Kiwaia (Empista) ramulata (Meyrick, 1926)

Bidzilya, Oleksiy & Li, Houhun, 2016, A review of the genus Kiwaia Philpott, 1930 (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) in the Palaearctic Region, Zootaxa 4098 (3), pp. 471-497 : 486-497

Kiwaia (Empista) ramulata (Meyrick, 1926)

( Figs 27 , 52, 53 )

Gelechia ramulata Meyrick, 1926: 278 .

Gnorimoschema ramulata (Meyrick, 1931) : Clarke, 1967: 160, Pl. 80, figs 4–4b. Kiwaia ramulata (Meyrick, 1931) : Pathania & Sidhu, 2010: 13.

Material examined. Type, Gelechia ramulata Meyr. , 1/1 E. Meyrick det., in Meyrick Coll., Kumaon, Muktesar, 7000, 9.22, TBF, ♂, genitalia on slide 2.ix.1948, J.F.G.C. 8280 ( BMNH).

Additional material examined. 1♂, Kumaon, 7000 ft., Muktesar, 24Apl. – 15 May 23 (Fletcher), Gelechia ramulata , M[?]. Meyrick det. 1928, gen. slide no. 34174, O. Bidzilya ( BMNH).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 27 ): Wingspan 17.0–19.0 mm. Head grey to light brown, labial palpus up curved, black with rare grey scales, inner surface lighter, light grey mottled with brown, segment 3 about 1.5 times shorter and narrower than segment 2, scapus brown, other antennal segments brown, white-ringed; thorax and tegulae brown to black; forewing black under costal margin, then becoming brown to half width and light brown to creamish towards dorsal margin, veins black in apical 1/3, termen black-spotted, two pairs of black indistinct spots in cell, distinct black dot in the corner of cell, cilia grey black-tipped; hindwing light grey.

Male genitalia ( Figs 52, 53 ): Uncus tongue-shaped, longer than broad, broadened near the base, then gradually narrowed towards rounded apex; gnathos thin, sickle-shaped; tegumen comparatively broad, nearly parellel-sided in distal 2/3, base broadened, antromedial emargination broadly rounded; valva narrow, apex inflated, rounded, reaching to half length of uncus; sacculus short, broad on base, then narrow, pointed; vinculum about 1.5 times broader than long, posterior margin broadly emarginated, vincular processes moderately broad, extending to the top of sacculus, outer margin densely covered with short spines; saccus long, stout, tapered apically; phallus as long as tegumen with uncus, tubular, with small lateral tooth on 2/3 length, about of equal width, caecum weakly inflated.

Female unknown.

Remarks. The species is well recognizable externally by forewing clearly separated into dark costal 1/3 and pale creamy dorsal 2/3. The male genitalia are recognizable by the short sacculus, the long saccus and the tubular phallus with lateral tooth on 2/3.

Biology. According to the label information adults fly in April–May and late September at the altitude of about 2100 m.

Distribution. Nort-Eastern India (Uttarkhand).

Notes. Gelechia ramulata was described from a single male collected in North-Eastern India. The holotype, lateral view of the male genitalia and label data were illustrated by Clarke (1969).

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 27. Adults of Kiwaia (Empista) spp. 21, K. (E.) medogia sp. n., PT, ♂ (China: Xizang); 22, K. (E.) yadongensis sp. n., HT, ♀ (China: Xizang); 23, K. (E.) kumatai (Povolný), ♀ (Nepal); 24, K. (E.) povolnyi sp. n., HT, ♂ (China: Xizang); 25, K. (E.) povolnyi sp. n., PT, ♂ (China: Xizang); 26, K. (E.) povolnyi sp. n., PT, ♂ (China: Xizang); 27, K. (E.) ramulata (Meyrick), HT, ♂ (India).

FIGURES 48 – 53. Male genitalia of Kiwaia (Empista) spp. 48, K. (E.) kumatai (Povolný) (after Povolný, 2002); 49, K. (E.) povolnyi sp. n., HT (China: Xizang), slide no. L 92028; 50, K. (E.) povolnyi sp. n., PT (China: Xizang), prep. in glycerol; 51, K. (E.) povolnyi sp. n., PT (China: Xizang), slide no. SYW 05186; 52, K. (E.) ramulata (Meyrick), HT (India), slide J. F. G. C. 8280; 53, K. (E.) ramulata (Meyrick) (India), slide no. 34174.