Promalactis apicispinifera, Wang, Shuxia, Kendrick, Roger C. & Sterling, Philip, 2009

Wang, Shuxia, Kendrick, Roger C. & Sterling, Philip, 2009, Microlepidoptera of Hong Kong: Oecophoridae I: the genus Promalactis Meyrick, Zootaxa 2239, pp. 31-44 : 42

Promalactis apicispinifera sp. nov.

( Figs. 7 , 17 , 25 )

Type material: CHINA: Holotype, Ƥ, Magnolia Reservoir, KFBG, Hong Kong, 450 m, 14.iv.2007, leg. Houhun Li et al., genitalia slide No. W07054. Paratype: 1 Ƥ, same data as for holotype; 1 3, 1 Ƥ, KARC, Hong Kong, 200 m, 11.iv.2007, leg. Houhun Li et al.; 1 Ƥ, KARC, Hong Kong, 200 m, 14.iv.2007, leg. Houhun Li et al.; 1 Ƥ, Ping Tun, Tai Mong Tsai, Sai Kung, Hong Kong, 140 m, 15.iv.2007, leg. Houhun Li et al.

Description. Imago ( Fig. 7 ). Wing expanse 8.0–9.0 mm. Head with vertex yellow, frons whitish yellow mixed with grey. Antenna yellow on scape, yellow and brown on flagellum. Labial palpus whitish yellow, second segment covered with dense dark brown scales on ventral side, third segment with distal half black except at end. Thorax and tegula dark brown, greyish white posteriorly. Forewing ground colour ochreous yellow, with dense black scales; costal margin with large black blotches at base and middle reaching obliquely outward down across midwing respectively, edged with white streak along outside; apex with a black diffusion anteriorly; ventral margin with black spot at base, near middle as well as at tornus, with short white streak arising from basal 1/3 and beyond middle respectively; white streak from about costal 1/4 curved to above the two ventral streaks and joined with them; termen white; apex pointed, with small white spot; cilia black along apical portion of costal margin, greyish ocherous yellow along termen. Hindwing and cilia deep grey. Legs greyish ocherous yellow, with black spots.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 17 ). Uncus more or less beak-like, basal half wide, distal half narrow and curved, pointed at apex. Gnathos tongue-shaped, granulated in anterior 1/3, with a long and slender apical spine arising from middle of anterior margin, longer than gnathos; lateral arms short. Valva with costa gently arched inwards; apex sinuate, with tiny processes. Sacculus narrow and sclerotized, tapering to a spiniform distal process. Saccus about same length as uncus, parallel-sided, rounded at apex. Juxta with lateral lobes asymmetrical: left lobe long, with a stout spine at middle of outside, pointed and curved at apex; right lobe about 2/3 length of left one, pointed at apex. Phallus straight and strong; cornuti consisting of two indistinct spines; vesica with many teeth.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 25 ). Apophysis anterioris slightly shorter than 1/2 length of apophysis posterioris. Lamella postvaginalis large, somewhat trapezoidal. Lamella antevaginalis very large and heavily sclerotized, widened and protruding laterally near middle, with two sclerotized drooping sacks posteriorly, bearing two small spine-formed processes at middle on posterior margin. Ductus bursae sclerotized, with several large spines medially. Corpus bursae not separated distinctly from ductus bursae; signum absent.

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from other congeners by the male gnathos with an apical spine longer than the gnathos itself, the sacculus tapering to a spiniform distal process, the juxta with asymmetrical lateral lobes, and the female lamella antevaginalis with two small sclerotized drooping sacks posteriorly.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin prefix apic - (apical) and the word spinifer (spiniferous), referring to the large apical spine of gnathos.

Hong Kong distribution and status. Restricted; so far found in only in three sites, possibly from two metapopulations; rare, four records from secondary forest between 140m and 450m elevation. However, it is likely that this species will be found in other locations with suitable habitat and has probably been overlooked thus far due to the superficial external similarity of this species and its congeners P. quinilineata sp. nov., P. similinfulata sp. nov. and P. noviloba sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 10. Adults of Promalactis spp. 7, P. apicispinifera sp. nov.; 8, P. infulata Wang, Li et Zheng; 9, P. semantris (Meyrick); 10, P. densidentalis Wang et Li.

FIGURES 17 – 20. Male genitalia Promalactis spp. 17, P. apicispinifera sp. nov.; 18, P. infulata Wang, Li et Zheng; 19, P. semantris (Meyrick); 20, P. densidentalis Wang et Li.

FIGURES 21 – 26. Female genitalia Promalactis spp. 21, P. quinilineata sp. nov.; 22, P. longiuncata sp. nov.; 23, P. biovata sp. nov.; 24, P. lobatifera sp. nov.; 25, P. apicispinifera sp. nov.; 26, P. semantris (Meyrick)