Encolapta Meyrick, 1913

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 : 202-203

Encolapta Meyrick, 1913

Encolapta Meyrick, 1913: 167 . Type species: Encolapta metorcha Meyrick, 1913 , by monotypy. Homoshelas Meyrick, 1935: 70 . Type species: Homoshelas epichthonia Meyrick, 1935 , by monotypy. Chelophoba Meyrick, 1935: 71 . Type species: Chelophoba aganactes Meyrick, 1935 , by monotypy. Homochelas Clarke, 1969: 187. Unjustified emendation.

Generic characters. Head with appressed scales. Proboscis developed. Antenna simple, without pecten on scape ( Fig. 8 ). Labial palpus long, upturned beyond vertex; 2nd palpomere with scale tuft on ventral surface, either grouped in triangle distally or arranged in rectangle loosely throughout ( Figs 4, 5 ); 3rd palpomere often with three rings. Forewing with R4 and M1 stalked, or with R4 and R5 stalked if R5 present ( Figs 6, 7 ), M1 sub-parallel to M2, M3 arising from lower angle of cell, CuA1 parallel to CuA2, 1A+2A biforked basally. Hindwing with Rs and M1 stalked, M3 connate with CuA1 or approximated to CuA1 at base.

Male genitalia: Uncus elongate. Gnathos often being a strong hook, sometimes dilated before apex. Tegumen with anterior margin straight, concave or convex at middle. Valva expanded distally. Valvella varied in shape. Aedeagus often curved, dilated in basal part.

Female genitalia: Anterior apophyses distinctly shorter than posterior apophyses. Eighth tergite with posterior margin sclerotized, distinctly convex at middle in some species; eighth sternite with sclerotized lateral band. Ductus bursae longer or shorter than corpus bursae, coiled distally in some species. Corpus bursae elliptical or subelliptical, with warts on inner surface; signum usually a plate with transverse carina.

Diagnosis. Encolapta is superficially similar to Hypatima Hübner , [1825]. It can be separated from the latter by the eighth tergite with a simple sclerotized, banded or semi-elliptical plate, and the valvella without apical thorns in male.

Biology. Little is known about the biology of Encolapta . Larvae of E. tegulifera (Meyrick) feed on Quercus acutissima Carr. , Q. mongolica Turcz. and Q. serrata Thunb. ( Li 2002b) .

Distribution. Encolapta species occur in Asia ( China, Japan, Korea, Russian Far East, Vietnam, Sri Lanka), Africa and the Marquesas Islands. This paper reports 17 species mostly occurring in the central and southern parts of China ( Figs 1 , 2 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Chinese Encolapta spp. The tegulifera - group: □ E. bifasciaria sp. nov., ● E. lunata sp. nov., ▲ E. cornuta sp. nov., ♦ E. obliquata sp. nov., ¤ E. aciprojecta sp. nov., * E. trapezoidea sp. nov., ■ E. tegulifera, ♥ E. catarina, ♣ E. subtegulifera, ♠ E. scriniata, § E. shenae.

FIGURE 2. Distribution of Chinese Encolapta spp. The epichthonia - group: ■ E. epichthonia, ● E. sheni, ▲ E. marginans, ¤ E. aganactes, * E. valvispinata, Ω E. heppneri.

FIGURES 8 − 17. Morphology of Encolapta tegulifera. 8, antenna; 9, labial palpus; 10, head; 11, prothorax; 12, mesothorax; 13, metathorax; 14, tegula; 15, mesonotum; 16, metanotum; 17, pregenital abdomen, slide no. NKYMQ 005, ♂. (Scale bars = 1.0 mm).

FIGURES 3 − 5. Adult morphology of Encolapta spp. 3, Adult of E. tegulifera, ♀; 4 − 5, labial palpus: 4, E. tegulifera, ♂; 5, E. epichthonia, ♀. (Scale bars 3 = 2.0 mm; 4, 5 = 1.0 mm).

FIGURES 6 − 7. Venations of Encolapta spp. 6, E. tegulifera, ♂, slide no. NKYMQ 005; 7, E. epichthonia, ♂, slide no. YMQ 15735 W. (Scale bars = 1.0 mm).