Thiotricha cultriformis 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 cultriformis

description: Thiotricha cultriformis sp. nov.   
(Figs 16 B−D, 26I, 40C, 56E)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Guizhou Province, Mt. Fanjing, Jinding (27.95°N, 108.62°E), 2100 m, 30.vii.2001, leg. Houhun Li and Xinpu Wang, genitalia slide no. LGE18202. Paratypes. CHINA: Guizhou Province: 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, same data as holotype except 31.vii.2001, genitalia slide no. ZJL05478m; 1 ♀, Huixiangping (27.90°N, 108.71°E), 1700 m, Jiankou County, 29.vii.2001, leg. Houhun Li and Xinpu Wang; Henan Province: 1 ♂, Mt. Baiyun, 1580 m, Song County, 20.vii.2002, leg. Xinpu Wang, genitalia slide no. LGE19037; Hunan Province: 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Mt. Badagong (29.38°N, 110.18°E), 1250 m, Sangzhi County, 12−14.viii.2001, leg. Houhun Li and Xinpu Wang, genitalia slide nos. ZJL05355m; ZJL05356f, ZJL05477m; Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region: 3 ♀♀, Xiaonanchuan (35.35°N, 106.31°E), 2400 m, Jingyuan County, 8.viii.2000, leg. Houhun Li and Shuxia Wang; Shaanxi Province: 1 ♂, Longshan Village (32.02°N, 109.18°E), 1466 m, Baxian Town, 5.viii.2016, leg. Weixing Feng and Wentao Shi, genitalia slide no. LGE23026; Sichuan Province: 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Rize (33.12°N, 103.88°E), 2700 m, Jiuzhaigou, 13.viii.2002, leg. Shulian Hao, genitalia slide no. LGE18203f; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Zezhawa (33.16°N, 103.92°E), 2400 m, Jiuzhaigou, 15, 16.viii.2002, leg. Shulian Hao; 1 ♀, Zharu (33.25°N, 103.97°E), 2250 m, Jiuzhaigou, 19.viii.2002, leg. Shulian Hao; 1 ♂, Yonghong (26.35°N, 103.52°E), 1200 m, Mabian County, 22.vii.2004, leg. Yingdang Ren, genitalia slide no. LGE18194; 1 ♀, Labahe, 1300 m, Tianquan County, 28.vii.2004, leg. Yingdang Ren, genitalia slide no. ZJL05119; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Fengtongzhai Nature Reserves (30.37°N, 102.83°E), 1600 m, Baoxing County, 2.viii.2004, leg. Yingdang Ren; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Wolong (31.48°N, 103.6°E), 1900 m, 7, 8.viii.2004, leg. Yingdang Ren, genitalia slide no. ZJL05072f; 1 ♀, Wolong (30.34°N, 103.42°E), 2008 m, 26.vii.2005, leg. Haili Yu.   
 Diagnosis. Superficially T. cultriformis is similar to T. longisigna, but the forewing is usually darker and the markings are broader in the former. It can also be confused with T. vivida, and the differences between two species are given under the latter species. The male genitalia of T. cultriformis resemble those of T. rotundata, but the ventral margin of valva is nearly straight from basal 1/3 to the subapex in T. cultriformis whereas it is gradually broadened from base to the apex in the latter. In the female genitalia of T. cultriformis, the strongly produced, Vshaped anterior margin of sternum VIII is diagnostic. The ostium bursae is larger and the signum is situated more posteriorly compared to its allies.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 16 B−D). Wingspan 13.0− 14.5 mm. Head white. Labial palpus white; in male stouter than that of female, segment I long, black on outer surface; segment II as long as I, with base black on outer surface, hair pencil reaching subapex of III; segment III slightly longer than II, tinged with black on ventral surface and apex; in female, segment I very short, mixed with black on outer surface; segment III as long as II, black at apex. Antenna with scape white except dorsal surface and posterior margin black; flagellum dark fuscous, basal half of dorsal surface white, male cilia as long or slightly longer than diameter. Thorax white, anterior margin strongly mixed with black, with two rows of slender, black median streaks. Tegula white, anterior and inner margins fuscous. Forewing ground color white to dirty-white, base black on costa and sometimes along fold, apical area brown; apical spot round or slightly elongate, bordered inwardly by white scales, apex falcate; markings black: two narrow, outwardly oblique costal streaks from distal 1/3 and 1/4 of wing, respectively, outer streak darker and narrower, running almost in parallel with former, interrupted by grey scales near apical spot; beyond this two inwardly oblique costal strigulae alternating with white scales before apical spot; sometimes a large fuscous spot at basal 1/6 near dorsum; a broad transverse streak running from basal 1/3 of dorsum to 1/2 of costa, sometimes not reaching dorsum or very broadened on dorsum, usually broadening from fold to costa; distal 1/2 of wing with a large, sometimes indistinct, inwardly directed V-shaped marking, between this marking and costa usually broadly suffused with black scales, upper fork of this marking almost reaching costal streaks, lower fork running along fold, sometimes very broadened on dorsum and forming a triangular patch; a slender, short longitudinal streak sometimes present above former marking; near tornus a narrow, inwardly oblique streak often running toward V-shaped marking; above this a somewhat indistinct, subtriangular patch reaching costal streaks; fringe on apical area white with basal and terminal black bands, on termen metallic silver except base white, on dorsum dark grey except near tornus white. Hindwing dark grey except subapex dirty-white and apex black; fringe grey except apical area creamy white with a terminal black band. Legs white; fore leg dark fuscous on outer surface; mid femur dark fuscous at base and at apex on outer surface; mid tibia dark fuscous at base, with a broad, fuscous band beyond middle on outer surface; hind tibia with a broad, fuscous band beyond middle on outer surface; mid and hind tarsi dark fuscous, each tarsomere ringed with white.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 26I). Approximately 1/5 length of abdomen, with lateral margins broadly concave; posterior 1/4 bifid, U-shaped between two tines.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 40C). Uncus broad tongue-shaped. Gnathos hook simple, long. Tegumen approximately 2.5 times as long as uncus. Valva knife-shaped: narrow at base, costa nearly straight after base, ventral surface greatly broadened from basal 1/3, then uniformly elongate, narrowed from near apex, bluntly pointed apically. Anellus lobe obovate, 1/6 length of valva, ventral margin sparsely setose; apical bristle shorter than anellus lobe, curved inward. Juxta slightly convex. Vinculum with posterior margin strongly produced, forming a triangular process. Saccus triangular, sometimes very short, not exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal 1/2 dilated, gradually narrowed to distal 1/5, then sharply narrowed to apex forming a triangle, terminating in a pointed apex.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 56E). Papillae anales weakly sclerotized except anterior margin. Apophyses anteriores 2/3 length of apophyses posteriores. Segment VIII with numerous minute spines in posterior 1/3 laterally, posterior margin broadly concave; sternum VIII twice as long as tergum VIII, strongly produced anteriorly in V-shape. Ostium bursae large, rounded. Ductus bursae long and broad, twisted near corpus bursae; base narrow, with a small sclerite; ductus seminalis arising from near base. Corpus bursae elliptical, slightly shorter than 1/2 length of ductus bursae; signum round, situated near entrance of ductus bursae, consisting of petal-like sclerites, bulged inward.   
 Distribution. China (Guizhou, Henan, Hunan, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Sichuan).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin cultriformis (knife-shaped) referring to the knife-like valva in the male 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 106-108, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121