Thiotricha acicularis 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 acicularis

description: Thiotricha acicularis sp. nov.   
(Figs 21A, 27O, 44E, 61D)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Gansu Province, Wen County, Bifenggou (32.97°N, 104.68°E), 860 m, 13.vii.2005, leg. Haili Yu, genitalia slide no. ZJL05400. Paratype: 1 ♀, same data as holotype except 12.vii.2005, genitalia slide no. ZJL05475.   
 Diagnosis. Superficially, the new species is somewhat similar to the confluens -group, but the labial palpi of both sexes have erect scales on segment II dorsally whereas those are absent in the confluens -group. Also, the forewing of T. acicularis is somewhat broader than the latter. The male genitalia of T. acicularis cannot be confused with other species as the valva is very narrow and spade-shaped, and the aedeagus bears a narrow extension at the apex. The female genital structures are unique and clearly separated from other congeners. The papillae anales is strongly sclerotized and pointed at the apex, and the signum is absent.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 21A). Wingspan 11.0–12.0 mm. Head white. Labial palpus white; segment II broader than III, dorsal surface with raised scale-tufts in distal 1/2; segment III slightly shorter than II, tipped with black. Antenna with scape fuscous except dorsal surface white; flagellum mixed brown and fuscous, basal 1/2 of dorsal surface white, male cilia slightly longer than diameter. Thorax white, with a broad dark brown median line. Tegula white except anterior margin dark brown. Forewing ground color white, markings dark brown: a very broad costal band running from base to distal 1/3 of wing, slightly curved downward after base; a narrow costal streak after middle, gradually attenuated, obliquely running toward apical spot; beyond this another narrow costal streak, almost parallel to former, running close to apical spot; a dark, oblique streak from near base of dorsum, extending outward across fold and meeting costal band at middle of wing, sinuous and longitudinal after middle, almost reaching apical spot; an irregular broad patch or an inwardly directed V-shaped marking near tornus, its anterior arm almost reaching apical spot; apical spot very small, bordered inwardly by white scales; fringe on distal 1/4 of costa white with a dark brown terminal band, on termen silvery white, on dorsum mixed cream and light grey. Hindwing grey except subapex white and apex black; fringe mixed cream and light grey, apical area with fuscous subterminal and terminal bands. Legs white; fore femur strongly mixed with fuscous in distal 1/2 of outer margin, fore tibia black, fore tarsus broadly black at middle of tarsomere I, black in basal 1/2 of tarsomeres II and III, entirely black for IV and V; mid tibia tinged with black at base, with an oblique black streak after middle, mid tarsus black at middle of tarsomere I and base of II and III, almost entirely black for IV and V; hind tibia with an oblique black streak near apex, hind tarsus black at middle of tarsomere I and base of II, broadly black between III and V.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 27O).Anterior half subtriangular, strongly narrowed after middle and deeply bifurcate approximately from posterior 1/4; each tine slender, its apex rounded.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 44E). Uncus long, spatulate. Gnathos hook simple, moderately long. Tegumen slightly longer than 2 times of uncus. Valva slender, spade-shaped, with base strongly curved inward, slightly broadened after middle, apical 1/3 slightly curved outward. Anellus lobe minute, round, sparsely setose. Juxta with a subtriangular projection at middle. Vinculum simple, with posterior margin broadly convex. Saccus broad, round apically, exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal half dilated, narrowed distally, apex with a slender projection arising from its ventral margin.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 61D). Papillae anales strongly sclerotized and pointed at apex. Apophyses anteriores slightly longer than apophyses posteriores. Sternum VIII with anterior margin broadly convex. Ostium bursae small, opening near anterior margin of sternum VIII. Ductus bursae very long and narrow. Corpus bursae elliptical, without signum.   
 Distribution. China (Gansu).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin, acicul (needle) and the suffix - aris, referring to the pointed apex of papillae anales.   
 Remarks. A drawing of corpus bursae is given in fig. 61D since the female genitalia were damaged during the dissection. The drawing was made by Jialiang Zhang who previously studied Chinese Thiotricha in NKU.
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 148-149, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121