Lyonetia (Lyonetiola) blasta T. Liu 2023, sp. n.
Creators: name: Liu, Shiyu
name: Liu, Tengteng
name: Yu, Jiazhi
name: Xu, Jiasheng
name: Teng, Kaijian
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Lyonetiidae
Lyonetia
Lyonetia blasta

description: Lyonetia (Lyonetiola) blasta T. Liu, sp. n.
(Figs 1–2, 12a–b, 14a–b, 18, 18a)
ffiẁ‡dzḋ [Chinese name]
Diagnosis. The new species is similar to Lyonetia (Lyonetiola) myricella, the latter feeding on Morella rubra (Myricaceae), but can be distinguished by the following characters. In the new species, the costal and dorsal streaks are absent on the forewing; in the male genitalia, the dorsal and ventral margins of the valva are almost parallel; in the female genitalia, the lamellae vaginalis is trapezoidal, the ductus bursae is about 3/4 the length of the corpus bursae. In L. (Lyonetiola) myricella, the forewing has two costal and three dorsal streaks (Kuroko 1964: pl. 1, figs 9a & 9b); the distal 1/3 of the valva is expanded and is slightly wider than base (Kuroko 1964: pl. 6, fig. 39); the lamellae vaginalis is semicircular, the ductus bursae is about two times the length of the corpus bursae (Kuroko 1964: pl. 12, fig. 59).
Type material. Holotype, ♁, CHINA: Jiangxi, Longnan, Mt. Anji, 24.876°N, 114.610°E, el. 330 m, 26.v.2018, mine in leaf of Blastus pauciflorus, emerged 2.vi.2018, leg. Tengteng Liu, field no. LTT000137, genitalia slide no. LSY0063, SDNU. Ent 001192; SDNU. Paratypes (all China): 2♀, collecting information same as holotype, SDNU. Ent001193 (genitalia slide no. LSY0060), SDNU.Ent001194 (genitalia slide no. LSY0068).
Adult (Figs 1–2). Forewing length: 3.0– 3.2 mm (Holotype = 3.1 mm). Head, tuft, face, thorax and labial palpus shining white. Antennae about 1.2 times length of forewing, eye-cap shining white, base of flagellum white, turning grayish brown toward distal. Forewing narrow-lanceolate (Fig. 12a), shining white; costal and dorsal streak absent; an oval brown discal blotch from costa at basal 1/2 to 3/4 and half width of forewing; apical blotch golden brown and occupying distal l/4 of forewing, connected with discal blotch; costal and apical cilia white, three radially equidistant strigulae at distal 1/ 6 in costal cilia, equal in length, golden brown basally and fuscous distally; a black apical dot at apex, followed by a short and dark-fuscous apical pencil; terminal cilia brown, with a dark-fuscous strigula on termen from end of apical blotch; fringe on termen dark fuscous, oblique along termen; dorsal cilia brown. Hindwing (Fig. 12b) and cilia pale brown. Foreleg with coxa and femur white, tibia and tarsus grayish brown; mid and hind legs white, base of tibiae pale fuscous dorsally, distal with three nearly equidistant fuscous spots, tarsus dark fuscous. Abdomen pale fuscous dorsally, white ventrally.
Male genitalia (Fig. 14a–b). Sclerotized ridge on 8 th tergite slightly sclerotized and about 35 µm long, anterior edge straight; lobes of superuncus nearly triangular, narrowed posteriorly, apex with dense setae; gnathos membranous, apex digitiform; valvae 230 µm long, dorsal and ventral margins almost parallel, distal 1/3 slightly curved towards ventral margin; saccus slender and hook-shaped; tegumen + vinculum about 530 µm in length (lateral view); a pair of coremata 210 μm long, rounded at apex; phallus about 460 µm long, rather long and sinuous cylindrical, cornutus about 1/4 length of phallus; ductus ejaculatorius cylindrical and almost as long as phallus.
Female genitalia (Figs18, 18a). Segments strongly sclerotized beyond 8 th segment; ovipositor specialized and tapered distally adapted for piercing; apophyses posteriores thick and strongly sclerotized, base strongly fused with ovipositor and distally enlarged, 1.0 mm long; apophyses anteriores 540 µm long; ostium bursae located at anterior margin of 8 th sternite; lamellae vaginalis trapezoidal, weakly sclerotized; ductus bursae about 3/4 length of corpus bursae; corpus bursae without signum; ductus seminalis from posterior 1/3 of ductus bursae with a small sclerotized patch at opening.
Remarks. The new species have characters of its subgenus regarding wing venation and male genitalia, but the antennae is 1.2 times length of the forewing, while 1.5 mentioned in the subgenus´ description (Kuroko 1964).
Biology. The mine is located on the upper surface of the leaf, later expands into an irregular shrunken and brown patch, so it can be easily traced from the upper side of the leaf (Figs 23–25). In the later stage, the larva left its mine and spins a hammock-like cocoon on the underside of the leaf. Each leaf has 1–2 mines (one mine specimen and two photos examined). Larvae were collected in May.
Host plant (Fig. 23–26). Blastus pauciflorus (Benth.) Guillaum. (Melastomataceae).
Distribution. China (Jiangxi).
Etymology. The specific name is derived from the genus name of the host plant. A noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition to the generic name.
description: Published as part of Liu, Shiyu, Liu, Tengteng, Yu, Jiazhi, Xu, Jiasheng & Teng, Kaijian, 2023, The leaf-mining genus Lyonetia Hübner from China, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutoidea: Lyonetiidae), pp. 100-120 in Zootaxa 5357 (1) on page 103, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5357.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/10012625