Thiotricha asymmetricijuxta 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 asymmetricijuxta

description: Thiotricha asymmetricijuxta sp. nov.   
(Figs 8A, 23P, 31D)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Yunnan Province, Xishuangbanna, Yexianggu (22.17°N, 100.87°E), 762 m, 12.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai, genitalia slide no. LGE16095. Paratype. 1 ♂, same data as holotype except 17.vii.2014, genitalia slide no. LGE18416.   
 Diagnosis. The new species is very similar to T. prunifolivora and T. lacrimiformis, but the males are easily distinguished from the latter two by the presence of a hair pencil on the labial palpus. Other comparative diagnostic characters are mentioned under T. prunifolivora. The male genitalia can be first recognized by the asymmetrical and more slender juxta projections. The aedeagus has teeth near the apex similar to that of T. umbrosidorsa, but those are relatively shorter and fewer in number compared to the latter species.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 8A). Wingspan 7.0− 7.5 mm. Head creamy white. Labial palpus creamy white; in male, segment I long; segment II twice as long as I, suffused with fuscous on ventral surface, with hair pencil reaching apex of III; segment III as long as II, suffused with fuscous on ventral surface. Antenna with scape creamy white; flagellum fuscous except basal 1/3 of dorsal surface creamy white, cilia twice as long as diameter. Thorax creamy white. Tegula creamy white except anterior margin slightly tinged with fuscous. Forewing creamy white, anterior edge of costa black; apical spot elliptical, surrounded by white scales; markings fuscous: an oblique costal streak from distal 1/4, reaching distal 1/3 of termen; beyond this, a triangular costal patch before apical spot, posteriorly confluent with former costal streak; an irregular spot on tornus, its anterior and lateral margins narrowly extended toward apical spot as two streaks, the streaks distally converging and confluent with costal streak, forming an elliptical ring; costal fringe fuscous, fringe on termen white except before apex fuscous; fringe on dorsum white and grey mixed. Hindwing grey with fuscous apex, fringe light grey except apical area white. Legs creamy white; fore femur, tibia and tarsus dark fuscous on outer surface; mid and hind tibiae suffused with fuscous on distal half of outer surface; mid and hind tarsi with first tarsomere shortly marked with fuscous at base and at middle, remaining tarsomeres fuscous in basal half.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 23P). 1/5 length of abdomen, lateral margins slightly concave, posterior 1/6 bifid.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 31D). Uncus tongue-shaped, sparsely setose, broadest at middle. Gnathos hook long, simple. Tegumen approximately 4 times as long as uncus, anterior margin deeply concave. Valva slender, basal half slightly curved inward, nearly straight distally; after middle slightly constricted and wrinkled on costa, distal 1/4 broadened, rounded apically. Anellus lobe digitate, approximately 1/4 length of valva, slightly constricted medially; apical bristle 1/2 or 1/3 length of anellus lobe, hooked. Juxta with slender, cone-shaped projections at basal 1/3 of inner margin, right projection longer than left one. Vinculum slender, simple. Saccus broad, subtriangular, exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus slender except basal 1/3 dilated, slightly broadened beyond middle, with a short tooth at distal 1/3 dorsally, a row of 3−4 teeth before apex ventrally, each tooth different in length.   
Female unknown.  
 Distribution. China (Yunnan).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin, asymmetricus (asymmetrical) and juxta (juxta), referring to the asymmetrical projections of juxta.
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 34-36, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121