Thiotricha wufengensis Lee & Li 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Lee, Ga-Eun
name: Li, Houhun
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Thiotricha
Thiotricha wufengensis

description: Thiotricha wufengensis sp. nov.   
(Figs 15F, 26E, 39E, 56A)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Hubei Province, Wufeng County, Houhe, 1100 m, 11.vii.1999, leg. Houhun Li et al., genitalia slide no. ZJL05085. Paratypes: 3 ♀♀, same data as holotype except 10, 11.vii.1999, genitalia slide nos. ZJL05084, ZJL05189.   
 Diagnosis. This species can easily be distinguished from the similar T. karsholti by the absence of costal strigulae and the presence of hair pencils on the male labial palpi. The valva of male genitalia are narrower than related species and the uncus is sharply pointed at the apex. The female genitalia of T. wufengensis are somewhat similar to those of T. karsholti and T. angustifasciata, but ductus bursae is broader and corpus bursae is larger in the former.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 15F). Wingspan 12.0−13.0 mm. Head white to creamy white. Labial palpus white; segment I short, outer surface usually black; segment II often tinged with black in basal 1/3 of outer surface; segment III black on ventral surface and at apex, as long as II; male hair pencil reaching subapex of segment III. Antenna with scape creamy white; flagellum light brown except basal 1/3 or 1/2 of dorsal surface creamy white, male cilia slightly longer than diameter. Thorax and tegula white; anterior margin of tegula black, sometimes tinged with yellow. Forewing ground color white; apical spot round, bordered inwardly by grey scales, apex falcate; markings blackish brown, inner and outer margins often suffused with yellow: a broad costal band from base to near apex, attenuated and curved toward termen after middle, interrupted by a very narrow, yellowish white streak running from near base to basal 2/3 of wing along anterior edge of costa; beyond this a narrow, outwardly oblique costal streak from distal 1/4 of wing, running in parallel with former costal band; from between basal 1/5 and 1/3 of dorsum a very broad, transverse streak obliquely running toward costa, confluent with costal band at 1/3 of costa; beyond middle of wing a large, inwardly directed V-shaped marking near tornus, its upper fork often bifid and reaching costal band and streak near apical spot, lower fork often very broadened on dorsum, forming an irregular patch; fringe on apical area whitish yellow, near apical hook blackish brown; on termen white at base, metallic fuscous distally; on dorsum dark brown. Hindwing and fringe dark brown. Legs white; fore femur, tibia and tarsus suffused with black on outer surface; mid tibia black at base, with a black oblique streak on outer surface after middle; hind tibia suffused with dark grey near apex; mid and hind tarsi with tarsomere I broadly dark grey at middle, II dark grey in basal half of outer surface.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 26E). Approximately 1/7 length of abdomen, subtrapezoidal, with lateral margins serrate near apex, posterior apex slightly concave.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 39E). Uncus tongue-shaped. Gnathos hook long, apex strongly curved upward. Tegumen approximately 3 times as long as uncus. Valva narrow, basal 1/2 curved inward and distal 1/2 curved outward, distal 1/3 slightly broadened and spatulate, densely setose, round at apex; conjunction between extreme base of valva and juxta strongly elongate and angled, forming a triangular process. Anellus lobe clavate, 1/6 length of valva; apical bristle slightly shorter than anellus lobe, curved inward. Juxta broadly convex. Vinculum with posterior margin shortly produced medially. Saccus triangular, pointed at apex, exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal 2/5 dilated, distal part narrow and almost uniformly elongate to subapex, apex greatly narrowed and pointed.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 56A). Papillae anales simple. Apophyses anteriores slightly longer than 1/2 length of apophyses posteriores. Tergum VIII short, with posterior margin concave. Sternum VIII with anterior margin strongly produced. Ostium bursae elliptical, opening in anterior 1/2 of sternum VIII. Ductus bursae almost uniformly elongate, with colliculum arising from posterior 1/5. Corpus bursae obovate, as long as ductus bursae; signum large and round, situated near posterior margin of corpus bursae.   
 Distribution. China (Hubei).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality, Wufeng County of Hebei Province.
description: Published as part of Lee, Ga-Eun & Li, Houhun, 2024, A taxonomic review of Thiotricha Meyrick, 1886 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Thiotrichinae) from China, with descriptions of 84 new species, pp. 1-222 in Zootaxa 5449 (1) on pages 102-103, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121