Promalactis aculeiformis Wang & Liu 2020, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Wang, Shuxia
name: Liu, Chen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Oecophoridae
Promalactis
Promalactis aculeiformis

description: Promalactis aculeiformis Wang, sp. nov.
(Figs 14, 31)
Type material. CHINA, Guangxi: Holotype ♂, Mt. Daming (23.53°N, 108.34°E), 1250 m, 25.V.2011, leg. LL Yang & YH Mou, slide No. DZH11036.
Diagnosis. The new species is very similar to P. zhengi Wang et Li, 2004 and P. curvispinosa sp. nov. in the male genitalia. It can be distinguished from P. zhengi by the sacculus exceeding the tip of the costal margin apically, and the aedeagus with two cornuti and a ventrodistal spine; in P. zhengi, the sacculus just reaches the end of the costal margin apically, the aedeagus lacks a ventrodistal spine, and the cornutus is absent (Wang & Li, 2004: 4, fig. 8). The new species can be separated from P. curvispinosa by the costa distinctly bumped before distal 1/3, and the saccus is as long as the gnathos; in P. curvispinosa, the costa is almost smooth, and the saccus is shorter than the gnathos.
Description. Adult (Fig. 14). Wingspan 10.0 mm. Head dark brown, frons yellowish white, occiput silvery white. Labial palpus with basal and second segments black mixed with white on inner surface, black on outer surface; second segment white near apex; third segment black except white basally and apically, slightly shorter than second segment. Antenna with scape white, black on anterior and posterior margins; flagellum black alternated with white on dorsal surface, dark brown on ventral surface. Thorax and tegula black basally, deep yellowish brown distally, thorax mixed with white scales apically. Forewing ochreous yellow, with dense black scales along termen to tornus; costal margin with an ill-defined black band along basal 1/5; costal spot black, large quadrate, extending obliquely outward to anterior angle of cell, edged with a white streak on outer margin; distal spot black, triangular, reaching 2/3 width of wing posteriorly; other markings white edged with black scales: cell with a white stripe at basal 1/4, a larger white elliptical spot above posterior angle, and an indistinct white dot at posterior angle; fold with a short white stripe at base, an arched white stripe above middle, a curved stripe above basal 3/4 continued with dense black scales to below white dot at posterior angle of cell; dorsum with white stripe at basal 1/5, basal 2/5 and beyond basal 3/5 reaching fold respectively; apical and terminal spots elliptical; tornal spot black, diffused, tinged with white scales; cilia ochreous yellow except black on extension of distal black spot, tinged with black along base of termen. Hindwing and cilia deep grey. Legs black; fore tibia with a white spot at base and middle, with a tuft of white scales at apex dorsally, tarsus with basal tarsomere white at apex; mid and hindlegs brownish grey ventrally, mid tibia with a tuft of white scales at middle and apex, tarsi white at apices of basal two tarsomeres and on entire apical tarsomere, fourth tarsomere white at base on inner side.
Male genitalia (Fig. 31). Uncus wide at base, narrowed to pointed apex, sparsely setose lateromedially. Gnathos as long as uncus; mesial plate narrowly lingulate, with scale-like protuberances on distal 1/3, rounded apically, with a small sub-triangular apical process; basal arm band-shaped, shorter than mesial plate. Tegumen divided from posterior 1/2; lateral arm narrowed anteriorly to obtuse apex. Valva with basal 3/4 almost uniformly wide, narrowed from distal 1/4 to apex; costa concave near base, bumped before distal 1/3; sacculus broad at base, slightly narrowed to basal 1/4, uniformly narrow from basal 1/4 to middle, widened and setose in sub-crescent shape distally, produced to a small apical spine directed dorsad and slightly exceeding tip of costal margin. Saccus almost as long as uncus, almost parallel laterally, narrowed to rounded apex distally. Juxta with strong lateral arms pointed at apex, reaching anterior 2/3 of tegumen; basal lobe clavate, reaching distal 1/3 of saccus. Aedeagus straight, about 1.8 times length of valva, with a heavily sclerotized spine-shaped process ventrodistally; with two cornuti: one cornutus needle-like, very thin, about 3/4 length of aedeagus, the other spine-shaped, very short, about 1/6 length of aedeagus.
Female unknown.
Distribution. China (Guangxi).
Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin aculeiformis, referring to the needle-like cornutus.
description: Published as part of Wang, Shuxia & Liu, Chen, 2020, Taxonomic study of the genus Promalactis Meyrick, 1908 (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) IX. The maculosa species-group, with descriptions of eighteen new species, pp. 38-66 in Zootaxa 4890 (1) on pages 52-53, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4890.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/4301547