Triscaedecia sulawesi Ustjuzhanin, Kovtunovich & Hobern, 2019

Ustjuzhanin, Petr, Kovtunovich, Vasiliy & Hobern, Donald, 2019, A taxonomic review of the genus Triscaedecia (Lepidoptera: Alucitidae) in the world fauna, Zootaxa 4571 (3), pp. 373-382 : 374-376

Triscaedecia sulawesi Ustjuzhanin, Kovtunovich & Hobern sp. nov.

( Figs 3 , 8 , 12 , 14 )

Diagnosis. T. sulawesi closely resembles T. dactyloptera in markings but is distinguished by the paler color of the wings and by the much straighter narrow white lines in the distal portions of the wings (especially the line across the hind wing). The new species is larger than T. septemdactyla , and the white stripe arising from the forewing dorsum in this species is deflected distally and only reaches the middle of the wing. In T. septemdactyla the corresponding stripe clearly includes the discal spot and approaches the costa.

In the male genitalia, the shape of the aedeagus and of the hind lobes of the valves also resemble T. septemdactyla but in the new species the valves also have anterior lobes, the uncus is reduced and the anellus is short. In T. septemdactyla the valves have no anterior lobes, the uncus is well expressed, and the anellus is long, reaching the uncus base.

In the female genitalia, the new species is close to T. dactyloptera , but distinguished by the elongated corpus bursae and the narrow ductus, while in T. dactyloptera , the corpus bursae is round, and the ductus is significantly wider.

See T. suva , T. sarawaki and T. svetlanae for diagnoses from those species.

Description. Wingspan of male— 20 mm, of female— 24 mm.

Head with pale yellow scales. Labial palpus whitish brown, three times as long as longitudinal diameter of eye, third segment discrete, directed upwards. Maxillary palpus developed, short, shaped as bundle of elongated scales. Antenna whitish brown, ringed, scape thickened.

Thorax and tegula with pale yellow scales Wings whitish brown. Six distinct small tufted bulges at regular intervals along costal edge of fore wing, linked by narrow white semicircular lines in the intervals. Discal spot brown, narrow, transversely aligned. Distal part of fore wing distinctly delimited by thin white transverse line. Six lobes are cleft close to this line. A wavy fuscous brown line traces the bases of the clefts. On hind wing, the same thin white transverse line and wavy fuscous brown line delimit clefts between seven lobes (third cleft deeper than the rest). Wide blurred white transverse stripe across middle of hind wing and obliquely from middle of forewing dorsum, approaching white transverse line before clefts and not reaching discal spot. Hind wing basally brown, interspersed with white scales. Fore wing lobes whitish brown from base to middle (except for the first lobe, which is completely whitish brown), distally dark brown. Lobes of hind wing brown, banded with white wavy stripes. Hind leg pale yellow with two pairs of spurs of unequal length.

Male genitalia. Symmetrical. Uncus short, reduced, apex rounded. Valve bilobed, fore lobe short, slightly bent inwards, apically tapered, hind lobe narrow, ribbon-like, distally slightly widened. Vinculum elongatedly arched. Anellus arms long, narrow-cuneal. Upper edge of sternum VIII with two robust sclerotized hooks laterally. Aedeagus thick, slightly curved, equal in length to the entire genital structure.

Female genitalia. Posterior apophyses straight. Papilla analis narrow, apically sharp. Anterior apophyses long, equal to length of posterior apophyses. Antrum tubulate. Ductus bursae long, narrow, sclerotized, strongly widened at junction with corpus bursae. Ductus seminalis wide, equal to length of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae oval, with two lunule signa and numerous tiny spines spread throughout the surface.

Type material. Holotype: male. Indonesia: Sulawesi, Utara , Dumoga-Bone N.P., May 1985, h— 200m, H. Barlow ( BMNH 22793 ) ; Paratypes: 1 ♂, [Sulawesi] W. Celebes, Lindoe Paloe , 3700, April 1937, J.P.A. Kalis ( BMNH 22794 ) ; 1 ♀, [Sulawesi] W. Celebes, Lindoe Paloe , 4000, May 1937, J.P.A. Kalis ( BMNH 22795 ), in BMNH .

Etymology. Toponymic name.

Distribution. Indonesia: Sulawesi.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Known Triscaedecia localities. All recorded localities for Triscaedecia species, based on Pagenstecher, 1900; Hampson, 1905; Fletcher, 1910; Gielis, 2009 and present publication.

FIGURES 1–6. Adults. 1, Triscaedecia dactyloptera. 2, T. septemdactyla. 3, T. sulawesi sp. nov., Holotype, BMNH. 4, T. sarawaki sp. nov., Holotype, BMNH. 5, T. svetlanae sp. nov., Holotype, BMNH, 6, T. suva sp. nov., Holotype, BMNH.

FIGURES 7–10. Male genitalia. 7, Triscaedecia septemdactyla (Pagenstecher, 1900). 8, T. sulawesi sp. nov., Holotype, BMNH 22793. 9, T. sarawaki sp. nov., Holotype, BMNH 22797. 10, T. svetlanae sp. nov., Holotype, BMNH.

FIGURES 11–13. Female genitalia. 11, Triscaedecia dactyloptera. 12, T. sulawesi sp. nov., Paratype, BMNH 22795. 13, T. suva sp. nov., Holotype, BMNH 22796.