Merulempista rubriptera Li & Ren

Ren, Yingdang, Liu, Shurong & Li, Houhun, 2011, Review of the genus Merulempista Roesler, 1967 (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) from China, with description of two new species, ZooKeys 77, pp. 65-75 : 67-69

Merulempista rubriptera Li & Ren sp. n. Figs 3711

Type material.

Holotype ♂ - China,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region: Erdaoqiao, Eji’naqi (41.56°N, 101.04°E), 927 m, 18.VII.2006, coll. Xinpu Wang and Xiangfeng Shi, genitalia slide no. LSR09083. Paratypes: 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, same data as for holotype except dated 17-18.VII.2006.

Diagnosis.

This species is characterized by the rosy-colored forewing with a longitudinal greyish black stripe at base below costa. It can be distinguished from its congeners by the costa with a triangular distal process arising from 2/3 length of valva, the stout phallus with three thornlike cornuti located at middle in the male genitalia; and the antrum angularly protruding backward posterolaterally in the female genitalia.

Description.

Adult (Fig. 3). Wingspan 23.5-24.5 mm. Head khaki in male, pale yellowish brown in female. Antenna with scape reddish brown dorsally, yellow ventrally; flagellum yellowish brown ringed with brown; male sinus with shining deep greyish brown mixed with rosy scales, somewhat shelllike, pale yellow on ventral surface. Labial palpus pale yellowish white, densely covered with rosy scales ventrally, in female third segment tinged with black ventrodistally, far exceeding vertex; second segment shorter than diameter of eye, about 4 times length of third; third segment rather blunt apically. Patagium in male whitish yellowish tinged with pale yellowish brown, in female densely covered with greyish white-tipped rosy scales. Thorax and tegula in male rosy, in female greyish-brown tinged with rosy. Forewing rosy, with scattered greyish white and black scales in distal half, with a longitudinal greyish black stripe at base just below costa; posterior margin yellowish white at base; antemedian line yellowish white, straight, situated beyond basal 1/3, its posterior half tinged with black on inside, ocherous yellow on outside; postmedian and subterminal lines greyish white, slightly sinuate, nearly parallel; cilia rosy mixed with greyish brown, with a fine yellowish white basal line. Hindwing pale brown; cilia with basal 1/3 greyish brown, distal 2/3 greyish white. Legs rosy on outside, yellowish white on inside; tarsi brownish black, ringed with whitish yellow at apex of each segment, lined with short black spines on inside.

Male genitalia

(Fig. 7). Uncus somewhat trapezoid, with sparse setae laterally, blunt posteriorly. Gnathos slightly shorter than 1/2 length of uncus, heavily sclerotized, wide basally, tapering to hooked apex. Costa with distal process triangular, uprising obliquely outward from about 2/3 length of valva. Valva narrow basally, widened and arciform beyond middle ventrally, slightly narrowed toward bluntly rounded apex distally, densely setose; sacculus narrow, about 1/3 length of valva; clasper thumb-shaped. Vinculum large U-shaped, longer than valva, arciform anteriorly. Juxta slightly elliptical, concave deeply at middle on posterior margin. Phallus stout, about same length as valva; three thornlike cornuti located at middle of phallus, median one longest and curved basally. Eighth sternite and culcita shown in figure 7a.

Female genitalia

(Fig. 11). Papillae anales triangular, narrowed to bluntly rounded posterior margin. Eighth abdominal segment longer than wide, anterior margin roundly protruding, posterior margin straight. Apophyses anteriores about as long as apophyses posteriores, slightly dilated at base. Antrum weakly sclerotized, deeply concave at middle on posterior margin, angularly protruding backward posterolaterally. Ductus bursae membranous, with longitudinal rumples. Corpus bursae membranous, elongate ovate; large, more or less rectangular accessory sac arising from left side of corpus bursae posteriorly, densely covered with granules, ductus seminalis from its apex; signa comprised of two clusters of short spines, placed posteriorly.

Distribution.

China (Inner Mongolia).

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin ruber (= red)and the suffix -pteron (= wing), in reference to the color of forewing.