Endotricha sikkima Ranjan, N. Singh & Kirti 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ranjan, Rahul
name: Singh, Navneet
name: Kirti, Jagbir Singh
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Pyralidae
Endotricha
Endotricha sikkima

description: Endotricha sikkima Ranjan, N. Singh & Kirti, sp. nov.
(Figs 11, 24)
Type locality: Dodak (Sikkim, India)
Material examined:
Holotype (♁). India, Sikkim, Dodak, 24.ix.2014 (13272/H10), R. Ranjan leg. (NZCZSI).
Paratypes (13 ♁). India, Sikkim: Yuksom, 1 ♁, 02.v.2014 (13273/H10), Gangtok, 2 ♁, 29.v.2013 (13274/ H10), Golitar, 4 ♁, 30.iv.2014 (13275/H10), Mangan, 1 ♁, 24.iv.2014 (13276/H10), 2 ♁, 25.iv.2014 (13277/H10), Dzongu, 1 ♁, 28.iv.2014 (13278/H10); Arunachal Pradesh: Sessa, 1 ♁, 12.v.2013 (13279/H10), R. Ranjan leg. (NZCZSI).
Diagnosis: Externally, E. sikkima sp. nov. (Fig. 11) is closely similar to E. mesenterialis species-group (sensu Whalley 1963), but is distinct by the absence of a basal process of the antennae. In male genitalia, E. sikkima sp. nov. (Fig. 24) is distinct by the presence of a robust cornutus in the vesica, which is absent in all other species of the group (Whalley 1963).
Description: Male. Forewing length 8 mm. Labial palpi upturned, reaching up to frons, covered with loosely packed brown and white scales; vertex brownish with some paler scales; collar purplish brown; patagia black, reaching well beyond thorax. Forewing purplish pink, basal area darker with blackish scales towards costal area; antemedial black line curved, boarding basal dark area; a subcostal, brown, elongate oval patch beyond antemedial line to submarginal black line. Discocellular with black scales. Hindwing pinkish-purple, with fuscous scales; costal, subcostal area paler; a medial, indistinct paler band, bordered with some blackish scales. Cilia long, yellowish with purplish pink and fuscous bases; subapical patch of cilia purely yellowish.
Male genitalia with uncus T-shaped, apico-lateral arms long downwardly curved, densely setose; socii upwardly directed. Gnathos cuneate. Dorsal portion of valva membranous, densely covered with inwardly directed and piliform scales; area posterior to costa weakly sclerotised; protrusion emerging from the centre of valva pointing towards dorsal end of sacculus base; sacculus broad at base, narrowing distally. Tegumen broad at base. Transtilla sclerotised, constricted medially. Juxta elongate, almost rectangular with patches of spines apically. Vinculum squarish. Phallus elongated, vesica with a long spined cornutus with patch of scobination.
Female unknown.
Distribution: The new species is so far reported to be distributed in Indian Himalaya (Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim).
Etymology: The species epithet refers to the Indian state of Sikkim, where its type locality is situated. A noun in the nominative singular standing in apposition to the generic name.
description: Published as part of Ranjan, Rahul, Singh, Navneet & Kirti, Jagbir Singh, 2023, On the taxonomy of genus Endotricha Zeller (Pyralinae, Pyralidae, Lepidoptera) with description of three new species from India, pp. 56-70 in Zootaxa 5323 (1) on page 65, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5323.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/8203934