Thiotricha pontifera Meyrick 1932
Creators: name: Lee, Ga-Eun
name: Li, Houhun
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Thiotricha
Thiotricha pontifera

description: Thiotricha pontifera Meyrick, 1932   
(Figs 8G, 24B, 32D, 49F, 63C, D, 69B)  
 Thiotricha pontifera Meyrick, 1932: 196; Gaede, 1937: 306; Liu, 1981: 21; Ivinskis et al., 1984: 39; Shen & Liu, 1988: 24; Omelko, 1999: 180; Park et al., 2000: 243; Li, 2002: 438; Hua, 2005: 8; Ueda & Fujiwara, 2005: 75; Zhen & Li, 2008: 90. TL: Japan. TD: NHMUK.   
 Polyhymno pontifera: Moriuti, 1982: 280, 2: 213; Liu, 1997: 39; Park & Ponomarenko, 2007: 42; Ponomarenko, 2008: 91; Sakamaki, 2013: 295.   
 Polyhymno pantifera: Hua, 2005: 7. Misspelling.   
 Type material (Figs 63C, D, 69B). Holotype ♀, JAPAN, Iwawakisan, 8.viii.1919, leg. S. Issiki, genitalia slide no. J. F.G.C. 8332 (NHMUK).   
 Additional material examined. CHINA: Jilin Province: 1 ♂, Huinan County, 11.vii.1991, leg. Houhun Li, genitalia slide no. L00213; Liaoning Province: 3 ♂♂, Laotudingzi, Huanren County, 8, 9.viii.2009, leg. Weichun Li and Jiayu Liu, genitalia slide no. LGE18557. JAPAN: 1 ♀, Honshu, Kooyasan, 21.vii.1956, leg. S. Moriuti, genitalia slide no. NHMUK010317557 (NHMUK). KOREA: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Gyeonggi-do, Pocheon-si, Idongyeon, Mt. Gakheulsan, 3.vii.2008, leg. B. W. Lee, S. Y. Park & S. R. Kim (KNA); 1 ♀, Gyeonggi-do, Pocheon-si, Sohol-eup, Gungnipsumogwon, 21.vi.2012, leg. Sung-Soo Kim, genitalia slide no. LGE22114 (NIBR); 1 ♂, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju-si, Geoncheon-eup, Hwacheon-ri, Mt. Danseoksan, 15.vi.2016, leg. S. Y. Park, Y. M. Shin, J. W. Nam & M. H. Kim (KNA); 1 ♂, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongju-si, Jinhyeon-dong, Mt. Tohamsan, 14.vi.2016, leg. S. Y. Park, Y. M. Shin, J. W. Nam & M. H. Kim (KNA); 5 ♂♂, Gangwon-do, Pyeongchang-gun, Yongpyeong-myeon, Nodong-ri, 815m, 16.viii.2021, leg. Ga-Eun Lee, genitalia slide no. LGE22092 (JNU); 5 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Jeju-do, Seogwopo-si, Hawon-dong, Yeongsil, 1226m, 29.vii.2022, leg. Ga-Eun Lee, genitalia slide nos. LGE 22084m, LGE22091f, LGE 22095m, LGE 22096m (JNU).   
 Diagnosis. Adult (Fig. 8G). Wingspan 10.0−13.0 mm. Thiotricha pontifera is very closely allied to T. candidipalpa and it is difficult to separate them based solely on the superficial appearance. The two species show intraspecific variation in the forewing color, but in fresh specimens, the forewing ground is often strongly mixed with yellow or cream in T. pontifera whereas it is whiter in T. candidipalpa. Also, the mid and hind legs are marked with black streaks in T. pontifera, but the markings on the legs are usually dark grey in the latter species.A relatively good character separating the two species is the color of labial palpi: in T. pontifera the outer surface of segment I, basal 1/3 of segment II and the ventral surface of segment III are often suffused with fuscous whereas the labial palpus is usually white entirely in T. candidipalpa. The male genitalia of T. pontifera is distinctive and easily distinguished from other species by the valva bearing a spine-like projection at middle of the costa. The female genitalia are very similar to those of T. candidipalpa, but in T. pontifera the oblong sclerotization above ostium bursae is narrower and somewhat indistinctive compared to the latter, and weakly sclerotized antrum is sometimes present.   
 Variation. The oblique band running along the forewing dorsum is often indistinct basally. Specimens from Japan and Korea have cream to light yellow forewings (Park & Ponomarenko 2007; Sakamaki 2013) whereas specimens from China have white to dirty-white forewings slightly tinged with cream or light yellow distally.   
 Host plant. Fagaceae: Quercus serrata Murray (Sakamaki 2013).   
 Distribution. China (Anhui, Henan, Jilin, Liaoning), Japan, Korea, Russia (Primorsk Territory).
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 41-42, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121