Thiotricha curviciliaris 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 curviciliaris

description: Thiotricha curviciliaris sp. nov.   
(Figs 19E, F, 27F, 28D, 43B, J, 60A)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Hainan Province, Ledong County, Jianfeng Town, Tropical Arboretum (18.70°N, 108.79°E), 40 m, 25.iv.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu, genitalia slide no. LGE18750.   
 Paratypes. CHINA: Hainan Province: 6 ♂♂, 12 ♀♀, same data as holotype except 25–30.iv.2014, genitalia slide nos. LGE 18751m, LGE18752f; 1 ♀, Shuiman Town (18.88°N, 109.67°E), 630 m, Wuzhishan City, 17.iv.2009, leg. Qing Jin and Bingbing Hu, genitalia slide no. LGE18759; 1 ♀, Maoyang Town (18.94°N, 109.51°E), 225 m, Wuzhishan City, 19.iv.2009, leg. Qing Jin and Bingbing Hu; 3 ♀♀, Jianfeng Town (18.70°N, 108.79°E), 40 m, Ledong County, 27, 28.iv.2013, leg. Yinghui Sun, Wei Guan and Tengteng Liu; 1 ♀, Tianchi (18.74°N, 108.84°E), 1050 m, Jianfengling, Ledong County, 30.iv.2013, leg. Yinghui Sun, Wei Guan and Tengteng Liu.   
 Diagnosis. The species is unique as the males have a row of curved black ciliae on the forewing costa (Fig. 19F). Also, the dark fuscous streak running along the costa is distinct and diagnostic. The male genitalia are characterized by the S-shaped short anellus lobe and the strongly produced juxta. The female genitalia are very similar to those of T. lata especially in having a broadly sclerotized anterior margin of sternum VIII. However, T. curviciliaris has a square colliculum and a signum situated at anterior 2/5 of corpus bursae whereas T. lata has a somewhat triangular colliculum and a signum placed in posterior 1/3 of corpus bursae. Moreover, the corpus bursae of T. curviciliaris is larger than those of T. lata.   
 Description. Adult (Figs 19E, F). Wingspan 8.0−10.0 mm. Head creamy white. Labial palpus creamy white, segment I very short; segment III fuscous ventrally and apically, as long as II. Antenna with scape creamy white; flagellum dark fuscous except basal 1/4 or 1/5 of dorsal surface creamy white, male cilia as long as diameter. Thorax creamy white, with a dark fuscous median line. Tegula creamy white except anterior margin slightly suffused with fuscous. Forewing cream to light yellow, male with a row of curved black ciliae arising from anterior edge of costa in basal 1/3 of wing, markings dark fuscous to black: a longitudinal streak running along costa from base to distal 1/4, curved outwardly from 1/4 and reaching apical spot;; beyond this a very short costal streak before apex, confluent with former streak near apical spot; apical spot large and round, suffused inwardly with dark grey or fuscous; a dark fuscous suffusion along dorsum from near base to 1/2 of wing, followed by an inwardly directed V-shaped marking, the upper fork of this nearly reaching apical spot and often confluent with costal streaks, the lower fork much shorter and running along fold; sometimes a short and indistinct streak near tornus, running longitudinally toward former marking; fringe on apical area mixed cream and dark fuscous, with subterminal and terminal black bands, produced downwards and bifurcate; fringe on termen fuscous, near apex with a row of coarse metallic fuscous ciliation; fringe on dorsum fuscous, slightly mixed with cream near tornus. Hindwing fuscous except subapex cream and apex black; fringe fuscous except apical area cream with a terminal black band. Legs cream; fore coxa slightly mixed with fuscous anteriorly; fore femur, tibia and tarsus black on outer surface; hind femur with a black spot at base; mid and hind tibiae with a short black streak near apex, respectively; mid and hind tarsi with first tarsomere dark fuscous at middle, remaining tarsomeres dark fuscous in basal half.   
 Abdominal segments (Figs 27F, 28D). In both male and female, tergum I melanized in triangular at middle. In male, sternum VIII 1/5 length of abdomen, with lateral margins broadly concave, posterior 1/3 bifurcate, inner margin of two tines forming a V-shape, its apex blunt; tergum VIII sclerotized as a subtrapezoidal plate, bearing long coremata bilaterally.   
 Male genitalia (Figs 43B, J). Uncus oval. Gnathos hook long and slender. Tegumen 1.5–2 times as long as uncus. Valva narrow, with costa nearly straight from base to near apex; ventral margin broadened after base, then gradually narrowing to basal 3/5; apex broad, somewhat pediform. Anellus lobe very short, digitate, apex slightly curved outward, somewhat S-shaped. Juxta strongly produced in sub-triangle, slightly curved outward and exceeding beyond valval base, its inner margin sparsely setose, blunt at apex. Vinculum slender, with a pair of short projections mediolaterally. Saccus very slender, not exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus gradually narrowing from base to apex, basal 1/3 slightly constricted, truncate at apex.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 60A). Papillae anales weakly sclerotized.Apophyses anteriores approximately 2/3 length of apophyses posteriores. Sternum VIII longer than tergum VIII, anterior margin strongly produced and gradually narrowed. Ostium bursae opening in anterior half of sternum VIII. Ductus bursae narrow in posterior 1/3 or 1/2, then slightly broadened and uniformly elongate to corpus bursae; colliculum situated near base, ductus seminalis arising from posterior 1/3 or 1/2. Corpus bursae ovate, 2–2.5 times as long as ductus bursae; signum rounded, consisting of minute denticles, placed at anterior 2/5.   
 Distribution. China (Hainan).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin, curvo (curved) and ciliaris (cilia), referring to the curved cilia present in the forewing costa of males.
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 136-137, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121