Thiotricha lacrimiformis 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 lacrimiformis

description: Thiotricha lacrimiformis sp. nov.   
(Figs 7G, 23N, 31B, 48E)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Hainan Province, Yinggeling, Hongkan (19.08°N, 109.50°E), 540 m, 20.i.2016, leg. Kaijian Teng, Xia Bai and Mengting Chen, genitalia slide no. LGE16067. Paratypes. CHINA: Hainan Province: 2 ♂♂, Bawangling (19.09°N, 109.11°E), 245 m, Changjiang County, 7, 8.v.2013, leg. Yinghui Sun, Wei Guan and Tengteng Liu; 1 ♂, Tropical Arboretum (18.70°N, 108.79°E), 40 m, Jianfeng Town, Ledong County, 30.iv.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu; 2 ♂♂, Wuzhishan Nature Reserves (18.88°N, 109.65°E), 742 m, 19, 20.v.2015, leg. Peixin Cong, Wei Guan and Sha Hu; 1 ♂, Hongkan (19.08°N, 109.50°E), 508 m, Yinggeling, 15.vi.2015, leg. Peixin Cong, Wei Guan and Sha Hu; 3 ♂♂, Shuiman Town (18.88°N, 109.67°E), 766 m, Wuzhishan City, 6.vii.2015, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Mengting Chen; 2 ♀♀, Qixianling National Forest Park (18.70°N, 109.68°E), 302 m, 9, 10.vii.2015, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Mengting Chen, genitalia slide no. LGE16092; 1 ♂, Shuiman Town (18.88°N, 109.67°E), 766 m, Wuzhishan City, 27.ii.2016, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Shengnan Zhao; 1 ♀, Wuzhishan Nature Reserves (18.90°N, 109.67°E), 738 m, 2.xi.2016, leg. Xia Bai, Shuonan Qian and Wanding Qi; 1 ♂, Yinggezui (19.05°N, 109.56°E), 700 m, Yinggeling, 12.v.2017, leg. Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide no. LGE18428; 2 ♂♂, Mt. Wuzhi (18.91°N, 109.70°E), 732 m, 2, 5.viii.2017, leg. Xia Bai, Ping Liu and Shuai Yu; 1 ♀, Lemei Village (19.08°N, 108.84°E), 81 m, 3.i.2018, leg. Mujie Qi and Shuai Yu, genitalia slide no. LGE18415; 1 ♂, Gaoshanling (19.93°N, 109.64°E), 168 m, Lingao County, 1.vi.2018, leg. Ping Liu, Xia Bai and Shuai Yu, genitalia slide no. LGE18629; 1 ♀, Jianfengling (18.75°N, 108.87°E), 810 m, Ledong County, 15.vi.2018, leg. Ping Liu, Xia Bai and Shuai Yu, genitalia slide no. LGE18630; Sichuan Province: 1 ♂, 5 ♀♀, Wannian Temple (29.59°N, 103.38°E), 830 m, Emeishan City, 14.vii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Wei Guan, Xiuchun Wang and Shurong Liu, genitalia slide nos. LGE16069f, LGE18420f; Xizang Autonomous Region: 1 ♂, Beibeng Town (29.25°N, 95.18°E), 810 m, Motuo County, 13.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide no. LGE18417; 3 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Benggelin, 894 m, Motuo County, 14.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide no. LGE18418f; 1 ♂, Beibeng Town (29.25°N, 95.18°E), 810 m, Motuo County, 15.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang; 3 ♂♂, Dexing Village (29.32°N, 95.30°E), 833 m, Motuo County, 18.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Jiangxin Village (29.23°N, 95.15°E), 780 m, Beibeng Town, Motuo County, 30.vii.2018, leg. Mujie Qi (deposited in NHMUK); 1 ♂, Fangkongdong (29.24°N, 95.17°E), 750 m, Beibeng Town, Motuo County, 31.vii–1.viii.2018, leg. Mujie Qi; 2 ♂♂, Chengjiao (29.32°N, 95.32°E), 1097 m, Motuo County, 3.viii.2018, leg. Mujie Qi, genitalia slide no. LGE18628; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Chengjiao (29.33°N, 95.33°E), 1016 m, Motuo County, 4, 5.viii.2018, leg. Mujie Qi.   
 Diagnosis. Superficially, the new species is very similar to T. prunifolivora and T. asymmetricijuxta, but the forewing of T. lacrimiformis is strongly mixed with cream whereas those of latter two species are lighter than former, usually white or creamy white. Other external differences among the three species are stated under T. prunifolivora. The male genitalia of T. lacrimiformis are diagnosed by the valva convex at middle of the ventral margin, the ovate anellus lobe with a strongly hooked apical bristle and the triangular process of juxta. The female genitalia are differentiated from its allies by the medially membranous sternum VIII with small teardrop-shaped medial sclerotization and the very slender ductus bursae. The signum is somewhat similar to that of T. umbrosidorsa. However, the signum of T. lacrimiformis is situated near the entrance of ductus bursae and concave laterally, whereas it is placed at middle of the corpus bursae and the lateral margins are more straight in the latter species.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 7G). Wingspan 6.0−9.0 mm. Head cream, sometimes suffused with light ochre. Labial palpus ochreous white, sprinkled with fuscous; segment III slightly shorter than II. Antenna with scape cream; flagellum dark fuscous except base of dorsal surface cream, male cilia approximately 3 times as long as diameter. Thorax cream. Tegula cream, anterior margin usually fuscous. Forewing cream, anterior edge of costa black, apical spot elliptical, markings dark fuscous: an oblique costal streak from distal 1/3 toward apical spot; beyond this, a triangular costal patch before apical spot, usually interrupted by creamy scales medially; tornus with an irregular spot, sometimes enlarged, its anterior margin extending toward apex as a slender longitudinal streak, often interrupted by creamy scales, usually confluent with costal streak and reaching apical spot; costal fringe cream with subterminal and terminal fuscous bands; fringe on termen creamy white, before apex with subterminal and terminal fuscous bands; fringe on dorsum cream and light grey mixed. Hindwing fuscous, fringe light grey. Legs light ochre; fore coxa sprinkled with fuscous; fore femur, tibia and tarsus dark fuscous on outer surface; mid and hind tibiae strongly sprinkled with fuscous; mid and hind tarsi with first tarsomere dark fuscous at base and beyond middle, remaining tarsomeres dark fuscous except apex.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 23N). 1/6 length of abdomen, posterior margin deeply concave in triangle shape.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 31B). Uncus rounded, sparsely setose along lateral margins. Gnathos hook moderately long, simple. Tegumen approximately 5 times as long as uncus, anterior margin deeply concave. Valva with ventral margin gradually broadening from base to middle, then narrowing to distal 1/3, broadening again to rounded apex. Anellus lobe ovate, slightly shorter than 1/3 length of valva; apical bristle robust, approximately 1/2 length of anellus lobe, strongly hooked. Juxta with a triangular process. Vinculum slender, nearly straight posteriorly. Saccus very broad, subtriangular, as long as tegumen pedunculus.Aedeagus with basal half slightly dilated, slender distally, sharply pointed at apex.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 48E). Papillae anales moderately sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores slightly shorter than apophyses posteriores. Tergum VIII membranous. Sternum VIII membranous medially, anterior margin strongly produced in U-shape; medial sclerotization small, teardrop-shaped, not extending to ductus bursae. Ostium bursae very small. Ductus bursae very slender, slightly broadened at base, with a broad colliculum near base, ductus seminalis arising from posterior 1/4. Corpus bursae ovate, 2/3 or 1/2 length of ductus bursae; signum situated near entrance of ductus bursae, somewhat hastate: its posterior margin broadly convex, widest at posterior 1/4, lateral margins concave, narrowed toward anterior apex.   
 Distribution. China (Hainan, Sichuan, Xizang).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin, lacrimiformis (tear-shaped), referring to the teardrop-shaped sclerotization on the sternum VIII of female.
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 32-33, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121