Endotricha lii Ranjan, N. Singh & Kirti 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ranjan, Rahul
name: Singh, Navneet
name: Kirti, Jagbir Singh
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Pyralidae
Endotricha
Endotricha lii

description: Endotricha lii Ranjan, N. Singh & Kirti, sp. nov.
(Figs 16, 28)
Type locality: Dzongu (Sikkim, India)
Material examined:
Holotype (♁). India, Sikkim: Dzongu, 29.iv.2014 (13283/H10), R. Ranjan leg. (NZCZSI).
Paratype. India, Sikkim: Dzongu, 1 ♁, 28.iv.2014 (13284/H10), R. Ranjan leg. (NZCZSI).
Diagnosis: Morphologically, Endotricha lii sp. nov. is most closely similar to E. convexa Li in Sun & Li, 2012: 35 (Figs 4, 12, 17) and E. lobibasalis Hampson, 1906 (Whalley 1963: 442; imago: Pl. 10, fig. 141; male genitalia: Pl. 25, fig. 229).The three species are distinct from all the other congeners by the convex forewing costa. Among these three species, E. lobibasalis is distinct from E. convexa and E. lii sp. nov. by its forewing costa conspicuously curved upwardly towards apex. Further, E. lii sp. nov. is distinct from E. convexa by the absence of conspicuous black oval patch at the base of the forewing, the subcostal yellowish olive patch is broader at apex and the submarginal line is comparatively duller. In male genitalia, E. lii sp. nov. is distinct from E. convexa by the uncus smoothly tapering to subapical region, socii are directed upward and the gnathos is rectangular (whereas in E. convexa uncus is medially convex with the apical lateral folds narrower, socii not upward directed and the gnathos almost oval).
Description: Male. Forewing length 10 mm. Head with frons blackish. Labial palpi upturned, broadly scaled with fuscous, 1 st segment with few pinkish scales, 2 nd segment ochreous apically, 3 rd segment minute with few ochreous scales at apex. Antennae with 1 st segment swollen. Thorax with collar and patagia olive. Forewing purplish pink, basal area olive; costa black, spotted with white; an antemedial subcostal androconial lobe present, subcostal area beyond it olive, broadening up to submarginal indistinct line; a dark discocellular present; an antemedial pale curved line with fuscous scales bordering anteriorly; inner area slightly paler, marginal area darker, giving an appearance of marginal band; a terminal black line; cilia purplish pink with tips black. Hindwing purplish pink with a yellowish olive medial band, outlined with black scales. Legs covered with some dark scales.
Male genitalia with uncus broad at base and tapering up to subapical region, almost flat apically with lateral edges folded and densely setose. Uncus arms rounded. Gnathos roughly rectangular, gnathos arms with swollen base. Valva simple, broad; curved reflexed costal piliform setae present; saccular process as wide as valva, broad at base, apically pointed. Tegumen inverted U-shaped. Transtilla sclerotised, broad at base, narrow in middle. Juxta slightly constricted at middle. Vinculum broad U-shaped with rounded saccus. Phallus constricted medially, somewhat dumbbell-shaped; vesica with a long, broad cornutus bearing multiple small dentate protrusions.
Distribution: So far, the new species is known from its type locality i.e., Dzongu (Sikkim) only.
Etymology: The species is named in honour of Dr. Houhun Li, China, for his contributions to the field of Pyraloidea. A noun in the genitive case.
description: Published as part of Ranjan, Rahul, Singh, Navneet & Kirti, Jagbir Singh, 2023, On the taxonomy of genus Endotricha Zeller (Pyralinae, Pyralidae, Lepidoptera) with description of three new species from India, pp. 56-70 in Zootaxa 5323 (1) on pages 67-68, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5323.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/8203934