Thiotricha atralata 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 atralata

description: Thiotricha atralata sp. nov.   
(Figs 6D, 23C, 29C, 47C)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Xizang Autonomous Region, Linzhi County, Bayi Town, Dianchanggou (29.65°N, 94.37°E), 3170 m, 8.viii.2010, leg. Houhun Li et al., genitalia slide no. LGE18083. Paratypes. CHINA: Xizang Autonomous Region: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, same data as holotype except 3115 m, 11.viii.2010, genitalia slide nos. LGE 18042m, LGE18043f; 1 ♂, Bomi County, Zhamu Village (29.87°N, 95.77°E), 2703 m, 22.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide no. LGE18051.   
 Diagnosis. This species has the forewing color much darker than other related species. The male genitalia are very similar to those of T. lativalva, but T. atralata has more slender valva and anellus lobe and longer saccus. In the female genitalia, papillae anales of T. atralata are distinctive as a group of minute spines are present only along the posterior margin whereas spines broadly cover the papillae anales in other related species such as T. subocellea, T. apicispinea and T. fasciaria. Also, ductus bursae is shorter than corpus bursae in T. atralata whereas those are usually longer in other species.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 6D). Wingspan 13.5−15.0 mm. Head with vertex fuscous, frons whitish grey. Labial palpus fuscous except dorsal surface whitish grey, segment III slightly shorter than II, pointed at apex. Antenna fuscous except dorsal surface suffused with grey, male cilia as long as diameter of flagellum. Thorax and tegula fuscous, posterior margin of tegula tinged with grey. Forewing ground color whitish grey, strongly sprinkled with fuscous especially at base and in distal half, anterior edge of costa fuscous; two large fuscous spots at basal 1/3 and 1/2 on dorsum, both reaching half way across wing, latter sometimes indistinct, between two spots broadly suffused with whitish grey; fringe from apex to tornus dark grey mixed with fuscous, remaining fringe light or dark grey. Hindwing dark grey, fringe light grey. Fore and mid legs grey, strongly sprinkled with fuscous, tarsus ringed with grey at apex; hind leg grey to ochreous, tibia with outer surface sprinkled with fuscous, tarsus with outer surface fuscous except apex of each segment.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 23C). 1/5 length of abdomen, gradually narrowed from base to anterior 2/3, posterior 1/3 bifurcate with slender tines, each tine sharply pointed at apex.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 29C). Uncus tongue-shaped, slightly broadened after base, sparsely setose apically. Gnathos hook moderately long, slender, pointed at apex. Tegumen approximately 3 times as long as uncus, anterior margin indented in U-shape. Valva with base narrow, slightly curved inward basally, costa nearly straight after base; ventral margin sharply widening from base to middle, broadly concave after middle and slightly narrowing toward apex, rounded apically. Anellus lobe 1/2 length of valva, slender, narrowing from base to basal 2/3, then widening to blunt apex; apical bristle 1/4 length of anellus lobe, hooked. Juxta setose, with a hummock-like process. Vinculum simple, posterior margin rounded. Saccus subtriangular, with blunt apex, slightly exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal 2/5 dilated, narrowed distally, ventral margin convex at distal 1/5; apex slender, shortly curved upward.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 47C). Papillae anales moderately sclerotized, with minute spines along posterior margin. Apophyses anteriores 2/3 length of apophyses posteriores. Tergum VIII shorter than sternum VIII, divided into two sclerites, posterior margin concave. Sternum VIII with anterior margin strongly elongate medially in U-shape; medial sclerotization triangular in posterior 1/2, narrowly elongated anteriorly as a slender sclerite, anterior 1/5 curved and reaching base of ductus bursae. Ductus bursae 2/3 length of corpus bursae, broadened after base, slightly constricted at entrance of corpus bursae. Corpus bursae obovate; signum at posterior 1/3, semielliptical with a central ridge.   
 Distribution. China (Xizang).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin, atri- (dark) and alatus (winged), referring to the forewing darker than related species.
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 21-22, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121