Thiotricha crassiflagella 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 crassiflagella

description: Thiotricha crassiflagella sp. nov.   
(Figs 9D, 24G, 33C, 50E)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Yunnan Province, Pu’er City, Taiyanghe National Forest Park (22.68°N, 101.03°E), 1450 m, 5.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng, genitalia slide no. LGE18432. Paratypes. CHINA: Yunnan Province: 15 ♂♂, 29 ♀♀, same data as holotype except 3−6.vii.2015, genitalia slide nos. LGE 16199m, LGE16200f, LGE18279f; 3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, Taiyanghe National Forest Park (22.60°N, 101.11°E), 1626 m, Pu’er City, 8, 9.vii.2013, leg. Shurong Liu, Yuqi Wang and Kaijian Teng, genitalia slide nos. LGE 18453m, LGE18454f; 6 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Taiyanghe Nature Reserves, Pu’er City, 7−9.vi.2015, leg. Zhenguo Zhang, genitalia slide nos. LGE 18277m, LGE 18463m.   
 Diagnosis. This species most resembles T. spinesigna, T. angusteproducta and T. cornuata. One of the most distinctive morphological characteristics for T. crassiflagella is that the males have flagella slightly thicker than those of females, which is not shown in other related species. The species also differs from the latter in having a costal band not interrupted by a costal streak at middle of the forewing, an oblique streak from dorsum more remote from the costal band, and the labial palpus slightly shorter than those of the latter species. The scape of T. crassiflagella is fuscous distally whereas those are fuscous posteriorly in other species.   
 The male genitalia of T. crassiflagella are easily distinguished from its allies by the uniformly elongate, symmetrical valvae. Also, the aedeagus is straight distally whereas those of other related species are curved near the apex. The female genitalia are diagnosed by the oblong sclerotization on sternum VIII, the long ductus bursae and the ovate corpus bursae without signum.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 9D). Wingspan 7.0− 8.5 mm. Head golden ochre. Labial palpus golden ochre; segment III as long as II, slightly suffused with dark fuscous on ventral surface, dark fuscous at apex. Antenna with scape golden ochre, often tinged with fuscous distally; flagellum dark fuscous with metallic reflections, somewhat thicker in male, male cilia shorter than diameter of flagellum. Thorax golden ochre, usually strongly mixed with fuscous medially. Tegula golden ochre, often suffused with dark fuscous along anterior margin. Forewing ground color golden ochre, fuscous to black apically, often slightly suffused with ochre below apical spot; apical spot tinged with white inwardly; markings fuscous to black: a broad band from base to apex along costa, interrupted by a short white, outwardly oblique costal streak at distal 1/4, the streak not reaching posterior end of costal band; a broad band on dorsum from base to basal 3/5, gradually attenuated distally; a narrow, outwardly oblique streak arising from former band, extended from middle of dorsum to distal 1/3 or 1/4 across wing, often gradually attenuated distally, not reaching costal band; an inwardly directed, V-shaped marking in distal 1/3 above fold, reaching costal band anteriorly and near tornus posteriorly; a somewhat indistinct tornal streak bordered inwardly by a white streak, anteriorly reaching former V-shaped marking and apical spot; fringe on costa, termen and dorsum dark fuscous to black. Hindwing dark fuscous with golden reflections; fringe dark fuscous except apical area white with a terminal dark fuscous band. Legs as in T. spinesigna except ground color golden ochre.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 24G). Approximately 1/7 length of abdomen, gradually narrowing to posterior apex; posterior apex deeply concave in V-shape or U-shape.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 33C). Uncus tongue-shaped, with sparse long setae distally. Gnathos hook long and simple. Tegumen approximately 4 times as long as uncus. Valva with base slightly narrowed, then evenly elongate to round apex.Anellus lobe very small, constricted apically; apical bristle longer than anellus lobe, curved inward. Juxta with a subtriangular, blunt projection in basal half of inner margin. Vinculum shortly produced at middle of posterior margin. Saccus triangular or pentagonal, nearly reaching tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal half globular, slender beyond middle, blunt at apex.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 50E). Papillae anales moderately sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores 2/3 length of apophyses posteriores.Tergum VIII with posterior margin deeply incised medially. Sternum VIII concave on posterior margin, with a small, elongate oblong sclerotization above ostium bursae, anterior margin narrowly produced in Ushape. Ostium bursae opening at middle of sternum VIII. Ductus bursae slender and long, narrow near base, slightly broadening toward corpus bursae; a very small, teardrop-shaped sclerotization near base; ductus seminalis arising from posterior 1/8. Corpus bursae ovate, approximately 1/3 length of ductus bursae, without signum.   
 Distribution. China (Yunnan).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin, crassus (thick) and flagellum (flagellum), referring to the thicker flagellum in males.
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 48-49, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121