Thiotricha nullisigna 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 nullisigna

description: Thiotricha nullisigna sp. nov.   
(Figs 18A, 26Q, 41E, 58D)  
 Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Hainan Province, Mt. Wuzhi (18.91°N, 109.70°E), 732 m, 5.viii.2017, leg. Xia Bai, Ping Liu and Shuai Yu, genitalia slide no. LGE18567. Paratypes. CHINA: Hainan Province: 1 ♂, Mt. Diaoluo (18.67°N, 109.94°E), 940 m, 2.vi.2007, leg. Zhiwei Zhang and Weichun Li, genitalia slide no. LGE18388; 1 ♂, Nanchahe (19.22°N, 109.43°E), 600 m, Bawangling, 10.vi.2007, leg. Zhiwei Zhang and Weichun Li; 1 ♀, Tianchi (18.74°N, 108.84°E), 1050 m, Jianfengling, Ledong County, 29.iv.2013, leg. Yinghui Sun, Wei Guan and Tengteng Liu; 1 ♀, Hongxin Village (19.08°N, 109.52°E), 430 m, Yuanmen, Baisha County, 18.iv.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu; 1 ♂, 9 ♀♀, Limushan Nature Reserves (19.17°N, 109.74°E), 640 m, 1, 2.v.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu, genitalia slide nos. LGE15035f, LGE18310f; 1 ♀, Limushan Forest Park (19.17°N, 109.73°E), 607 m, 24.vii.2014, leg. Peixin Cong, Linjie Liu and Sha Hu; 1 ♂, Tianchi (18.73°N, 108.87°E), 787 m, Jianfengling, 14.i.2016, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Shengnan Zhao, genitalia slide no. LGE18304; 1 ♀, Mt. Wuzhi (18.91°N, 109.70°E), 732 m, 4.viii.2017, leg. Xia Bai, Ping Liu and Shuai Yu; 1 ♀, Mingfenggu (18.74°N, 108.84°E), 954 m, Jianfengling, 9.viii.2017, leg. Xia Bai, Ping Liu and Shuai Yu; Chongqing Municipality: 2 ♀♀, Beipo, 800 m, Mt. Jinfo, 24, 27.viii.2014, leg. Xiaofei Yang, genitalia slide no. LGE18578; Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: 1 ♂, Yangmeiao (25.29°N, 109.31°E), 1180 m, Huanjiang County, Hechi, 24.vii.2015, leg. Meiqing Yang and Ga-Eun Lee; Jiangxi Province: 1 ♀, Mt. Jiulian, 20.vii.2006, leg. Jiasheng Xu and Weichun Li; Taiwan Province: 2 ♀♀, Mt. Fu, 420 m, Yilan, Taibei, 31.vii.2006, leg. Houhun Li and Xicui Du, genitalia slide nos. LGE18568, LGE18569; Zhejiang Province: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Wuyanling (27.35°N, 119.92°E), 400– 680 m, Taishun County, 29.vii–1.viii.2005, leg. Haili Yu, genitalia slide no. LGE18579f; 1 ♂, Wuyanling (27.35°N, 119.92°E), 790 m, Taishun County, 2.viii.2007, leg. Qing Jing, genitalia slide no. LGE18309.   
 Diagnosis. Superficially, the species can be diagnosed by the creamy forewing with costa and dorsum broadly dark brown to fuscous. The general coloration is somewhat similar to that of T. nigrimaculata, but T. nullisigna cannot be confused with the latter as the forewing apex is falcate. The male genitalia are characterized by the valva almost uniformly elongate from near base to the apex and the digitate anellus lobe with a long apical bristle. The female genitalia are unique in this species group in lacking a signum.   
 Description. Adult (Fig. 18A). Wingspan 11.0– 15.5 mm. Head creamy white. Labial palpus creamy white to cream; in male, strongly suffused with fuscous on ventral and outer surfaces, segment I slightly longer than II, segment III nearly twice as long as II and stouter than that of female, hair pencil reaching basal 3/4 of III; in female, segment I short, II fuscous on outer surface and with scale tuft on dorsal surface, III nearly as long as II and fuscous in distal 1/2 or 2/3. Antenna with scape cream; flagellum dark fuscous except basal half of dorsal surface cream, male cilia slightly longer than diameter. Thorax cream, with two dark brown median streaks. Tegula cream except anterior and inner margins dark fuscous. Forewing ground color cream to brownish cream, usually sprinkled with dark brown scales, anterior edge of costa dark fuscous in basal 1/4; apical area dark brown to fuscous, with somewhat indistinct fuscous costal strigulae; apical spot small, slightly elongate, inner margin sometimes tinged with white, apex falcate; other markings dark brown to fuscous: a somewhat indistinct, longitudinal streak near costa, running from base and broadened at middle of wing, from distal 1/3 of wing narrowed and curved toward termen; beyond this a short and narrow streak from costa, usually indistinct, confluent with former streak posteriorly; beyond this a darker streak from distal 1/4 of costa, obliquely running toward apical spot, confluent with former longitudinal streak at half way across wing; a very broad band on dorsum from base, gradually narrowed along fold; a large darker spot at middle of wing on the former band, usually elliptical but sometimes extended toward apical spot as a longitudinal streak; beyond this a V-shaped marking, usually indistinct, between upper and lower forks strongly suffused with dark brown scales; termen with a short and darker streak, usually meets costal streak from distal 1/4 of wing at half way across wing, often bordered inwardly by white scales; fringe on apical area dark fuscous with a creamy median band, on termen metallic fuscous, on dorsum grey. Hindwing grey except subapex cream and apex dark fuscous; fringe grey except apical area strongly mixed with cream. Legs cream to brownish cream; fore coxa with lateral margins dark fuscous; fore femur, tibia and tarsus black on outer surface; mid femur strongly or slightly mixed with dark fuscous on outer surface, mid tibia with two fuscous oblique streaks on outer surface, one near apex usually indistinct; hind tibia with a dark fuscous longitudinal line from base to apex on outer surface; mid and hind tarsi alternating cream and dark fuscous.   
 Male sternum VIII (Fig. 26Q). Approximately 1/5 length of abdomen, gradually narrowed to round posterior apex, with lateral margins serrate in posterior 1/3.   
 Male genitalia (Fig. 41E). Uncus oblong, slightly broadening toward apex. Tegumen approximately 3 times as long as uncus. Valva nearly straight, narrow at base, ventral surface gradually broadening to 1/3, then almost uniformly elongate to round apex. Anellus lobe digitate, 1/5 length of valva, slightly constricted medially; inner margin sparsely setose in basal 2/3, subapex with one or two setae; apical bristle shorter than anellus lobe, hooked. Juxta with basal 1/2 broadly convex. Vinculum slightly convex on posterior margin. Saccus triangular, not exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus short and stout, narrowed at middle and before apex, melanized in distal 1/2; apex truncate, with a short dorsal extension.   
 Female genitalia (Fig. 58D). Papillae anales weakly sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores 3/4 length of apophyses posteriores. Tergum shorter than sternum VIII; sternum VIII with posterior margin deeply dentate at middle, anterior margin strongly elongate. Ostium bursae large and round, opening on posterior margin of sternum VIII. Ductus bursae broad at base, slightly narrowed in posterior 1/2 or 1/3. Corpus bursae round, as long as ductus bursae, without signum.   
 Distribution. China (Chongqing, Guangxi, Hainan, Jiangxi, Taiwan, Zhejiang).   
 Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin nullus (lacking) and signum, referring to the absence of signum in the female 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 120-121, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11233121