Thiotricha cornuata 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 cornuata

description: Thiotricha cornuata sp. nov.   
(Figs 9C, 24F, 33B, 50D)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Mt. Daming, 1250 m, 21.v.2011, leg. Linlin Yang and Yinghui Mou, genitalia slide no. LGE18276. Paratypes. CHINA: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: 1 ♀, Mt. Daming, 1500 m, 25−27.viii.2012, leg. Xiaofei Yang and Zhenguo Zhang, genitalia slide no. LGE18485; Guizhou Province: 5 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Jinding (27.95°N, 108.62°E), 2100 m, Mt. Fanjing, 30, 31.vii.2001, leg. Houhun Li and Xinpu Wang, genitalia slide nos. ZJL05210f, ZJL05490m, LGE18442f, LGE 18484m; 5 ♀♀, Huguosi (27.95°N, 108.62°E), 1300 m, Mt. Fanjing, 2−4.viii.2001, leg. Houhun Li and Xinpu Wang, genitalia slide nos. LGE18481, LGE18483; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Kuankuoshui Nature Reserves (28.23°N, 107.18°E), 1500 m, Suiyang County, 10, 13.viii.2010, leg. Linlin Yang, genitalia slide nos. LGE18436f, LGE 18466m; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Kuankuoshui (28.23°N, 107.16°E), 1509 m, 26–29.viii.2018, leg. Meiling Zheng, Jiaqi Deng and Xiaoju Zhu; Zhejiang Province: 1 ♀, Mt. Jiulong (28.39°N, 118.84°E), 509 m, Lishui City, 28.viii.2017, leg. Shuonan Qian, Yanyan Jia and Juan Li, genitalia slide no. LGE17231.   
 Diagnosis. Thiotricha cornuata is similar to T. spinesigna, T. angusteproducta, T. crassiflagella and T. minorirugata, but it can be separated from the latter four species by the following characters: males with longer antennal ciliation, the more slender median line on the thorax, the tegula more broadly mixed with fuscous and the costal streak at middle of the forewing broader and longer. The male genitalia of T. cornuata are very similar to those of T. spinesigna and the differences are stated under the latter species. The female genitalia are diagnosed by the small and round corpus bursae having a large horn-like signum near the entrance.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 9C). Wingspan 7.0−10.0 mm. Head light yellow to golden ochre. Labial palpus light yellow to golden ochre; segment II sometimes suffused with black on ventral surface apically; segment III as long as II, usually black on ventral surface. Antenna with scape light yellow to golden ochre, slightly tinged with fuscous on posterior margin; flagellum dark fuscous to black except basal 1/2 or 1/3 of dorsal surface golden ochre, male cilia usually as long or slightly longer than diameter. Thorax light yellow to golden ochre; a median line fuscous, sometimes broadened. Tegula light yellow to golden ochre, anterior half fuscous. Forewing ground color light yellow to golden ochre; apical spot often bordered inwardly by white scales; markings fuscous to black: a broad band from base to near apex along costa, interrupted by two yellowish costal streaks at middle and at distal 1/4 of wing, respectively; first costal streak broad, sometimes very broadened at costa, obliquely running to distal 1/3, nearly reaching posterior end of former costal band; second costal streak narrow, posteriorly mixed with white, obliquely running toward apical spot, nearly reaching posterior end of costal band; a broad band on dorsum from base to basal 2/3 of wing, sharply attenuated after middle; a narrow, outwardly oblique streak arising from former band, extended from distal 1/2 to 1/3 or 1/4 across wing, usually attenuated distad and reaching costal band; an inwardly directed, V-shaped marking in distal 1/3 above fold, nearly reaching apical spot anteriorly, reaching near tornus posteriorly; a short tornal streak bordered inwardly by a white streak, anteriorly reaching former V-shaped marking. Fringe of forewing, hindwing and legs as in T. spinesigna.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 24F). As in T. spinesigna.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 33B). Uncus spatulate, widest at middle, distal 1/2 setose. Gnathos hook long, simple. Tegumen approximately 4 times as long as uncus. Valva narrow, asymmetrical, basal 3/5 wrinkled and slightly curved inward, uniformly elongate distally, rounded apically; left valva with a broad extension in 2/5 of costa. Anellus lobe very small, papilliform, slightly constricted near base, with long setae along lateral margin; apical bristle weak, as long as anellus lobe. Juxta with a subtriangular or trapezoidal projection at base of inner margin. Vinculum with a short projection at middle of posterior margin. Saccus subtriangular, blunt at apex, as long or slightly exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal 1/3 or 1/4 dilated, then gradually narrowing toward blunt apex, distal 1/4 strongly curved upward.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 50D). Papillae anales moderately sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores approximately 2/3 length of apophyses posteriores. Tergum VIII weakly sclerotized medially. Sternum VIII longer than tergum VIII, concave on posterior margin; a widely oblong sclerotization above ostium bursae; anterior 1/3 weakly sclerotized except anterior margin. Ostium bursae opening at middle of sternum VIII. Ductus bursae very slender, broadened near base; a short, teardrop-shaped sclerite near base; ductus seminalis arising from posterior 1/7. Corpus bursae small and round, 1/5 length of ductus bursae; signum large, situated near entrance of ductus bursae; basal plate round, with a large horn-like process; appendix bursae elongate ovate, usually very narrowed at base, longer or shorter than corpus bursae.   
 Variations. The size of corpus bursae and appendix bursae can vary.   
 Distribution. China (Guangxi, Guizhou, Zhejiang).   
 Etymology. The species name is from Latin, cornuatus (horn-shaped), referring to the horn-like signum.
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 47-48, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121