Thiotricha longisigna 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 longisigna

description: Thiotricha longisigna sp. nov.   
(Figs 16A, 26H, 40B, 56D)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Shaanxi Province, Ningshan, Xunyangba Town, 1360 m, 1.vii.2007, leg. Haili Yu, genitalia slide no. LGE15091. Paratypes. CHINA: Shaanxi Province: 1 ♀, same data as holotype except 28.vi.2007, genitalia slide no. LGE18299; Henan Province: 1 ♀, Shiziping, 1700 m, Lushi County, 20.vii.2001, leg. Dandan Zhang, genitalia slide no. LGE23025; 1 ♀, Mt. Baiyun (34.18°N, 112.45°E), 1560 m, Luoyang City, 23.vii.2001, leg. Dandan Zhang; 3 ♀♀, Mt. Baiyun (33.68°N, 111.85°E), 1580 m, Luoyang City, 18, 19.vii.2002, leg. Xinpu Wang, genitalia slide nos. ZJL05213, LGE16148, LGE16149; Shanxi Province: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Dahe Forest Farm (35.46°N, 111.94°E), 1340 m, Yicheng County, Linfen City, 12, 13.vii.2012, leg. Qiang Gao and Na Chen, genitalia slide nos. LGE15084f, LGE 19108m; 1 ♂, Dahe Forest (35.46°N, 111.94°E), 1202 m, Yicheng County, Linfen City, 26.vii.2013, leg. Shulian Hao and Mingjing Li; 1 ♀, Zhuweigou, 1589 m, Lishan Nature Reserves, Qinshui, Jincheng, 28.vii.2013, leg. Shulian Hao and Mingjing Li.   
 Diagnosis. The new species has the forewing costa broadly suffused with brown scales instead of having a distinct band or streak. The oblique transverse streak running between the costa and the dorsum is broad and somewhat indistinct. The male genitalia can be distinguished from its allies by having the round uncus and the valva gradually broadening from base to the middle. The long signum in the female genitalia is unique in the species group.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 16A). Wingspan 13.0− 15.5 mm. Head white. Labial palpus white; in male segment I long, fuscous on outer surface, segment II as long as I, with hair pencil reaching basal 1/2 or 2/3 of segment III, segment III slightly longer than II, sometimes fuscous on ventral surface and at apex; in female strongly recurved and more slender than that of male, segment I short, segment II approximately 3 times as long as I, segment III nearly as long as II, usually fuscous on ventral surface and at apex. Antenna with scape white; flagellum light brown except basal 2/3 of dorsal surface white, male cilia 1.5 or 2 times as long as diameter. Thorax white, sometimes strongly mixed with cream in posterior half, with two narrow, light brown median streaks. Tegula white to cream, anterior margin suffused with fuscous, inner margin usually light brown, this shade sometimes forming a narrow streak. Forewing ground color white to dirty white, sometimes strongly mixed with cream or light brown; costa with basal 1/2 broadly suffused with brown except anterior edge dark fuscous; apical area brown, sometimes tinged with pink; apical spot round and tinged inwardly with white scales, apex falcate; markings brown: two narrow, outwardly oblique costal streaks from distal 1/3 and 1/4 of wing, respectively, nearly converging posteriorly at half way across wing; beyond this two inwardly oblique costal strigulae alternating with white scales before apical spot; a broad, sometimes somewhat indistinct, transverse streak running obliquely from basal 1/3 of dorsum to 1/2 of costa, often broadening toward costa; distal 1/2 of wing with a large, inwardly directed V-shaped marking, its upper fork reaching costal streaks, lower fork running along fold and often indistinct; near tornus irregularly marked with brownish scales, sometimes forming a subtriangular patch; fringe on apical area cream with basal and terminal black bands, on termen white except distal half metallic silver, on dorsum dark grey. Hindwing and fringe dark grey. Legs creamy white; fore femur, tibia and tarsus black on outer surface; mid tibia with a black oblique streak on outer surface after middle; hind tibia dark grey on outer surface near apex, this shade sometimes forming a short streak; mid and hind tarsi with tarsomere I broadly black at middle, II and III black in basal 1/3 or 1/2 of outer surface.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 26H). Approximately 1/5 length of abdomen, with lateral margins broadly concave; posterior 1/6 bifid, two tines short and stout.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 40B). Uncus round. Gnathos hook simple, long. Tegumen approximately 4 times as long as uncus. Valva narrow at base, costa broadly concave after base; ventral margin gradually broadening from base to basal 3/7, then almost uniformly elongate to near apex; apex round and slightly enlarged. Anellus lobe elliptical, approximately 1/5 length of valva, ventral margin sparsely setose; apical bristle slightly shorter than anellus lobe, hooked. Juxta slightly convex. Vinculum with posterior margin produced medially. Saccus short, not exceeding tegumen pedunculus, apex round or slightly pinched. Aedeagus with basal 1/2 dilated, then gradually narrowing toward apex.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 56D). Papillae anales moderately sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores 5/8 length of apophyses posteriores. Segment VIII covered with minute spines laterally; tergum VIII with posterior margin deeply concave; sternum VIII longer than tergum VIII, anterior half covered with a spinous intersegmental membrane, anterior margin strongly produced. Ostium bursae elliptical, opening in anterior 1/2 of sternum VIII. Ductus bursae long, coiled, broad except base, base with a short linear sclerite extended from ostium bursae, ductus seminalis arising beyond the sclerite. Corpus bursae obovate or oval, 1/3 or 2/3 length of ductus bursae; signum long, lying along near posterior margin of corpus bursae, consisting of minute denticles.   
 Distribution. China (Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin longus (long) and signum, referring to the long signum of the female genitalia.
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 105-106, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121