Promalactis apicibilobata Wang & Liu & David 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Wang, Shuxia
name: Liu, Chen
name: David, Lees
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Oecophoridae
Promalactis
Promalactis apicibilobata

description: Promalactis apicibilobata Wang, sp. nov.
(Figs 18, 51)
Type material. Malaysia: Holotype ♂, Dunhelen Bungalow, Cameron Highlands, 1680 m, 22–25.VIII.1986, leg. G.S. Robinson, slide No. NHMUK010317005.
Diagnosis. The new species can be easily distinguished from other members of the group by the sub-quadrate uncus and gnathos heavily sclerotized laterally and apically, and the apically bilobed valva with a tooth at basal 1/3 of the costa.
Description. Adult (Fig. 18). Forewing length 6.5 mm.
Head. Vertex snowy white, frons dark brown, occiput rust brown. Labial palpus with second segment dark brown on outer surface, brown on inner surface; third segment black except white basally on inner surface. Antennal scape white dorsally, grey ventrally; flagellum black, alternating with white on dorsal surface except basal several flagellomeres uniformly white.
Thorax. Mesonotum and tegula rust brown. Forewing rust brown; markings white edged with black scales: costal spot sub-triangular, from distal 1/3 crossing anterior angle of cell; basal streak from dorsum extending obliquely inward to base of fold; antemedian streak from middle of dorsum to basal 1/3 of anterior margin of cell, curved outward medially; dorsal streak from distal 1/3 of dorsum oblique outward to distal 1/5 of posterior margin of cell; tornal spot rounded, with black scales from above it diffused to end of dorsal streak, forming an ill-defined black stripe; apical spot ovate, large; termen with a short narrow stripe extending from below apical spot; fringe rust brown. Hindwing and fringe grey. Fore- and midlegs black except fore femur and midleg white ventrally, tibiae with white spot basally and apically, with a tuft of white scales apically, tarsi white at apices of basal two tarsomeres; hindleg brown ventrally, black dorsally, tarsus white at apices of basal three tarsomeres and on entire distal two tarsomeres.
Male genitalia (Fig. 51). Uncus broad, sub-quadrate, heavily sclerotized laterally, widened and heavily sclerotized as a band apically, produced into a small quadrate lobe extending outward lateroapically, apex sinuate. Gnathos approx. same length as uncus, sub-quadrate, straight and heavily sclerotized laterally, sclerotized as a band and squamous anteriorly, produced anterolaterally. Tegumen furcate from posterior 1/3; lateral arm slightly narrowed anteriorly. Valva broad at base, narrowed to heavily sclerotized, bilobed apex: dorsal lobe narrowly elongate triangular, pointed at apex, ventral lobe thumb-shaped, less than 1/2 length of dorsal lobe, rounded apically; costa strongly sclerotized, bearing a small tooth-like process at base; sacculus indistinct. Saccus triangular, rounded apically. Juxta slender, clavate, reaching base of uncus; basal lobe elliptically inflated. Phallus about 2 times length of valva, spatulate and margined with denticles distally; cornutus absent.
Female unknown.
Distribution. Malaysia
Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin apex and bilobatus, referring to the apically bilobed valva.
description: Published as part of Wang, Shuxia, Liu, Chen & David, Lees, 2024, Partial revision of Promalactis Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae), based on specimens deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, pp. 1-58 in Zootaxa 5536 (1) on pages 18-20, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5536.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14023827