Thiotricha rotundata 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 rotundata

description: Thiotricha rotundata sp. nov.   
(Figs 16G, H, 26K, 40E, 57B)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Sichuan Province, Wanglang Nature Reserves, Baixionggou (33.00°N, 104.03°E), 2845 m, 21.vii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide no. LGE18207. Paratypes. CHINA: Sichuan Province: 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, same data as holotype, genitalia slide nos. LGE 17070m, LGE17071f, LGE17123f, LGE17174f; 1 ♀, Wolong (31.48°N, 103.6°E), 1900 m, 7.viii.2004, leg. Yingdang Ren, genitalia slide no. LGE18212; 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Caoping Town (30.95°N, 103.32°E), 1557 m, Sanjiang Town, Wenchuan County, 9–12.vii.2014, leg. Kaijian Teng, Wei Guan, Xiuchun Wang and Shurong Liu, genitalia slide no. LGE 18498m (one male and one female are deposited in NHMUK); 1 ♀, Baliping Conservation Station (30.78°N, 103.22°E), 1706 m, Anzihe Nature Reserves, Chengdu City, 18.vi.2016, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide no. LGE18209; 3 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, Shaoyaogou Conservation Station (30.78°N, 103.2°E), 1598 m, Anzihe Nature Reserves, Chengdu City, 19−23.vi.2016, leg. Kaijian Teng and Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide nos. LGE 16276m, LGE 18208m, LGE18210f; 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, Baozigou (32.91°N, 104.16°E), 2369 m, Wanglang Nature Reserves, 20.vii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide nos. LGE17172f, LGE 18211m; 1 ♀, Shanmen (32.89°N, 104.16°E), 2377 m, Wanglang Nature Reserves, 22.vii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang; 1 ♀, Yadong Village (29.33°N, 95.34°E), 833 m, Motuo County, 16.viii.2017, leg. Mujie Qi and Xiaofei Yang.   
 Diagnosis. This species is superficially somewhat similar to T. cultriformis, but the forewing base is less mixed with white compared to the latter. The male genitalia are characterized by the broad valva gradually widening from base to apex and the small anellus lobe with a hooked apical bristle. In the female genitalia, the sternum VIII covered with minute spines in the posterior 2/3, the presence of a small sclerite on the base of ductus bursae and the twisted anterior end of ductus bursae are diagnostic.   
 Description. Adult (Figs 16G, H). Wingspan 14.5−17.5 mm. Head white. Labial palpus white mixed with cream; in male, stouter than that of female, segment I long, fuscous on outer surface; segment II shorter than I, with hair pencil reaching apex of III; segment III slightly shorter than I+II, fuscous on ventral surface; in female, segment I very short, fuscous on outer surface; segment II fuscous on outer surface except apex; segment III slightly longer than II, tipped fuscous. Antenna with scape white to cream, fuscous on posterior margin; flagellum fuscous except basal 2/3 or 3/4 white to cream on dorsal surface; male cilia as long or slightly longer than diameter. Thorax white to cream, sometimes mixed with beige, usually with two rows of light brown or fuscous median streaks. Tegula white to cream, usually broadly fuscous anteriorly, fuscous along inner margin. Forewing ground color dark fuscous sprinkled with white, sometimes light brown, basal 1/3 strongly or sometimes slightly mixed with white to cream; apical area brown, with two inwardly oblique, dark fuscous costal strigulae alternating with cream scales before apical spot; apical spot round and bordered inwardly by white scales, apex falcate; other markings white to cream: two outwardly oblique, slender costal streaks from distal 1/2 and 1/4 of wing, respectively, first streak running toward second streak close to costa, second streak reaching half way across wing, slightly mixed with grey posteriorly, bordered outwardly by a black streak; a somewhat indistinct fuscous spot at basal 1/6 of wing near dorsum, sometimes absent; from before middle of dorsum a broad, usually indistinct, oblique streak running toward apex, its inner margin broadly suffused with dark fuscous scales, broadened and strongly mixed with fuscous after middle of wing; after middle of dorsum a somewhat indistinct, inwardly directed V-shaped marking on fold, its upper fork nearly reaching second costal streak, leaving a slender fuscous line between this and former broad streak from dorsum; tornal streak sometimes broadened as a triangular patch, bordered outwardly by a black streak; fringe on apical area cream with basal and terminal black bands, on termen fuscous except base creamy, on dorsum grey sometimes strongly mixed with cream. Hindwing dark grey except subapex cream and apex dark fuscous; fringe mixed grey and beige except apical area with a terminal black band. Legs white; fore leg fuscous on outer surface; mid femur 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 femur fuscous at base; hind tibia with a fuscous, slender streak or sometimes broad band beyond middle on outer surface; mid and hind tarsi dark fuscous, each tarsomere ringed with white.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 26K). Narrowly trapezoidal with posterior apex broadly concave in U-shape.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 40E). Uncus tongue-shaped. Gnathos hook simple, long. Tegumen approximately 3 times as long as uncus. Valva broad, gradually broadening from base to apex, basal 1/2 with long sparse hairs along ventral margin, distal 1/2 densely setose, round at apex. Anellus lobe elongate ovate, 1/6 length of valva, setose laterally; apical bristle as long as anellus lobe, hooked. Juxta simple, nearly straight. Vinculum with posterior margin rounded. Saccus sub-triangular, blunt at apex, not exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal 2/5 dilated, gradually narrowed toward apex, distal 1/4 twisted and sharply narrowed, blunt at apex.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 57B). Papillae anales weakly sclerotized except anterior margin. Apophyses anteriores 2/3 length of apophyses posteriores. Segment VIII with numerous minute spines in posterior 2/3 laterally, posterior margin broadly concave; sternum VIII longer than tergum VIII, broadly convex anteriorly. Ostium bursae round. Ductus bursae long and broad; base narrow, with a slender club-shaped sclerite; gradually broadening from base to basal 1/6, then uniformly elongate, twisted at entrance of corpus bursae; ductus seminalis arising from near base. Corpus bursae elliptical, 2/3 length of ductus bursae; signum round, situated at posterior 1/4, consisting of petal-like sclerites, bulged inward.   
 Variations. The forewing ground color is usually dark fuscous sprinkled with white, but it can be light brown sometimes. The forewing markings can vary in shape and length. Also, the fuscous streak on the hind tibia is sometimes broadened as a band or reduced to an indistinct marking. In the female genitalia, the signum can vary in size.   
 Distribution. China (Sichuan).   
 Etymology. The species name is from Latin, rotundatus (rounded), referring to the round apex of valva.   
 Remarks. One female specimen from Wanglang Nature Reserves (Sichuan) has a ciliated antenna as observed in one female of T. vivida, which was collected from the same locality. It is very rare in this genus.
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 111-112, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121