Thiotricha villosa 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 villosa

description: Thiotricha villosa sp. nov.   
(Figs 20E, F, 27L, 44B, 61A)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Xizang Autonomous Region, Motuo County, 80 K (29.66°N, 95.49°E), 2076 m, 8.viii.2018, leg. Mujie Qi, genitalia slide no. LGE18631. Paratypes. CHINA: Hainan Province: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Bawangling (19.12°N, 109.08°E), 161 m, Changjiang County, 21.vii.2014, leg. Peixin Cong, Linjie Liu and Sha Hu, genitalia slide nos. LGE 18411m, LGE18807f; 1 ♂, Hongkan (19.08°N, 109.50°E), 508 m, Yinggeling, 27.vi.2014, leg. Peixin Cong, Linjie Liu and Sha Hu, genitalia slide no. LGE18799; 1 ♂, Bawangling (19.08°N, 109.10°E), 261 m, 21.vii.2015, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Mengting Chen; 1 ♀, Bawangling Nature Reserves (19.12°N, 109.08°E), 161 m, 11.iii.2016, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Shengnan Zhao, genitalia slide no. LGE18793; Xizang Autonomous Region: 2 ♂♂, Rima (28.43°N, 97.05°E), 1447 m, Xiazayu Town, 16.v.2015, leg. Huilin Han, Chao Zhang and Ye Chen, genitalia slide no. LGE18787; Yunnan Province: 1 ♀, Wenquan (24.97°N, 103.01°E), Kunming, 1900 m, 30.viii.2005, leg. Yingdang Ren, genitalia slide no. LGE18796; 1 ♀, Mengyuan (21.72°N, 101.39°E), 640 m, Mengla County, Xishuangbanna, 14.viii.2010, leg. Yinghui Sun and Lixia Li, genitalia slide no. LGE18798; 1 ♀, Nanlahe (21.59°N, 101.58°E), 652 m, Bubang Town, Mengla County, 15.vii.2013, leg. Shurong Liu, Yuqi Wang and Kaijian Teng, genitalia slide no. LGE18806; 1 ♀, Taiyanghe Nature Reserves (22.79°N, 100.98°E), 1450 m, 16.v.2014, leg. Zhenguo Zhang, genitalia slide no. LGE18781; 1 ♂, Yexianggu (22.17°N, 100.87°E), 762 m, Xishuangbanna, 13.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai, genitalia slide no. LGE18780; VIETNAM: 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Cuc Phuong National Park, 300 m, 30.iv−2.v.2005, leg. K. T. Park & S. R. Kim, genitalia slide no. LGE22106 (KNA).   
 Diagnosis. This species is unique in the genus as the males have a long expansible scale-tuft on the hindwing (Fig. 20F). Also, the antennae of males are thicker than those of females. The male and female genitalia are similar to those of T. apicidisca, and the differences are stated under the latter species. The male sternum VIII of T. villosa is more deeply bifid compared to that of T. apicidisca.   
 Description. Adult (Figs 20E, F). Wingspan 7.0−9.0 mm. Head white. Labial palpus white, segment III as long as II, black-tipped. Antenna with scape white; flagellum dark fuscous except base of dorsal surface white; thicker in male, cilia slightly shorter than dimeter. Thorax white except anterior margin fuscous to black. Tegula white. Forewing glossy white, anterior edge of costa black in basal 1/3 or 1/2, markings dark fuscous to black: a wedge-shaped costal streak from between distal 1/4 and 1/3 of wing, attenuated distally, outwardly oblique toward apex, often reaching apical spot; beyond this a shorter costal streak from distal 1/5 of wing, running toward apical spot and confluent with former streak distally; beyond this mixed white and fuscous or sometimes light brown before apex, often forming a triangular patch; apical spot round, edged white anteriorly, broadly suffused with dark fuscous inwardly and posteriorly along termen; a slender streak arising from inner margin of apical spot, obliquely running toward wing base, meeting fold at distal 1/3 of wing and broadened, curved toward dorsum along fold forming an inwardly directed V-shaped marking; fringe on apical area grey at base, white at middle and black terminally, produced downwards and bifurcate; fringe on termen white except near apex with a row of coarse metallic fuscous ciliation distally; fringe on dorsum greyish white. Hindwing grey except near apex white; very long, creamy scale-tuft along basal 1/3 of costa, exceeding costa of forewing when unfolded; fringe mixed grey and white except apical area white with a terminal black band. Legs white; fore femur, tibia and tarsus black on outer surface except basal 1/3 of femur; mid and hind tibiae with a short black streak near apex and at apex, respectively; mid tarsus with outer surface of tarsomere I broadly black at middle, tarsomeres II-III black in basal half, tarsomere V black; hind tarsus with outer surface of tarsomere I broadly black at middle, tarsomere II black in basal half, inner surface of tarsomeres III-V black.   
 Abdominal segments (Fig. 27L). In male and female, tergum I with a pair of lines extended from anterior margin of lateral rod to spiracle, somewhat weaker in female, setose along the line; in male, sternum VIII 1/4 length of abdomen, abruptly narrowed after base, then gradually narrowing toward posterior apex; posterior 1/5 or 1/6 bifid, each tine sharply pointed.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 44B). Uncus sub-rectangular, slightly narrowed at base, ventral surface with stiff setae. Gnathos hook moderately long, sharply pointed at apex. Tegumen approximately 4 times as long as uncus. Valva slender, uniformly elongate from base to near apex, ventral margin sometimes slightly convex at middle, distal 1/3 densely setose, distal 1/5 of costa with a flap-like extension, rounded at apex. Anellus lobe oval, 1/4 or 1/5 length of valva, with a row of long setae along outer margin; apical bristle 1/2 or 1/3 length of anellus lobe, hooked. Juxta broad, rounded, distal 1/3 sometimes shortly produced. Vinculum simple. Saccus broad, sub-triangular, slightly exceeding tegumen pedunculus, blunt at apex.Aedeagus with basal 2/5 dilated, cylindrical at middle, then gradually narrowing to apex, dorsal margin with two short teeth before apex, sharply pointed apically.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 61A). Papillae anales weakly sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores slightly longer than half length of apophyses posteriores. Tergum VIII with posterior margin concave, with a narrowly U-shaped line anteriorly. Sternum VIII longer than tergum, strongly produced anteriorly in U-shape, with a longitudinal cleft near ostium bursae. Ostium bursae opening at anterior margin of sternum VIII, covered with a spinous intersegmental membrane. Ductus bursae with a short sclerite at base, slightly broadened near corpus bursae; ductus seminalis arising from posterior 1/3. Corpus bursae ovate, as long as ductus bursae; signum rounded, consisting of minute denticles, placed at anterior 2/5.   
 Distribution. China (Hainan, Xizang, Yunnan), Vietnam.   
 Etymology. The species name is from Latin, villosus (long soft hairs), referring to the long scale-tuft on the hindwing costa.
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 145-146, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121