 ƤƤ, 23.iv–12.vi.2011, same locality as holotype.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 6 ). Forewing expanse 7.0−12.0 mm. Head creamy white or shinning white tinged with gray. Labial palpus white on inner surface, pale yellowish brown on outer surface. Antenna yellowish brown on ventral surface, brown with yellowish-brown rings on dorsal surface. Thorax white; tegula yellowish brown to brown. Forewing yellowish brown to grayish brown; costal margin with three parallel white striae: first stria from basal 1/3 reaching 1/4 across wing, second from basal 3/5 extending discontinuously to distal 1/8 at anterior 2/5, third from distal 1/4 extending to distal 1/8 below costa, between second and third striae placed a short white streak near costa; dorsal margin with a broad longitudinal band about 1/3 basal width of wing, narrowed to end of fold, sinuate dorsally, with three white striae from its upper margin extending outward: first stria from about 2/5 to across 1/4 of wing, second from 2/3 reaching distal 1/8 at posterior 2/5, third closely next to and parallel with second reaching above dorsum; narrow deep silvery gray fascia with metallic reflection from costal 7/8 to dorsum, gently arched outward, tinged with white on both costal and dorsal margins; distal 1/8 yellowish brown, with a black dot at center, with white streaks along costal and dorsal margins; termen shinning deep silvery gray; cilia white from distal part of costal margin along termen to tornus except black around apex, gray along dorsal margin. Hindwing and cilia deep gray, more or less yellowish distally.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 12 ). Tegumen broad ligulate, about 1.5 times length of sacculus. Costa elongate, dorsal margin straight, slightly broadened to before rounded apex; transtilla narrow, acute and curved distally. Sacculus elongate oval, about half length of costa, with dense short spines distally; dorsal margin gently arched, ventral margin straight, apex rounded. Vinculum broad V-shaped, blunt posteriorly; saccus slender and straight, acute at apex, about 2/3 length of vinculum. Phallus strong and straight, basal 1/4 dilated, distal 3/4 thin and parallel-sided, roughly as long as costa; cornutus formed by a cluster of several compact spines, placed more distally, about 1/3 length of phallus.

Female genitalia (Figs. 18, 24). Ovipositor small, acute apically. Apophysis long and slender, apophysis posterioris nearly 1.5 times length of apophysis anterioris. Lamella postvaginalis large, weakly sclerotized, deeply concave at middle on posterior margin, forming two triangles with narrowly rounded apex; lamella antevaginalis large U-shaped, lateral lobes oblong. Antrum as thick as and 1/4 as long as ductus bursae. Ductus bursae 2/3 length of apophysis anterioris, membranous, with two longitudinal sclerotized wide pleats parallelly extending from base to near corpus bursae; ductus seminalis as thick as ductus bursae at base. Corpus bursae elongate oval, membranous; signum a stout tooth placed at about middle.

Diagnosis. This species is very close to E. ancylopa Meyrick, 1918 in the male genitalia, but can be distinguished by the sacculus being about half the length of the costa, and the phallus with a cornutus formed by a cluster of several compact spines. In E. ancylopa , the sacculus is longer than half the length of the costa and the phallus has a cornutus formed by finely hairy and rugose patch. The species is also similar to E. albifrons in the female genitalia, but can be separated from it by the antrum as long as 1/4 the length of the ductus bursae and the ductus bursae bearing two longitudinal sclerotized wide pleats parallelly extending from the base to near the corpus bursae. In E. albifrons (Holotype Ƥ, BMNH, examined, genitalia slide No. 32343, dissected by Houhun Li), the antrum is as long as half the length of the ductus bursae and the ductus bursae possesses a number of sclerotized carinae obliquely.

Host plant. Phyllanthaceae : Glochidion eriocarpum Champion ex Bentham

Distribution. China (Fujian).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the host plant.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Adults of Epicephala spp. 1, E. lanceolaria sp. nov., paratype 3; 2, E. lativalvaris sp. nov., paratype 3; 3, E. mirivalvata sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 4, E. vitisidaea sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 5, E. bipollenella sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 6, E. eriocarpa sp. nov., paratype Ƥ.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Male genitalia of Epicephala spp. 7, E. lanceolaria sp. nov., paratype, slide No. BHY 08332; 8, E. lativalvaris sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10007; 9, E. mirivalvata sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10080; 10, E. vitisidaea sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10041; 11, E. bipollenella sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10056; 12, E. eriocarpa sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 11038.