Thiotricha simplex 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 simplex

description: Thiotricha simplex sp. nov.   
(Figs 17D, 26N, 41B, 57E)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Sichuan Province, Wanglang Nature Reserves, Muyangchang (32.97°N, 104.10°E), 2577 m, 19.vii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide no. LGE17073. Paratypes. CHINA: Hubei Province: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Duchuan Village (31.89°N, 110.71°E), 793 m, Fang County, 18, 19.vii.2017, leg. Wanding Qi et al., genitalia slide nos. LGE 17066m, LGE17067f.   
 Diagnosis. The general coloration of T. simplex is similar to the male color form of T. bicolor, but a somewhat indistinct longitudinal streak is present in the former instead of having two streaks as in the latter species. Also, the male labial palpi do not bear hair pencils in T. simplex whereas those are present in T. bicolor. The male genitalia of T. simplex are diagnosed by the uncus with a row of stiff setae, the valva inwardly curved in basal 2/3 and the aedeagus with a projection dorsally. The female genitalia are characterized by the narrow ductus bursae with a small sclerite at base and a round signum situated near the posterior margin of corpus bursae.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 17D). Wingspan 15.5−17.0 mm. Head mixed fuscous and cream. Labial palpus fuscous except dorsal and inner surfaces ochreous white, slightly shorter in male; segment II twice as long as I, segment III as long as II. Antenna with scape ochreous white except posterior margin fuscous; flagellum dark fuscous, basal 1/2 of dorsal surface mixed with ocherous white, male cilia slightly longer than diameter of flagellum. Thorax and tegula fuscous. Forewing ground color fuscous; apical area brown, with one or two costal strigulae alternating with cream scales before apical spot; apical spot round, bordered inwardly by cream or grey scales, apex slightly produced; other markings cream: a slender costal streak from distal 1/4 of wing, obliquely running toward apical spot, bordered outwardly by black scales; from lower angle of discal cell a longitudinal streak running toward apex, sometimes indistinct, not reaching apical spot or costal streak; tornal streak short, sometimes tinged with pink, bordered outwardly by black scales, running toward costal streak, sometimes curved and meets apical spot; fringe on apical area cream with basal and terminal black bands, on termen metallic fuscous, on dorsum dark grey. Hindwing and fringe dark grey. Legs mixed ochreous white and fuscous, fore femur, tibia and tarsus black on outer surface.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 26N). Approximately 1/5 length of abdomen, subtriangular, gradually narrowed from base to posterior apex, shortly bifid apically.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 41B). Uncus tongue-shaped, distal margin with a row of stiff setae. Gnathos hook simple, long. Tegumen approximately 2.5 times as long as uncus. Valva with basal 2/3 nearly equal width and curved inward, distal 1/3 slightly broadened, round apically. Anellus lobe digitate, 1/4 length of valva, sparsely setose; apical bristle shorter than anellus lobe, hooked. Juxta nearly straight. Vinculum simple, broadly convex. Saccus subtriangular, slightly exceeding tegumen pedunculus, round apically. Aedeagus with basal 1/3 slightly dilated, uniform at middle, narrowed apically; dorsal margin projected at basal 3/4.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 57E). Papillae anales moderately sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores 4/7 length of apophyses posteriores. Sternum VIII short, with posterior margin broadly concave, anterior margin produced medially. Tergum VIII slightly shorter than sternum VIII. Ostium bursae large, round. Ductus bursae narrow, slightly broadening toward corpus bursae, with a small, somewhat linear sclerite at base. Corpus bursae elliptical, with anterior 1/2 slightly narrowed, 2/3 length of ductus bursae; signum round, situated near posterior margin of corpus bursae, bulged inward, consisting of minute denticles.   
 Distribution. China (Hubei, Sichuan).   
 Etymology. The species name is from Latin simplex (simple), referring to the simply marked forewing.
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 116, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121