Tenupalpa falcata Lee et Li, 2022

Lee, Ga-Eun & Li, Houhun, 2022, Taxonomic study of the genus Tenupalpa Lee et Li, 2021 (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae Thiotrichinae) from China, with descriptions of fifteen new species, Zootaxa 5087 (1), pp. 75-111 : 96-97

Tenupalpa falcata Lee et Li , sp. nov.

( Figs 9 , 33 , 53 , 72 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CB483860-7FAA-4060-911D-D548FDD35954

Type material. Holotype ♂, CHINA, Hainan Province, Ledong County, Jianfengling Nature Reserves (18.74°N, 108.87°E), 770 m, 29.v.2015, leg. Peixin Cong, Wei Guan and Sha Hu, genitalia slide no. LGE18843.

Diagnosis. Tenupalpa falcata sp. nov. is superficially most similar to T. flavitermina , except the orange distal patch of the forewing is somewhat broader than in the latter. Tenupalpa falcata is easily distinguished from its congeners by the features of the male genitalia, which are characterized by a falcate anellus lobe; a broad, trapezoidal vinculum; and a sinuous distal part of the aedeagus with a serrate ventral margin.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 53 ). Head: Denuded [scales lost]. Labial palpus mixed light yellow and grey, palpomere III strongly mixed with grey. Antenna with scape light brown; flagellum dark fuscous, paler basally, male cilia slightly longer than flagellomere diameter.

Thorax: Dorsum and tegula mixed light yellow and grey. Wingspan 8.0 mm; forewing with basal 1/3 creamy white, anterior edge of costa black, dark grey between distal 2/3 and 1/4 of wing, distal 1/4 with a light orange patch, apex dark grey; fringe scales grey. Hindwing and fringe scales grey. Legs silvery white and light brown mixed; hind tibia broadly dark fuscous at middle, tinged with dark fuscous apically; mid- and hind-tarsi strongly mixed with dark grey on inner surface.

Abdomen ( Fig. 9 ): Male coremata slightly shorter than sternum VIII; sternum VIII sub-pentagonal, rounded laterally. Male genitalia ( Fig. 72 ) with uncus small, sub-pentagonal, with a longitudinal ridge medially. Gnathos hook short, acute apically. Tegumen approximately 9 times as long uncus; rounded tubercles at middle, each tubercle bearing a long hair ( Fig. 33 ). Valva with basal 2/3 slender and curved inward, spatulate distally, rounded apically. Anellus lobe approximately 1/3 length of valva, falcate, gradually narrowing to pointed apex, strongly curved inward; subapical bristle arising from middle of anellus lobe, almost reaching apex of anellus lobe. Juxta simple. Vinculum very broad, somewhat trapezoidal. Saccus broad, triangular, rounded apically, not exceeding tegumen pedunculus. Aedeagus with basal 2/5 globular, distal 3/5 slender and sinuous, shortly serrate at distal 1/3 of ventral margin, rounded apically.

Female unknown.

Distribution. China (Hainan).

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin falcatus (falcate), referring to the falcate anellus lobe of the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 7–14. Distal segment of male abdomen in Tenupalpa spp. 7. T. fuscalata sp. nov., slide no. LGE18829; 8. T. isabellina sp. nov., slide no. LGE18835; 9. T. falcata sp. nov., slide no. LGE18843; 10. T. flavitermina, slide no. LGE18842; 11. T. venustalis, slide no. LGE18562; 12. T. uncativalva sp. nov., slide no. LGE19015; 13. T. zhengi sp. nov., slide no. LGE19001; 14. T. dissimilis sp. nov., slide no. LGE19007 (Scale bars = 0.2 mm).

FIGURES 26–45. Tegumen tubercles of Tenupalpa spp. 26. T. angustella, slide no. LGE18719; 27. T. nephodesma, slide no. ZJL05343; 28. T. latifasciata sp. nov., slide no. LGE16112; 29. T. fuscalata sp. nov., slide no. LGE18829; 30. T. immaculata sp. nov., slide no. LGE18025; 31. T. isabellina sp. nov., slide no. LGE17282; 32. T. angulosa sp. nov., slide no. LGE17270; 33. T. falcata sp. nov., slide no. LGE18843; 34. T. flavitermina, slide no. LGE18842; 35. T. biformis, slide no. LLJ15140; 36. T. venustalis, slide no. LGE18493; 37. T. acutata sp. nov., slide no. LGE18030; 38. T. crassimedia sp. nov., slide no. LGE18015; 39. T. acutimedia sp. nov., slide no. LGE16247; 40. T. breviaedeaga sp. nov., slide no. LGE19014; 41. T. magniguttata sp. nov., slide no. LGE19013; 42. T. perparviloba sp. nov., slide no. LGE18036; 43. T. uncativalva sp. nov., slide no. LGE19015; 44. T. zhengi sp. nov., slide no. LGE19001; 45. T. dissimilis sp. nov., slide no. LGE19007.

FIGURES 46–53. Adults of Tenupalpa spp. 46. T. angustella, male; 47. T. nephodesma, male; 48. T. latifasciata sp. nov., male, holotype; 49. T. fuscalata sp. nov., female, paratype; 50. T. immaculata sp. nov., male, holotype; 51. T. isabellina sp. nov., male, holotype; 52. T. angulosa sp. nov., male, holotype; 53. T. falcata sp. nov., male, holotype (Scale bars = 0.2 mm).

FIGURES 72–77. Male genitalia of Tenupalpa spp. 72. T. falcata sp. nov., holotype, slide no. LGE18843; 73. T. flavitermina, slide no. LGE18842; 74. T. biformis, slide no. LLJ15140; 75. T. venustalis, slide no. LGE18493; 76. T. acutata sp. nov., holotype, slide no. LGE18030; 77. T. crassimedia sp. nov., paratype, slide no. LGE16256 (Scale bars = 0.2 mm).