Epicephala lativalvaris Li, Wang & Zhang

Zhang, Jing, Hu, Bingbing, Wang, Shuxia & Li, Houhun, 2012, Six new species of Epicephala Meyrick, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) associated with Phyllanthaceae plants, Zootaxa 3275, pp. 43-54 : 45-46

Epicephala lativalvaris Li, Wang & Zhang , sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 , 8 , 14, 20)

Type material. CHINA: Hainan Province: Holotype 3, Yingge Mountain Nature Reserves (19°02ʹN, 109°50ʹE), 24.xii.2009, leg. Bingbing Hu, genitalia slide No. ZJ10007. Paratypes: 12 3, 3 ƤƤ, 23.xi–24.xii.2009, 2 ƤƤ, 16.iii.2010, 4 3, 7 ƤƤ, 4–18.ix.2010, 10 3, 14 ƤƤ, 14.v–11.vi.2010, leg. Jing Zhang, same locality as holotype; 1 3, 1 Ƥ, Nanlin Farm, Wanning County (18°48ʹN, 110°24ʹE), 22.viii.2008, leg. Bingbing Hu; 2 3, Duowenling, Lingao County (19°55ʹN, 109°40ʹE), 19.v.2009, leg. Bingbing Hu; 1 Ƥ, Mt. Diaoluo (18°47ʹN, 109°52ʹE), 11.xi.2009, leg. Bingbing Hu; 1 Ƥ, Tianchi, Jianfengling (18°42ʹN, 108°47ʹE), 810 m, 30.viii.2008, leg.

Binbin Hu & Haiyan Bai (by light trap); Fujian Province: 2 3, 2 ƤƤ, Xiamen University, 16–18.v.2011, leg. Jing Zhang; 4 3, 3 ƤƤ, Mt. Tianzhu (24°36ʹN, 117°59ʹE), Xiamen, 21.viii–3.x.2010, leg. Jing Zhang; 1 3, Hongtang Village (24°36ʹN, 117°59ʹE), Xiamen, 30.viii.2010, leg. Jing Zhang; 19 3, 32 ƤƤ, 30.ix–13.x.2010, 6 3, 9 ƤƤ, Wanshi Botanical Garden (24°27ʹN, 118°06ʹE), Xiamen, 2.v–30.vi.2011, leg. Jing Zhang; Guangdong Province: 1 3, 1 Ƥ, Hebaodao (21°51ʹN, 113°10ʹE), 25.ii.2010, leg. Bingbing Hu; Hong Kong: 2 3, 1 Ƥ, Kadoorie Agricultural Research Centre (22°43ʹN, 114°11ʹE), 210 m, 12–21.iv.2007, leg. Houhun Li et al. (by light trap).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 2 ). Forewing expanse 8.5−12.5 mm. Head snow-white. Labial palpus white except second segment pale brown on outer surface. Antenna yellowish brown on ventral surface, brown with narrow yellowish-brown rings on dorsal surface. Thorax snow-white; tegula grayish brown. Forewing brown; costal margin with three parallel white striae extending obliquely outward from basal 1/3, 3/5 and 3/4 respectively: first stria broadest, narrowed to 1/4 across wing, second stria long and slender, slightly curved and narrowed to middle across wing, nearer to third than to first stria, third stria narrowest and shortest, reaching distal 1/6 at anterior 1/3; dorsal margin with a white to yellowish-white band, from its upper margin extending obliquely outward three white striae: first stria from about basal 1/2 shortest, reaching below fold, often indistinct in some individuals, second from basal 2/3 longest and strongest, joining with second costal stria at distal 1/6, third from a little beyond second, narrowest, meeting third costal stria in an arch, in some individuals a slender white stria between second and third striae reaching obliquely to distal 1/6; a narrow silvery fascia with metallic reflection from costal 5/6 to dorsum, arched outward medially, white on costa and dorsum; distal 1/6 yellowish brown, scattered with dark brown scales or with a central black dot, white along costal and dorsal margins; cilia white or pale yellowish-white from distal part of costal margin along termen to tornus except blackish-brown at base and apex, gray or deep gray along dorsal margin. Hindwing grayish-brown; cilia concolorous.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 8 ). Tegumen elongate oval, sclerotized laterally. Costa wide at base, narrowed slightly to about basal 1/3, distal 2/3 nearly parallel dorso-ventrally, with strong setae, apex bluntly rounded, with long setae; dorsal margin slightly arched medially, ventral margin concave inward gently. Transtilla triangular, arched inward ventrally, curved downward distally, acute apically. Sacculus broad, shorter than costa, medially about three times as wide as costa; dorsal margin sclerotized and conspicuously arched backward, produced to a hooked, strongly down-curved, beaklike apical process; ventral margin slightly concave medially, with a sclerotized triangular plate along basal 2/3, distal 1/3 produced to a long triangular apical process, slightly curved upwardly; outer margin deeply concave inward semicircularly. Vinculum broadly U-shaped, rounded on posterior margin; saccus a slender rod, as long as vinculum, apex acute. Phallus straight, narrower basally, longer than costa; with several spines and weakly sclerotized, apically dentated leaflike plates arising from its distal 1/4, reaching or exceeding end of phallus apically.

Female genitalia (Figs. 14, 20). Ovipositor small triangular, dentate laterally, acute apically. Apophysis posterioris strong, thicker and longer than apophysis anterioris. Eighth tergite trapezoidal, blunt on posterior margin. Ostium bursae posterolaterally with a gradually narrowed triangular plate, anteriorly with a large semicircular sac. Lamella postvaginalis large, inverted V-shaped, concave at middle on posterior margin; lamella antevaginalis U-shaped, laterally narrowed to apex-rounded lobes. Antrum very short, indistinct; ductus bursae membranous, relatively thick; ductus seminalis thinner than ductus bursae. Corpus bursae oval, not distinctively separated from ductus bursae; signum absent.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to most Epicephala species in forewing pattern having a whitish dorsal margin, but can be separated from them by the unique sacculus with apex emarginate semicircularly in the male genitalia. Epicephala lativalvaris sp. nov. is also close to E. exetastis Meyrick, 1908 (Holotype Ƥ, BMNH, examined, genitalia slide No. 32273, dissected by Houhun Li) in the female genitalia, but differs in the ostium bursae anteriorly bearing a large semicircular sac and the very short antrum.

Host plants. Phyllanthaceae : Breynia fruticosa (Linn.) and Breynia rostrata Merr.

Distribution. China (Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Hong Kong).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin prefix lati -, meaning broad, and the word valvaris, meaning valvular, in reference to the broader sacculus.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Adults of Epicephala spp. 1, E. lanceolaria sp. nov., paratype 3; 2, E. lativalvaris sp. nov., paratype 3; 3, E. mirivalvata sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 4, E. vitisidaea sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 5, E. bipollenella sp. nov., paratype Ƥ; 6, E. eriocarpa sp. nov., paratype Ƥ.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Male genitalia of Epicephala spp. 7, E. lanceolaria sp. nov., paratype, slide No. BHY 08332; 8, E. lativalvaris sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10007; 9, E. mirivalvata sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10080; 10, E. vitisidaea sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10041; 11, E. bipollenella sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 10056; 12, E. eriocarpa sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZJ 11038.