Thiotricha roseapicalis 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 roseapicalis

description: Thiotricha roseapicalis sp. nov.   
(Figs 11A, 24T, 35D)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Liuzhou, Rongshui County, Yangmeiao Protection Station, 1240 m, 27.vii.2015, leg. Meiqing Yang and Ga-Eun Lee, genitalia slide no. LGE18257.   
 Diagnosis. The presence of a large black spot on the costal 1/3 is similar to those of T. jianfengensis and T. grandimacula, but T. roseapicalis has a white forewing with carmine-pink ciliation on termen and at apex whereas the other two species have pale whitish ochre forewings without such ciliations. The male genitalia of T. roseapicalis are diagnosed by the straight valva slightly expanded apically, the narrow and spoon-shaped anellus lobe, the broad saccus and the aedeagus with a short process at basal 2/3.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 11A). Wingspan 12.0 mm. Head creamy white. Labial palpus creamy white; segment III slightly longer than II, suffused with fuscous on ventral surface, tipped black. Antenna creamy white, flagellum with distal 1/2 gradually darker to apex; male cilia shorter than diameter. Thorax creamy white, with a broad light brown median line. Tegula creamy white, inner margin slightly tinged with light brown and pink scales. Forewing ground color creamy white, slightly and irregularly tinged with pink scales; costa with basal 2/5 of anterior edge black, markings black: a minute spot below costa near base; a larger costal spot at 1/6; a very large, elongate costal spot at 1/3; a broad costal streak at 4/5, gradually narrowed, obliquely running to apical spot; below this, a narrow line longitudinally running to apical spot; an indistinct large spot at 1/5 above fold; a short, somewhat indistinct, longitudinal line below costa at 2/3, between this line and costa scattered with black scales; below this, a large elongate spot near tornus; dorsum slightly suffused with fuscous after base; apex dark fuscous, apical spot bordered inwardly by metallic silver scales and bordered outwardly by extensive carmine-pink scales on termen; fringe on distal 1/6 of costa black with white basal band, on termen mixed pink and white, on dorsum grey. Hindwing dark grey, fringe to cream grey. Legs creamy white; fore femur, tibia and tarsus black on outer surface; mid tibia with a black spot at middle of outer surface; mid tarsus with an oblique black streak on outer surface of first tarsomere, second and third with basal half black, fifth black; hind tibia with an oblique black streak near apex; hind tarsus with an oblique black streak at middle of first tarsomere, II–IV with basal half black.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 24T). Approximately 1/4 length of abdomen, with lateral margins broadly concave, bifurcate from posterior 1/5; inner margin U-shaped between two tines, pointed at apex.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 35D). Uncus tongue-shaped. Gnathos hook slender and long. Tegumen approximately 2.5 times as long as uncus. Valva narrow, straight, almost uniformly elongate from base to distal 1/6, then slightly broadened, apex round. Anellus lobe approximately 1/3 length of valva, base slender and curved inward, after base gradually broadening toward apex, somewhat spoon-shaped distally, rounded apically. Juxta simple, slightly convex basally. Vinculum broadly convex medially. Saccus broad subtriangular, as long as tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal 1/3 dilated, constricted after 1/3, bulged at middle, a triangular process arising from 2/3 of dorsal surface, narrowed apically.   
Female unknown.  
 Distribution. China (Guangxi).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin roseus (rose) and apicalis (apex), referring to the apex tipped carmine-pink scales.
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 63-64, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121