Promalactis apiciserrulata 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 apiciserrulata

description: Promalactis apiciserrulata Wang, sp. nov.
(Figs 19, 52)
Type material. Brunei: Holotype ♂, Ulu Temburong, 365 m, 30.IV.1989, LP 283, GR 843887, leg. M.G. Allen & K.R. Tuck, slide No. NHMUK010316992.
Diagnosis. The new species is distinguishable in the male genitalia by the costa with a spine-shaped process extending outward parallelly with the costal margin, the valva serrate at rounded apex, and the phallus with a sub-rectangular, apex-serrate plate distally.
Description. Adult (Fig. 19). Forewing length 4.5 mm.
Head. Vertex snowy white, frons grey, occiput rust brown. Labial palpus with second segment dark brown on outer surface, pale yellow on inner surface; third segment black except white at base and apex. Antennal scape white dorsally, pale grey ventrally; flagellum black, alternating with white on dorsal surface except basal several flagellomeres entirely white.
Thorax. Mesonotum and tegula rust brown, mesonotum white apically. Forewing rust brown; markings white edged with black scales: costal spot sub-ovate, from distal 1/3 extending to above posterior angle of cell; basal streak slender, reaching base of costal margin, beyond it placed a dot below costal margin; antemedian streak from middle of dorsum to basal 1/3 of costal margin, slightly curved outward, widened anteriorly; dorsal streak from before tornus oblique outward to before posterior angle of cell; apical spot ovate; fringe greyish black except orange yellow on extension of apical spot. Hindwing and fringe grey. Foreleg black except femur pale grey ventrally, tibia with white spot at base and middle, with a tuft of white scales at apex, tarsus white at apex of basal tarsomere and on entire second tarsomere; midleg grey ventrally, black dorsally, tibia with a white spot at base, with a tuft of white scales at apex, tarsus white at apices of basal two and apical tarsomeres; hindleg missing.
Male genitalia (Fig. 52). Uncus elongately slender, slightly wide at base. Gnathos separate from base; lateral lobe enlarged basally, slender and widely apart distally, pointed apically. Tegumen uniformly wide, inverted V-shaped. Valva sub-rectangular, with a fold running from below base to before basal 2/3 of costal margin, apex obtusely rounded, serrate; costa with a fine spine-like process arising from beyond middle and extending outward parallelly with costal margin; sacculus wide at base, narrowed and ending at distal 1/3 of ventral margin of valva. Saccus elongate triangular, 1/2 length of valva, wide at base, narrowed to narrowly rounded apex. Juxta sub-rectangular, weakly sclerotized; basal lobe short, digitate. Phallus about same length as valva, with a large, sub-rectangular, apex-serrate plate distally; cornutus long and curved, longer than 1/2 length of phallus.
Female unknown.
Distribution. Brunei.
Etymology. The specific epithet is compounded from the Latin apex and serrulatus, referring to the apically serrate valva of the male genitalia.
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 20-21, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5536.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14023827