Promalactis spinellosa Wang, 2024

Wang, Shuxia, Liu, Chen & David, Lees, 2024, Partial revision of Promalactis Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae), based on specimens deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, Zootaxa 5536 (1), pp. 1-58 : 30

Promalactis spinellosa Wang , sp. nov.

( Figs 30 , 63 )

Type material. Brunei: Holotype ♂, Agathis swamp for. Secondary vegetation, Badas , 50–100 m, 27.II.1982, leg. G.S. Robinson, slide No. NHMUK010316990 .

Paratype. Brunei: 1♂, Sg Burong water tanks Disturbed lowland forest, Lamunin, 60 m, 15–20.IV.1993, leg. G.S. Robinson, slide No. NHMUK010317159 .

Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished by having a large foxtail-like gnathos, the valva with two apical processes formed by the apex deeply concave medially, and the lateral arm of the tegumen angled outward at the anterior 1/ 3 in the male genitalia.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 30 ). Forewing length 5.0– 5.5 mm.

Head. Vertex snowy white, frons silvery grey, occiput rust brown. Labial palpus with second segment brown; third segment black, white at base and apex. Antennal scape white dorsally, pale grey ventrally; flagellum black, alternating with white on dorsal surface except basal three flagellomeres white.

Thorax. Mesonotum and tegula ochreous brown, thorax with a white horizontal band apically. Forewing ochreous brown; markings white edged with black scales: costal spot sub-rounded, extending to above posterior angle of cell; basal fascia from dorsum oblique inward to base of costal margin; antemedian fascia from basal 3/5 of dorsum to basal 1/4 of costal margin, parallel with basal fascia, widened anteriorly; dorsal streak from before tornus oblique outward to posterior angle of cell; apical spot ovoid; fringe blackish grey except white on extension of apical spot. Hindwing and fringe grey. Foreleg black except femur grey ventrally, tibia with white spot at base and middle, with a tuft of white scales at apex, tarsus white at apex of basal tarsomere and on entire second tarsomere; midleg brown ventrally, black dorsally, tibia with a white spot at base, with a tuft of white scales at apex, tarsus white at apex of basal tarsomere and on entire second and apical tarsomeres; hindleg yellowish brown ventrally, black dorsally, tarsus white at apices of basal and third tarsomeres, on entire second and distal two tarsomeres.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 63 ). Uncus relatively small, elongate rhombic, slightly widened medially, shallowly concave at middle apically. Gnathos longer than uncus, foxtail-like, fused with tegumen basally, covered with dense spines. Tegumen cylindrical; lateral arm widened and angled outward at distal 1/3, then narrowed to anterior end. Valva subparallel; apex deeply concave, forming two apical processes: dorsoapical process wider, bilobed distally, dorsal lobe horn-shaped, shorter, ventral lobe digitate, twice as long as dorsal lobe; ventroapical process slender and shorter, narrowed to acute apex, setose; costa slightly concave medially; left sacculus arched dorsally, right sacculus concave dorsally at distal 1/3. Saccus clavate, wide at base, narrowed to middle, then uniformly wide to rounded apex. Juxta elongate sub-trapezoidal, broad at base, slightly narrowed to apex, apex deeply incised in middle, pointed at apex; basal lobe slender, short. Phallus longer than valva; with two cornuti, longer cornutus shorter than 1/2 length of phallus, shorter cornutus less than 1/4 length of longer cornutus.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Brunei.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin spinellosus, referring to the gnathos covered with dense spines.

Figures

FIGURES 30–33. Adults of Promalactis spp. 30. P. spinellosa sp. nov.; 31. P. subfalcata sp. nov.; 32. P. trispinata sp. nov.; 33. P. varilonga sp. nov. 30–32: Males and holotypes; 33: Male and paratype. Scale bar = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 58–63. Male genitalia of Promalactis spp. 58. P. minuticornuta sp. nov.; 59. P. parvissima sp. nov.; 60. P. polyptycha sp. nov.; 61. P. indica sp. nov.; 62. P. similidierli sp. nov.; 63. P. spinellosa sp. nov. All holotypes. Scale bar: 58, 60, 62–63 = 0.2 mm; 59, 61 = 0.25 mm.