Encolapta aciprojecta, Yang, Meiqing & Li, Houhun, 2016

Yang, Meiqing & Li, Houhun, 2016, Review of the genus Encolapta Meyrick, 1913 (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae: Chelariini) from China, with descriptions of six new species, Zootaxa 4193 (2), pp. 201-227 : 207-208

Encolapta aciprojecta sp. nov.

( Figs 22 , 36 )

Type material. CHINA: Holotype Ƌ, Hainan Province: Hongxincun, Yuanmen , Baisha County, 430 m, 15.iv.2014, leg. Tengteng Liu, Wei Guan and Xuemei Hu, genitalia slide no. YMQ15479 . Paratype: Hainan Province: 1 Ƌ, Wuzhishan Nature Reserves , 740 m, 13.iv.2009, leg. Qing Jin and Bingbing Hu, genitalia slide no. YMQ13231 .

Adult ( Fig. 22 ). Wingspan 14.0−15.0 mm. Head grayish brown. Labial palpus with first palpomere black; second palpomere grayish brown mixed with grayish white, with black spot at basal 1/4 on outer surface, with loose long scale tuft on ventral surface; third palpomere grayish white, with brown ring near base, at 1/3 and at 2/3 respectively, brown at apex, about same length as first and second palpomeres together. Antenna with scape grayish white, mottled dark brown scales on dorsal surface; flagellum alternately dark brown and grayish white. Thorax and tegula grayish brown mixed with grayish white, thorax with black spot at anterior 1/3, with white spot at middle on lateral side. Forewing ground color creamy white, with dense dark brown and black scales; costal margin with three short black streaks alternated with creamy white between 3/5 and 4/5 extending obliquely outward; terminal band thin, ill-defined; three ill-defined V-shaped dark brown fasciae open toward apex in basal 1/4, with scattered black scales posteriorly, first and second fasciae across wing, third one occupying median half; broad fascia from between 1/4 and beyond middle of costal margin to dorsum, black between costal margin and fold, dark brown between fold and dorsum, inner margin sinuate, ill-defined on posterior half, outer margin oblique inward, anterior 1/5 protruding outward angularly to a point for 1/3 of its width; discocellular spot a thin short longitudinal dark brown streak, not exceeding end of cell; subterminal spot elongate, dark brown, with two black streaks forming a fork open toward apex; dorsum with short black streak from 1/3 extending obliquely outward to about posterior 1/5, with three indistinct dark brown spots from 3/5 to tornus, anterior end of these spots not exceeding midwidth; tornal spot banded, oblique outward, joined with subterminal spot anteriorly; cilia dark gray, mixed with white scales. Hindwing and cilia from gray to dark gray. Forelegs with coxae and femora dark brown on ventral surface, grayish white on dorsal surface, tibiae grayish white, black at 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 on outer surface, tarsi black ringed with white; mid- and hindlegs grayish white except tarsi black, mid tibiae with broad black band beyond 2/3, mid tarsi ringed with white, hind tibiae covered with dense long pale yellowish white hairs dorsally, hind tarsi ringed with white distally.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 36 ). Uncus with dense long setae, narrowed toward apex; apex rounded, with small acute process at middle; anterior margin concave medially, lateral sides slightly convex at middle. Gnathos strongly sclerotized, curved basally, slightly dilated before spine-formed apex. Tegumen straight on anterior margin. Valva gradually widened in basal half, roundly expanded in distal half; distal 1/4 separated from above costal apex, archly incised to anterior 2/5 from ventral margin, edged with dense hairs along anterior 2/3; ventral margin with hard setae from middle to 3/4. Valvella longer than half length of valva, stick-like, blunt apically, with dense strong spines in distal half on inner surface. Juxta a pair of membraneous lobes. Saccus slender, shorter than valvella, blunt apically. Aedeagus straight, dilated in basal 1/3, then tapered to narrowly rounded apex, heavily sclerotized from 1/3 to 3/4.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis. This species can be separated from its congeners by the creamy white forewing with three Vshaped dark brown fasciae open toward apex in basal 1/4, the uncus with process at apex and the valva with distal 1/4 separated from its costal apex to anterior 2/5 from the ventral margin in the male genitalia.

Distribution. China (Hainan).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin prefix aci -, meaning pointed, and the Latin projectus, meaning projected, referring to the acute process at apex of the uncus.

Figures

FIGURES 20 − 27. Adults of Encolapta spp. 20, E. bifasciaria sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 21, E. cornuta sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 22, E. aciprojecta sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 23, E. obliquata sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 24, E. trapezoidea sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 25, E. lunata sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 26, E. scriniata, ♂; 27, E. subtegulifera, ♂. (Scale bars = 2.0 mm).

FIGURES 34 − 41. Male genitalia of Encolapta spp. 34, E. bifasciaria sp. nov., holotype, slide no. YMQ 13206; 35, E. cornuta sp. nov., holotype, slide no. YMQ 13207; 36, E. aciprojecta sp. nov., holotype, slide no. YMQ 15479; 37, E. obliquata sp. nov., paratype, slide no. YMQ 15501; 38, E. trapezoidea sp. nov., holotype, slide no. YMQ 15487; 39, E. lunata sp. nov., paratype, slide no. YMQ 15489; 40, E. scriniata, slide no. YMQ 13226; 41, E. subtegulifera, slide no. YMQ 15499. (Scale bars = 0.5 mm).