Thiotricha albicephalata Walia & Wadhawan 2005
Creators: name: Lee, Ga-Eun
name: Li, Houhun
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Thiotricha
Thiotricha albicephalata

description: Thiotricha albicephalata Walia & Wadhawan, 2005   
(Figs 2B, 8B, 23Q, 31E, 49A)  
 Thiotricha albicephalata Walia & Wadhawan, 2005: 81. TL: Kalesar, India. TD: PU.   
 Material examined. CHINA: Hainan Province: 1 ♂, Bawangling Nature Reserves (19.12°N, 109.08°E), 161 m, 12.iii.2016, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Shengnan Zhao, genitalia slide no. LGE17050; Henan Province: 1 ♀, Shaolinsi (34.5°N, 112.93°E), 700 m, Songshan, Dengfeng, 15.vii.2002, leg. Xinpu Wang, genitalia slide no. LGE18543; Shanxi Province: 1 ♀, Manghe National Nature Reserves, 604 m, Yangcheng County, 4.viii.2011, leg. Gaopeng Bian and Haiyan Bai, genitalia slide no. LGE18538; 7 ♂♂, 8 ♀♀, Manghe National Nature Reserves, 594 m, Yangcheng County, 14–18.vii.2012, leg. Wei Guan and Xiuchun Wang (one male and one female are deposited in NHMUK), genitalia slide nos. NKLGE011m, LGE 16289m, LGE16290f; 1 ♂, Manghe National Nature Reserves, Yangcheng County, 15.vii.2012, leg. Haiyan Bai and Chao Chen, genitalia slide no. LGE18537; Zhejiang Province: 1 ♂, Shimendong (28.27°N, 120.1°E), 102 m, Qingtian County, 21.viii.2016, leg. Qingyun Wang, Meiqing Yang and Ping Liu, genitalia slide no. LGE16286.   
 Diagnosis. Adult (Figs2B, 8B). Wingspan 7.5−9.0mm.Superficially, this species is very similar to T.acrophantis, T. gemmulans, T. lunata, T. margarodes Meyrick, 1904 and T. pteropis Meyrick, 1908 in having a creamy white forewing tipped with orange and the termen with a large dark spot. It is very difficult to separate them based on the external characteristics and the female genitalia should be compared since the male genitalia are usually not very informative for the identification. Unfortunately, the abdomens are missing in the types of T. acrophantis and T. pteropis and further morphological and molecular assessment is required for the related species.   
 The types, the male genitalia of T. gemmulans (holotype) and T. margarodes (non-type) and the female genitalia of T. pteropis (non-type) deposited in NHMUK were examined by the first author and based on the available specimens, T. albicephalata can be diagnosed by the combination of following morphological characters: labial palpus strongly mixed with fuscous, the segment I of male labial palpus longer than segment II, valva slightly narrowed at middle, anellus lobe constricted at base and at apex, female sternum VIII with strongly elongate anterior margin and with long medial sclerotization, and long and straight signum with one side serrate.   
 Variations. The mid tibiae are irregularly marked with dark fuscous and sometimes it forms spots or streaks.   
 Distribution. China (Hainan, Henan, Shanxi, Zhejiang), India.   
 Remarks. Thiotricha albicephalata and T. lunata are unique in the subocellea -group as the males of both species have labial palpi with a long segment I and hair pencils on the dorsal surface of segment II. Such characters are well-displayed in the members of the pancratiastis -group. However, T. albicephalata and T. lunata are assigned to the former species-group based on the following characteristics: the forewings without longitudinal streaks, the apical area not divided by costal and tornal streaks, the female sternum VIII with a medial sclerotization and the long and slender signum without minute denticles.   
This species is recorded from China for the first time.
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 page 36, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121