Thiotricha cochlearis, Lee & Li, 2024

Lee, Ga-Eun & Li, Houhun, 2024, A taxonomic review of Thiotricha Meyrick, 1886 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae, Thiotrichinae) from China, with descriptions of 84 new species, Zootaxa 5449 (1), pp. 1-222 : 59-60

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5449.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CAC513A2-D2B4-4E6E-BAB6-CCE6E054680F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11233034
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CC3667-9801-1D44-FF05-8C0CDD69E1CA
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Thiotricha cochlearis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Thiotricha cochlearis sp. nov.

( Figs 10E View FIGURE 10 , 24P View FIGURE 24 , 34F View FIGURE 34 , 52A View FIGURE 52 )

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Hainan Province, Wuzhishan City, Shuiman Town, Tea Garden (18.88°N, 109.67°E), 690 m, 5.xi.2016, leg. Xia Bai, Shuonan Qian and Wanding Qi, genitalia slide no. LGE16363 GoogleMaps . Paratypes. CHINA: Hainan Province: 1 ♀, Jianfengling (18.73°N, 108.91°E), 940 m, 4.vi.2007, leg. Zhiwei Zhang and Weichun Li GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, Diaoluoshan Nature Reserves (18.43°N, 109.52°E), 922 m, 24.v.2015, leg. Peixin Cong, Wei Guan and Sha Hu, genitalia slide no. LGE16030 GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, Limushan Nature Reserves (19.17°N, 109.73°E), 632 m, 7.i.2016, leg. Kaijian Teng, Xia Bai and Mengting Chen, genitalia slide no. LGE16351 GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Wuzhishan Nature Reserves (18.90°N, 109.67°E), 738 m, 27, 29.vii.2016, leg. Xia Bai, Shuonan Qian and Wanding Qi, genitalia slide nos. LGE 16265m, LGE 16348m GoogleMaps ; 1 ♀, Shuiman Town (18.88°N, 109.67°E), 766 m, Wuzhishan City , 31.vii.2016, leg. Xia Bai, Shuonan Qian and Wanding Qi, genitalia slide no. LGE16348 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. The new species is characterized by the light ochre forewing scattered with carmine-pink scales and marked with white patches and dark brown streaks. The head, thorax and tegula are sometimes spotted or tinged with carmine-pink. Such coloration and forewing markings are very similar to those of T. albimaculata , but the carmine-pink fringe scales on termen are more extended to the apex in T. cochlearis . Also, the mid tibia of T. cochlearis has two streaks whereas latter species have one. The male genitalia are diagnosed by the serrate inner margin of valva, the spoon-shaped anellus lobe and the short juxtal process near valval base. The female genitalia are easily differentiated from other species by the trapezoidal signum.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 10E View FIGURE 10 ). Wingspan 8.0–10.0 mm. Head cream to light ochre, sometimes tinged with carmine-pink posteriorly, frons white. Labial palpus light ochre, strongly mixed with white on inner surface of segments II and III, segment III black-tipped. Antenna with scape light ochre except dorsal surface white; flagellum mixed light ochre and brown, dorsal surface white in basal 1/2, male cilia slightly longer than diameter. Thorax cream to light ochre, often irregularly spotted with carmine-pink. Tegula mixed cream and light ochre, inner margin often carmine-pink. Forewing ground color light ochre, often scattered with carmine-pink; costa with basal 1/3 of anterior edge black, distal 1/4 or 1/5 dark brown; apical spot very small, sometimes elongate or indistinct; dorsum with a large, sometimes indistinct, semicircular patch in basal 1/3 and after middle of wing, respectively; other markings dark brown: a streak arising from base, shortly extended to costa, sometimes not reaching costa; a costal spot at basal 1/3; a broad, irregular band from near base of dorsum, longitudinally running over two white patches close to costa, curved downward after middle and reaching distal 1/4 of dorsum, interrupted by white scales near lower angle of discal cell, its posterior margin often bordered by carmine-pink scales; a somewhat indistinct, short streak from basal 2/5 of dorsum, confluent with former band at middle; two narrow streaks from distal 1/4 of wing, running to apical spot in parallel to costa, often bordered by carmine-pink scales anteriorly; fringe on distal 1/4 of costa brown with creamy base; carmine-pink fringe from termen to near apex, with a metallic terminal band; fringe on dorsum brown. Hindwing and fringe dark fuscous. Legs mixed white and light ochre; fore femur, tibia and tarsus black on outer surface; mid tibia with two black oblique streaks at basal 1/3 and 1/2, respectively, first streak sometimes reduced as a spot and mixed with carmine-pink; hind tibia with an oblique streak near apex; hind tarsus as in mid tarsus.

Male sternum VIII ( Fig. 24P View FIGURE 24 ). Approximately 1/6 length of abdomen, with lateral margins broadly concave, bifurcate from posterior 1/6; inner margin U-shaped between two tines, pointed at apex.

Male genitalia ( Fig.34F View FIGURE 34 ).Uncus tongue-shaped.Gnathos hook moderately long, simple.Tegumen approximately 3 times as long as uncus. Valva with ventral margin serrate and bulged between basal 1/3 and 2/3, distal 1/4 slightly broadened, rounded at apex. Anellus lobe approximately 1/5 length of valva, strongly curved inward; spoon-shaped, basal 1/2 very slender, oval in distal 1/2, bearing sparse setae along apical margin. Juxta with a short, pointed process near base of valva, broadly convex at base. Vinculum broadly convex. Saccus broad, not exceeding tegumen pedunculus, rounded at apex. Aedeagus with basal 1/3 dilated, gradually narrowed to distal 1/3, blunt at apex.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 52A View FIGURE 52 ). Papillae anales weakly sclerotized. Apophyses anteriores 3/5 of apophyses posteriores. Tergum VIII deeply concave medially. Sternum VIII broadly elongate anteriorly. Ostium bursae round, opening in anterior half of sternum VIII. Ductus bursae narrow, with a short colliculum near base; ductus seminalis arising from basal 1/3. Corpus bursae elliptical, as long or slightly shorter than ductus bursae; signum large and trapezoidal, situated at middle.

Distribution. China (Hainan).

Etymology. The species name is from Latin cochlearis (spoon-shaped), referring to the spoon-shaped anellus lobe.

Remarks. This species is Thiotricha sp. 6 in Lee et al. (2021) for) for the phylogenetic study of Thiotrichinae , and the genetic sequences are available from GenBank.