Tetracona multispina Jie & Li, 2020

Jie, Lu-Lan, Yang, Jing-Bo & Li, Wei-Chun, 2020, First record of the genus Tetracona Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Crambidae) from China, with description of a new species, ZooKeys 941, pp. 101-105 : 101

Tetracona multispina Jie & Li sp. nov. Figures 1-6

Type material.

Holotype ♂: China: Huangzihao, Fuliang (29°15'N, 117°09'E), Jiangxi Province, 220 m, 26.v.2012, Wei-Chun Li leg., genitalia slide no. JL19103 (JXAUM). Paratypes: China: 1 ♂, same data as holotype, genitalia slide no. JL16099; 1 ♂, Tongboshan (28°15'N, 117°07'E), Jiangxi Province, 900 m, 30.viii.2012, Wei-Chun Li leg., genitalia slide no. JL16098; 1 ♂, Wuyuan, Shangbao (29°09'N, 117°30.6'E), Jiangxi Province, 23-28.vi.1989, Guang-Pu Shen leg.; 1 ♂, Dabali, Xunwu (29°09'N, 117°30.6'E), Jiangxi Province, 550 m, 22.vii.2007, Yu-Jian Lin leg., genitalia slide no. JL16094; 1 ♂, Doushui (29°09'N, 117°30.6'E), Shangyou, Jiangxi Province, 150 m, 20.x.1991, Yu-Jian Lin leg., genitalia slide no. JL19104; 1 ♂, Shangyou Arboretum (29°09'N, 117°30.6'E), Jiangxi Province, 230 m, 22.x.1991, Yu-Jian Lin leg., genitalia slide no. JL19104 (JXAUM).

Differential diagnosis.

This new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the unique characters in the hindwing and male genitalia: its antemedial line connects with the postmedial line near the dorsum and the phallus with a cluster of spine-like cornuti.

Description.

Adult male (Figs 1-4 ): Forewing length 10.0-11.0 mm. Frons rounded, pale yellow. Vertex ocherous. Labial palpi upcurved, first segment grey, the remaining brown; second segment ending with truncate tip, third segment with triangular scale tuft. Maxillary palpi upright, ocherous. Thorax yellowish white sprinkled with orange scales. Forewing subtriangular, basal third yellowish white, suffused with irregular orange scales, remaining pale brown; antemedial line blackish brown, dentated inwards near middle; distal discoidal stigma ovate, blackish brown tinged with orange; postmedial line blackish brown, distinctively incurved at approximately dorsal third; terminal margin blackish brown; cilia pale brown mixed with pale yellow. Hindwing basal third yellowish white, suffused with irregular orange scales, remaining pale brown; antemedial line blackish brown, incurve at middle; postmedial line blackish brown, nearly S-shaped, connecting antemedial line near dorsum; terminal margin blackish brown; cilia pale brown. Abdomen with two white basal segments, second segment with two orange lateral stripes; third segment orange, remainder pale brown mixed with pale yellow except for white distal segment; ninth segment with two well-developed spines and two tufts of culcita. Tympanal organs (Fig. 5 ): Bulla tympani convex on inner margin, more or less concave posteriorly. Saccus tympani extending to about anterior one-fourth of tergite two. Venula secunda absent. Male genitalia (Fig. 6 ): Uncus lobe-shaped, covered with dense setae; distal half narrowed towards blunted tip. Valva basally narrow, broadened towards distal third, then gently narrowed towards round apex. Sacculus weakly sclerotized, thin and long. Saccus basally broad, tapering towards two blunt tips. Juxta nearly fan-shaped. Phallus straight, nearly as long as valva; cornuti composed of multiple spines of various sizes.

Female. Unknown.

Distribution.

China (Jiangxi).

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the Latin prefix multi - = multiple, and the Latin spina = spine, referring to the male genitalia with multiple spine-like cornuti.

Figures

Figures 1 - 6. Tetracona multispina sp. nov. 1 adult in dorsal view, holotype 2 head in lateral view, holotype 3 head in dorsal view, holotype 4 ninth segment of abdomen, paratype 5 tympanal organs in ventral view, paratype 6 male genitalia in ventral view (phallus removed), paratype. Scale bars: 5 mm (1), 0.5 mm (2 - 6)