Thiotricha pyrphora Meyrick 1918
Creators: name: Lee, Ga-Eun
name: Li, Houhun
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Gelechiidae
Thiotricha
Thiotricha pyrphora

description: Thiotricha pyrphora Meyrick, 1918   
(Figs 22 D−F, 27X, 46C, 62H, 68C, D, 75C)  
 Thiotricha pyrphora Meyrick, 1918: 122; 1925: 102; Gaede, 1937: 306; Clarke, 1969: 467; Ivinskis et al., 1984: 39. TL: N. Coorg, India. TD: NHMUK.   
 Type material (Figs 68C, D, 75C). Holotype ♂, INDIA, N. Coorg, Dibidi, 3,500 feet, i.1913, leg. L. Newcome, genitalia slide no. J. F.G.C. 8350 (NHMUK).   
 Additional material examined. CHINA: Fujian Province: 1 ♀, Daiyun Village, 850 m, Mt. Daiyun, Dehua County, 14.ix.2002, leg. Xinpu Wang; 1 ♀, Mt. Tianzhu, 220 m, Xiamen City, 15.viii.2010, leg. Bingbing Hu and Jing Zhang, genitalia slide no. LGE18705; 1 ♀, Mt. Tianzhu, 220 m, Xiamen City, 17.ix.2010, leg. Yinghui Sun and Jing Zhang, genitalia slide no. LGE18520; Guizhou Province: 1 ♂, Lanei Village, 800 m, Shuizu Town, Limingguan, Libo County, 22.vii.2015, leg. Meiqing Yang and Ga-Eun Lee, genitalia slide no. LGE18013; Hainan Province: 1 ♂, Mt. Diaoluo (18.67°N, 109.94°E), 940 m, 1.vi.2007, leg. Zhiwei Zhang and Weichun Li, genitalia slide no. LGE18006; 1 ♀, Mt. Limu, 700 m, 13.iv.2008, leg. Bingbing Hu and Haiyan Bai, genitalia slide no. LGE18699; 2 ♂♂, Hongxin Village (19.08°N, 109.52°E) 430 m, Yuanmen Town, Baisha County, 17.iv.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu, genitalia slide no. LGE18713; 1 ♂, Limushan Nature Reserves (19.17°N, 109.74°E), 640 m, 1.v.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu; 1 ♀, Limushan Forest Park (19.17°N, 109.74°E), 607 m, 17.v.2015, leg. Peixin Cong, Wei Guan and Sha Hu, genitalia slide no. LGE18704; 1 ♂, Hongkan (19.08°N, 109.50°E), 508 m, Yinggeling, 15.vi.2015, leg. Peixin Cong, Wei Guan and Sha Hu, genitalia slide no. LGE18012; 1 ♂, Limushan Nature Reserves (19.17°N, 109.73°E), 632 m, 7.i.2016, leg. Kaijian Teng, Xia Bai and Mengting Chen, whole-body slide no. NKLGE010m; 2 ♂♂, Limushan Forest Park (19.17°N, 109.73°E), 607 m, 23.x.2016, leg. Xia Bai, Shuonan Qian and Wanding Qi, genitalia slide no. LGE18522; 1 ♂, Limushan Forest Park (19.17°N, 109.73°E), 607 m, 22.x.2016, leg. Xia Bai, Shuonan Qian and Wanding Qi, genitalia slide no. LGE18708; Taiwan Province: 1 ♂, Zhongaiqiao, 20 m, Lanyu, 19.viii.2006, leg. Houhun Li and Xicui Du, genitalia slide no. LGE18048; Xizang Autonomous Region: 1 ♀, Yadong Village (29.33°N, 95.34°E), 833 m, Motuo County, 16.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang; 3 ♂♂, Dexing Village (29.32°N, 95.30°E), 833 m, Motuo County, 18.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide nos. LGE17167, LGE17265; Yunnan Province: 1 ♂, Tropical Botanical Garden (21.92°N, 101.27°E), 560 m, Xishuangbanna, 3.viii.2010, leg. Yinghui Sun and Lixia Li, genitalia slide no. LGE18659; 5 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀, Xiaoheishan Nature Reserves (24.52°N, 98.84°E), 1974 m, Longling County, 17–19.vii.2013, leg. Shurong Liu, Yuqi Wang and Kaijian Teng, genitalia slide nos. LGE 16118m, LGE16119f, LGE18554f, LGE 18593m; 1 ♀, Baoshan (24.82°N, 98.78°E), 2009 m, 10.viii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Shurong Liu and Hua Rong, genitalia slide no. LGE18519; 1 ♂, Yexianggu (22.17°N, 100.87°E), 762 m, Xishuangbanna, 10.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Baoshan (24.82°N, 98.78°E), 2009 m, 16, 20.vii.2015, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai, genitalia slide no. LGE16295f; Zhejiang Province: 1 ♂, Linkeng Village (28.53°N, 120.7°E), 387 m, Yongjia County, 27.viii.2016, leg. Qingyun Wang, Meiqing Yang and Ping Liu.   
 Diagnosis. Adult (Fig. 22 D−F). Wingspan 8.0−9.0 mm. This species has a forewing with the ground whitish grey to dark fuscous and the distal 1/3 yellow. The presence of three black spots on the forewing is striking, one on the costa near apex, one at apex and the other at tornus, but the costal spot can be indistinct. Unlike most other species of Thiotricha, the mid tibia is not marked with streaks or spots, and the first tarsomeres of mid and hind tarsi are uniformly colored in P. pyrphora. The male sternum VIII (Fig. 27X) is unique as it is very slender and long and densely covered with hooked setae. The male genitalia (Fig. 46C) are characterized by the enlarged and strongly curved anellus lobe and the small aedeagus with the base very narrowed. The corpus bursae of female genitalia (Fig. 62H) is very delicate and the signum is absent, which is unusual in this genus.   
 Variations. In some specimens (usually in males), the forewing is considerably darker in color, which can lead to misidentification. Also, the yellowish area in distal 1/3 of the forewing can be reduced, and the black costal spot can be indistinct or nearly obsolete.   
 Distribution. China (Fujian, Guizhou, Hainan, Taiwan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang), India.   
 Remarks. This species is recorded from China for the first time.
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 159-160, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121