Lecithocera ligulacea, Yu & Wang, 2024

Yu, Shuai & Wang, Shuxia, 2024, The genus Lecithocera (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae) from China, with descriptions of twenty-one new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 924, pp. 1-74 : 21-22

Lecithocera ligulacea sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2F233486-0D4E-4AAF-91C3-650C91DF4C6F

Figs 3C , 7E , 12C , 16F , 19E

Diagnosis

The new species is similar to L. fascinatrix Meyrick, 1935 in the male genitalia. It can be distinguished by the forewing with a plical stigma, in the male genitalia by the juxta with taenioid posterior lobes extending outward and the variedly shaped cornuti. In L. fascinatrix , the forewing has no plical stigma, the juxta has no distinct posterior lobe and the cornuti are spiniform ( Gozmány 1978: pl. 32 fig. 64).

Etymology

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin “ ligulaceus ”, referring to the corema sac of the seventh abdominal sternite being tongue-shaped apically.

Type material

Holotype

CHINA – Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region • ♂; Nanning, Mt Daming ; 23º32′ N, 108º20′ E; 280 m a.s.l.; 7 Aug. 2011; S.L. Hao and Y.H. Sun leg.; slide no. LSR13200 ; NKU.

Paratypes (6 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀)

CHINA – Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region • 2 ♂♂; same collection data as for holotype; slide no. LSR13453 ; NKU . – Hunan Province • 3 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Mt Badagong ; 1250 m a.s.l.; 13‒14 Aug. 2001; H.H. Li and X.P. Wang leg.; slide nos LSR13414 ♂, LSR13415 ♀, LSR14002 ♀, ZYM06047 ♂; NKU . – Guizhou Province • 1 ♂; Kuankuoshui ; 1500 m a.s.l.; 12 Aug. 2012; L.L. Yang leg.; slide no. LSR13279 ; NKU .

Description

ADULT ( Figs 3C , 7E ). Wingspan 10.0‒12.0 mm. Head pale yellow. Antenna pale yellow; flagellum ringed with dark brown. Labial palpus pale yellow; third palpomere nearly as long as second palpomere. Thorax and tegula pale yellow, mixed with dark brown scales. Forewing with costal margin nearly straight, apex triangularly produced, termen oblique and gently concave; ground colour dark brown; markings blackish brown: discal stigma oblong, edges creamy white; plical stigma obliquely elliptical, placed below discal stigma; discocellular stigma larger, subrectangular; fringe greyish brown, basal line pale yellow; R 3 free, R 4 and R 5 stalked for about half length of R 5, R 5 to termen, M 1 close to R 4+5 at base, M 2 and M 3 arising from same point, CuA 1 and CuA 2 separated. Hindwing pale greyish orange; fringe deep grey, basal line pale yellow; M 3 and CuA 1 stalked for about 2/5 the length of CuA 1.

MALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 12C ). Uncus subtrapezoidal, shallowly concave on lateral and posterior margins; caudal lobe short, digitiform. Gnathos with lateral arms broad; median process broad in basal ⅓, narrowed to distal ⅓, distal ⅓ slender to pointed apex, gently curved ventrad preapically. Valva broad basally, narrowed to cucullus; cucullus about half length of valva, half as wide as basal width of valva, parallel-sided to before obliquely blunt apex, nearly straight on costal margin, setose on ventral ⅔, with two rows of bullet-shaped setae along ventral margin distally; costal bar narrow, slightly arched basally; sacculus taenioid, broad in basal half, narrowed from middle to cucullus. Vinculum broad; saccus not developed. Juxta shield-shaped, concave shallowly on posterior margin, triangularly produced at middle on anterior margin; posterior lobe taenioid, widened apically, extending outward. Aedeagus slightly shorter than valva, uniformly wide in basal ⅔, then narrowed to apex, gently curved, with two tiny dorsal denticles, with dense granules at distal ⅓; cornuti consisting of denticulate sclerite at basal ⅓ and ⅔, respectively, several teeth in distal half, and pinch of spines at distal ⅓.

SEVENTH ABDOMINAL STERNITE ( Fig. 16F ). Anterior margin with apically tongue-shaped corema sac at middle extending to anterior margin of fourth abdominal sternite; anterolateral rib bar-shaped, curved, short; posterolateral lobe small, horn-shaped.

FEMALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 19E ). Eighth abdominal sternite concave at middle on posterior margin. Apophyses posteriores about 1.5 times as long as apophyses anteriores. Antrum cup-shaped, wider than long, spiculose. Ductus bursae slightly shorter than corpus bursae, relatively broad, with numerous spines in posterior half on inner wall; ductus seminalis slender, arising from posterior ¼ of ductus bursae, with sparse spines on inner wall. Corpus bursae elliptical; signum tongue-shaped, weakly sclerotized anteriorly, densely denticulate, placed at posterior ⅓.

Distribution

China (Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan).

Figures

Fig. 3. Adults of species of Lecithocera Herrich-Schäffer, 1853 (NKU), dorsal view. A. L. haviensis Park, 2016, female. B. L. laticuculla sp. nov., holotype, male. C. L. ligulacea sp. nov., holotype, male. D. L. margirecta sp. nov., paratype, male. E. L. medogensis sp. nov., paratype, male. F. L. neosticta Meyrick, 1918, male. Scale bars =2.0 mm.

Fig. 7. Wing venations of species of Lecithocera Herrich-Schäffer, 1853, all paratypes (NKU). A. L. flavalba sp. nov., female, slide no. YS19061. B. L. flavistriata sp. nov., male, slide no. YS19661. C. L. furvibasis sp. nov., female, slide no. YS20004. D. L. laticuculla sp. nov., male, slide no. YS19684. E. L. ligulacea sp. nov., male, slide no. LSR13453. F. L. margirecta sp. nov., male, slide no. ZMR10321. Scale bars =2.0 mm.

Fig. 12. Male genitalia of species of Lecithocera Herrich-Schäffer, 1853 (NKU). A. L. haviensis Park, 2016, slide no. YS19710.B. L. laticuculla sp. nov., paratype, slide no. YS19684. C. L. ligulacea sp. nov., paratype, slide no. LSR13453. D. L. margirecta sp. nov., paratype, slide no. YS19483. E. L. medogensis sp. nov., holotype, slide no. YS19166. F. L. neosticta Meyrick, 1918, slide no. LSR13344. Scale bars =0.5 mm.

Fig. 16. Male seventh abdominal sternite of species of Lecithocera Herrich-Schäffer, 1853 (NKU). A. L. flavalba sp. nov., holotype, slide no. YS19060. B. L. flavistriata sp. nov., paratype, slide no. YS19661. C. L. furvibasis sp. nov., holotype, slide no. YS18169. D. L. haviensis Park, 2016, slide no. YS19710. E. L. laticuculla sp. nov., paratype, slide no. YS19684. F. L. ligulacea sp. nov., paratype, slide no. LSR13414. G. L. margirecta sp. nov., paratype, slide no. YS19483. H. L. medogensis sp. nov., holotype, slide no. YS19166. Scale bars =0.5 mm.

Fig. 19. Female genitalia of species of Lecithocera Herrich-Schäffer, 1853, all paratypes (NKU). A. L. flavistriata sp. nov., slide no. YS19705. B. L. furvibasis sp. nov., slide no. YS18171. C. L. haviensis Park, 2016, slide no. YS19719. D. L. laticuculla sp. nov., slide no. YS19685. E. L. ligulacea sp. nov., slide no. LSR13415. F. L. margirecta sp. nov., slide no. ZMR10284. Scale bars=0.5 mm.