Scrobipalpa ningxica, Li, Houhun & Bidzilya, Oleksiy, 2019

Li, Houhun & Bidzilya, Oleksiy, 2019, New species and new records of the genus Scrobipalpa Janse (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae) from China, ZooKeys 840, pp. 101-131 : 101

Scrobipalpa ningxica sp. n. Figs 10, 11, 21, 29

Type material.

CHINA: Holotype ♂, Erdaohu, Habahu, Yanchi County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 20.vii.2013, 1397 m (gen. slide no. L13097) (NKU). Paratypes: 10 ♂, 26 ♀, same data as holotype (gen. slide nos. L14042♂; L14008♀; L14019♀; L13092♀); 1 ♀, Habahu, Yanchi County, Ningxia, 24.vii.2013, 1461 m (gen. slide no. L14008).

Diagnosis.

The new species is defined externally by its nearly plainly coloured light grey to cream-coloured forewing densely mottled with black. The male genitalia resemble those of S. indignella (Staudinger, 1879) (see Huemer and Karsholt 2010: 392, fig. 68), but differ in the longer and narrower valva, the broader, U-shaped rather than V-shaped posteromedial emargination of the vinculum, the broader and apically inflated saccus as well as the broader and shorter phallus with more broadened apex. The female genitalia are most similar to those of S. chrysanthemella (O. Hofmann, 1867) (see Huemer and Karsholt 2010: 461, fig. 28), but differ in the presence of foamy sculpture at base of the apophyses anteriores, the strongly sclerotized and broad medially separated lobes of the ventromedial depression as well as more curved distal hook of the signum.

Description.

Adult (Figs 10, 11). Wingspan 11.0-12.5 mm. Head light brown to yellow, neck occasionally mottled with brown, labial palpus grey mixed with brown, inner surface of segment 2 light, off-white, underside with row of modified brown-tipped scales, segment 3 distinctly narrower and shorter than segment 2, acute, light grey, apex mixed with brown mainly in distal half, scape greyish brown, other antennal segments cream with brown rings; thorax and tegulae grey, brown tipped; forewing covered with cream to light grey, black-tipped scales, costal margin and termen slightly darker, white subapical fascia poorly expressed, fold yellowish with two black spots inside, three indistinct black dots in cell, diffuse black spot at base and on 1/4 of costal margin, dorsal margin with a few black scales at base; cilia grey black tipped; hindwing grey.

Variation. Forewing vary from light grey to dark grey.

Male genitalia (Fig. 21). Uncus twice as long as broad, weakly narrowing apically, posterior margin rounded; gnathos short, thin, weakly curved; basal half of tegumen broad, triangular, distal half parallel-sided, weakly narrower than uncus, anteromedial emargination deeply rounded; valva thin, of even width, evenly curved, apex inflated, rounded, extending to the top of uncus; sacculus four times shorter and twice broader than valva, inner margin straight with pointed tip curved inwards, outer margin slightly curved, apically rounded, gap to the vincular process moderately broad; vincular processes twice narrower and slightly shorter than sacculus, with outwardly curved and strongly pointed tip, medial emargination of posterior margin of vinculum deep, broadly rounded; saccus stout, broad, parallel-sided except for basal 1/3, apex broadened, projecting far beyond apex of pedunculus; phallus straight, apical arm narrow, caecum weakly inflated, ca. 1/3 length of phallus.

Female genitalia (Fig. 29). Papilla analis elongated, covered with short hairs; apophyses posteriores ca. 4 times longer than apophyses anteriores; segment VIII as broader as long, weakly narrowing apically, anterior margin straight, strongly sclerotized, subgenital plates posteriorly ca. half as broad as sternite VIII, strongly narrowing anteriorly, with foamed sculpture at base of apophyses anteriores, ventromedial depression smooth, strongly edged anteriorly, separated by medial triangular emargination into lobes reaching to the anterior margin of sternite VIII; apophyses anteriores straight, ca. as long as sternite VIII; posterior part of ductus bursae narrow with broad strongly laterally sclerotized colliculum, ductus bursae gradually widened towards pyriform corpus bursae; signum near entrance of corpus bursae, basal plate of signum large, distal hook narrow, curved under the right angle in middle.

Distribution.

China (Ningxia).

Biology.

Host plant unknown. Adults were collected in the last third of July at an altitude of 1400 m.

Etymology.

The specific name, a noun in apposition, refers to the type locality of the new species, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China.