Lopharcha moriutii Nasu

Nasu, Yoshitsugu, 2006, Lopharcha moriutii, sp. nov. and Polylopha cassiicola Liu & Kawabe (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae, Chlidanotinae, Polyorthini) from Thailand and Hong Kong, Zootaxa 1369, pp. 55-61 : 56-59

Lopharcha moriutii Nasu , sp. nov.

Figs. 1 , 3, 4 , 7

Diagnosis. Sexual dimorphism is not pronounced. The species has a dark grayish brown forewing with a conspicuous white spot on the middle and two purplish metallic bands. The male genitalia are characterized by a thin socius and a pair of fusiform scale tufts in addition to a pair of long hairpencils arising from eighth segment ( Figs. 3, 4 ). The female genitalia are characterized by a large triangular lamella postvaginalis and the absence of a signum ( Fig. 7 ). The female genitalia are similar to those of L. rapax (Meyrick, 1908) , but L. moriutii can be distinguished from the latter in having a smaller, more brownish forewing, a longer uncus, and thin socius (cf., figures of L. rapax by Diakonoff (1974) and Robinson et al. (1994)).

Description. Adult. Male ( Fig. 1 ). Wing expanse 10–11 mm. Head dark grayish brown, tips of scales on head light yellowish brown. Ocellus and chaetosema present. Labial palpus short, two times diameter of compound eye, dark brown, tips of scales light yellowish brown; inner side whitish. Antenna simple, dark brown. Thorax and tegula dark grayish brown, tips of scales light yellowish brown. Forewing elongate, obtuse-triangle, apex acute. Upperside with five raised scale tufts: between bases of veins R4 and R5, between bases of M2 and M3, at base of discal cell, at base of and middle of 1A+2A. Upperside ground color dark grayish brown, area outside of discal cell yellowish brown (sometimes darker). Costa with nine pairs of strigulae from base to the point where vein R4 meets costa. Each pair of strigulae with a purplish silvery stria extending obliquely outward. Striae variable in length and degree of fusion. First four pairs (1–4) between base of costa and the point where vein Sc meets costa divided into two subgroups. First subgroup occupying an interfascial position, between basal and subbasal fascia; striae from them rarely extending beyond Sc, indistinguishable, sometimes absent. Second subgroup between subbasal and median fascia position, with two striae which approximate each other, confluent at Sc, forming a silvery band extending to middle of dorsum. Fifth and sixth pairs of strigulae (5–6) between the points where veins Sc and R1 meet costa; of the striae from them, first stria short, extending to R1, second well developed, forming a broad purplish silvery band, extending to dorsum before tornus. Pairs of strigulae 7, 8, and 9 distributed between pairs of veins R1-R2, R2-R3, and R3-R4, respectively. Of the striae arising from them, first and third short, extending to before R4 (first sometimes before R5); second well developed, forming a purplish silvery streak extending to between the point where veins CuA1 and CuA2 meet termen. A conspicuous small white spot near at separation of veins Cu stem and CuA2. A purplish line running along termen, from the point where R4 meets costa to before the point where M3 meets termen. Cilia dark grayish brown, with a whitish basal line. Underside grayish brown, lighter in overlapping area. Each strigulae and stria originating from eight pair of strigulae marked by light scales following upperside pattern. Hindwing trapezoidal. Upperside light grayish brown, sometimes darker distally, lighter on area underlying forewing, cilia concolorous with wing. Underside light grayish brown, darker distally.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 3, 4 ). Eighth segment with a pair of long deciduous hairpencils and tufts of fusiform scales, the former extending into the longitudinal split of the outer side of valva; eighth tergite enlarged, forming a dorsal cover over the genitalia ( Fig. 4 ). Uncus long, acute. Socius long, acute. Gnathos well developed, a pair of long arms curved, fused distally, the top acute, spinulose. Transtilla a slender bar. Aedeagus cone-shaped, tapered in both ends; cornutus absent. Valva triangular, membranous, with a row of short spine-like setae ventrally. Vinculum small.

Female. Wing expanse 11–12 mm. Color and wing pattern as in male.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 7 ). Papillae anales finger-shaped. Apophyses posteriores as long as apophyses anteriores. Lamella postvaginalis well developed, forming a triangular plate with a pair of knots posteriorly, the surface rough, spinulose; lamella antevaginalis a slender spinulose band. Bursa copulatrix weakly sclerotized, a long tubelike sac; signum absent.

Holotype ɗ, Thailand, Nakhon Nayok, Khao Yai (ca. 800 m), 11–19.xi.1985, S. Moriuti, T. Saito & Y. Arita leg., genitalia slide no. YN1272 (OPU).

Paratypes. Same locality as holotype, 2Ψ, 24–25.viii.1981, H. Kuroko, S. Moriuti, Y. Arita & Y. Yoshiyasu leg. (OPU). China: Hong Kong, Mid-Levels (150 m), 1Ψ, 5–18.xii.1982, J. Robinson leg. (BMNH); Victoria Peak (400 m), 1ɗ, vii.1991, K. Li leg.,

1ď, v.1993, A. C. Galsworthy leg., 1 ď, 2Ψ, vi.1993, A. C. Galsworthy leg. (BMNH). Distribution. Thailand, China ( Hong Kong), from the lowlands to montane habitats.

Host-plant. Unknown.

Biology. The adult moths are attracted to light; adults have been collected in May- August and November-December.

Etymology. The specific epithet is in named in honor of the late Dr. S. Moriuti, who kindly provided me with information on Microlepidoptera and allowed to examine to many Thai specimens.

Remarks. Lopharcha is distributed in the Oriental region, Japan, and New Zealand, and 21 species previously have been recorded ( Brown et al., 2005). The genus, however, had been investigated poorly in Thailand and China. Only one species, L. rapax , was recorded from Thailand ( Robinson et al., 1994) and no species from China. Three species of the tribe, Cnephasitis apodicta Diakonoff, 1974 , C. spinata Li & Bai, 1986 , and Polylopha cassiicola , were reported from China ( Liu & Li, 2002). Lopharcha is recorded from China for the first time. Lopharcha moriutii has characteristic fusiform scale tufts on eighth segment of male adult which are not found in congeners.

The genus is associated with Lauraceae : L. distissima Diakonoff, 1974 feeds on Cinnamomum iners Reinew. ex Blume ( Diakonoff, 1974) , L. erioptila (Meyrick, 1912) on C. camphora (L.) Presl., L. halidora (Meyrick, 1908) on C. iners , L. siderota (Meyrick, 1918) on C. camphora ( Robinson et al., 2001) , and L. insolita ( Dugdale, 1966) on Litsea calicaris (A. Cum.) (Rotoehu) ( Dugdale, 1966) . The genus is closely related to Polylopha Lower, but differs in having one or two bundlelike spined signa (sometimes lost) instead of a W-shaped signum ( Diakonoff, 1974).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 2. Adults. 1, Lopharcha moriutii Nasu, sp. nov., holotype ♂. 2, Polylopha cassiicola Liu & Kawabe Ψ.

FIGURES 3 – 6. Male genitalia and scent organs of eighth segment. 3, 4, Lopharcha moriutii Nasu, sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. YN 1272, dorsal part of left valva ripped by dissecting, 4: eighth segment, a pair of long hairpencils lost by dissecting. 5, 6, Polylopha cassiicola Liu & Kawabe, genitalia slide no. BMNH 27583, 6, eighth segment. Scale lines: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 8. Female genitalia. 7, Lopharcha moriutii Nasu, sp. nov., paratype, genitalia slide no. YN 1273. 8, Polylopha cassiicola Liu & Kawabe, genitalia slide no. BMNH 27584. Scale lines: 0.5 mm.