Thiotricha projecta 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 projecta

description: Thiotricha projecta sp. nov.   
(Figs 12A, 25G, 36E, 53C)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna, Bubang (21.60°N, 101.59°E), 656 m, 24.vii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Wei Guan, Xiuchun Wang and Shurong Liu, genitalia slide no. LGE18126. Paratypes. CHINA: Yunnan Province: 1 ♀, same data as holotype except 22.vii.2014, genitalia slide no. LGE18148; 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Mt. Xiaohei, 2300 m, Longling County, 10.viii.2005, leg. Yingdang Ren, genitalia slide nos. ZJL05377m, ZJL05378m; 1 ♀, Bubang (21.6°N, 101.59°E), 650 m, Mengla County, 22.viii.2005, leg. Yingdang Ren, genitalia slide no. LGE18152; 2 ♂♂, Tropical Botanical Garden (21.92°N, 101.27°E), 560 m, Xishuangbanna, 1,4. viii.2010, leg. Yinghui Sun and Lixia Li, genitalia slide no. LGE18146, LGE18174; 1 ♂, Taiyanghe National Forest Park (22.60°N, 101.11°E), 1626 m, Pu’er City, 6.vii.2013, leg. Shurong Liu, Yuqi Wang and Kaijian Teng; 1 ♀, Taiyanghe Nature Reserves, 1600 m, 11.vii.2013, leg. Zhenguo Zhang, genitalia slide no. LGE18177; 1 ♀, Nanlahe (21.59°N, 101.58°E), 652 m, Bubang Town, Mengla County, 12.vii.2013, leg. Shurong Liu, Yuqi Wang and Kaijian Teng; 28 ♂♂, 21 ♀♀, Xiaoheishan Nature Reserves (24.52°N, 98.84°E), 1974 m, Longling County, 17–19.vii.2013, leg. Shurong Liu, Yuqi Wang and Kaijian Teng, genitalia slide nos. LGE 18170m, LGE 18127m; 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, Taiyanghe Nature Reserves (22.79°N, 100.98°E), 1450 m, 11.v–19.viii.2014, leg. Zhenguo Zhang; 1 ♂, Yexianggu (22.17°N, 100.87°E), 762 m, Xishuangbanna, 20.vii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Wei Guan, Xiuchun Wang and Shurong Liu, genitalia slide no. LGE18147; 1 ♂, Mt. Weibao (25.18°N, 100.34°E), 2205 m, Dali, 31.vii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Wei Guan, Xiuchun Wang and Shurong Liu; 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, Xiaodifangxincun (24.87°N, 98.75°E), 2116 m, Tengchong County, 11, 12.viii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Shurong Liu and Hua Rong, genitalia slide nos. LGE 18396m, LGE18159f; 2 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀, Baoshan (24.82°N, 98.78°E), 2009 m, 10, 17.viii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Shurong Liu and Hua Rong (two males and two females are deposited in NHMUK); 5 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, Linjiapu (25.29°N, 98.70°E), 2144 m, Tengchong County, 15, 16.viii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Shurong Liu and Hua Rong, genitalia slide nos. LGE 18158m, LGE18162f; 1 ♀, Taiyanghe National Forest Park (22.79°N, 100.98°E), 1450 m, Pu’er City, 3.iv.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng; 1 ♀, Taiyanghe Nature Reserves, 8.vi.2015, leg. Zhenguo Zhang; 1 ♂, Yexianggu (22.17°N, 100.87°E), 762 m, Xishuangbanna, 13.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai; 8 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Baoshan (24.82°N, 98.78°E), 2009 m, 16–20.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai, genitalia slide no. LGE 18160m; 1 ♀, Xiaoheishan Nature Reserves (24.52°N, 98.84°E), 1974 m, Longling County, 27.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai; 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, Xiajinguang (23.17°N, 104.8°E), 1470 m, Malipo County, Wenshan City, 28, 29.vii.2016, leg. Kaijian Teng, Ga-Eun Lee and Tao Wang; 4 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, Qinlangdang Conservation Station (27.69°N, 98.27°E), 380 m, Gaoligongshan Nature Reserves, Nujiang, 28–31.v.2017, leg. Kaijian Teng et al.   
 Diagnosis. Thiotricha projecta is hardly distinguishable from T. contracta in superficial appearance, but it often has darker coloration than the latter species. The genitalia should be compared to identify the species. The male genitalia can easily be distinguished from its allies by the valval apex with a short projection on costa. The female genitalia have segment VIII less covered with minute spines compared to the related species T. latistriata and T. contracta. Also, the ostium bursae is smaller than those of latter two species, and the colliculum is more slender than that of T. contracta.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 12A). Wingspan 9.0− 9.5 mm. Head cream to fuscous. Labial palpus as in T. contracta, but sometimes less mixed with fuscous. Antenna, thorax, forewing, legs as in T. contracta, but usually darker than the latter.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 25G). Subtriangular, posterior apex with a pair of short projections.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 36E). Uncus tongue-shaped, rounded apically. Gnathos hook simple, long. Tegumen approximately 4 times as long as uncus, anterior margin deeply concave. Valva slender, gradually widening from base to middle, then slightly concave on ventral margin; distal half with dense hairs, apex shortly produced on costa. Anellus lobe slender, elongate-ovate, about 1/5 length of valva; apical bristle slightly shorter than anellus lobe, strongly hooked. Juxta simple, nearly straight. Vinculum broad, with posterior margin narrowly produced medially. Saccus broad, subtriangular, rounded at apex, its length reaching tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal 2/5 slightly dilated, then uniformly elongate to subapex, sharply produced dorsally at subapex; a very slender, straight sclerite arising from distal 1/3 interiorly, slightly exceeding apex of aedeagus.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 53C). Papillae anales weakly sclerotized, setose. Apophyses anteriores 1/2 length of apophyses posteriores. Segment VIII with numerous round patches on posterior 1/3, each patch consisting of minute spines; tergum VIII with posterior margin deeply concave; sternum VIII longer than tergum VIII, broadly concave posteriorly and strongly convex anteriorly, anterior half covered with a spinous intersegmental membrane, lateral margins in posterior half with a narrow, curved sclerotization connected to apophyses anteriores, lateral margins in anterior half with a short linear sclerotization near ostium bursae. Ostium bursae large, rounded. Ductus bursae slightly broadened at base, beyond ductus seminalis gradually broadening and merging with corpus bursae; colliculum situated near base of ductus bursae; ductus seminalis arising approximately from posterior 1/7 of ductus bursae + corpus bursae. Corpus bursae elongate-ovate; signum rounded, situated anteriorly, bulged inward, with minute denticles.   
 Variations. This species is usually darker than its allies in color, but some specimens have lighter coloration making it difficult to identify them based on external characteristics. All specimens show minor variations in the length and the width of forewing streaks. The protrusion of valval apex can be indistinct in the male genitalia.   
 Distribution. China (Yunnan).   
 Etymology. The species name is from Latin, projectus (projecting), referring to the shortly produced apex of valva.   
 Remarks. Thiotricha projecta is found only in Yunnan Province whereas a closely related species T. contracta is widely distributed throughout the southern regions of China based on the specimens examined.
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 78-79, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121