Promalactis forticosta Kim and Park, 2012

Kim, Sora, Park, Kyu-Tek, Byun, Bong-Kyu, Heppner, John B. & Lee, Seunghwan, 2012, Genus Promalactis Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) in northern Vietnam. Part II: six new species of the genus, Journal of Natural History 46 (15 - 16), pp. 897-909 : 905-906

Promalactis forticosta Kim and Park , sp. nov.

( Figures 1G,H; 2D ; 3G,H )

Diagnosis

This species is differentiated from congeners by the characteristic shape of the forewing, which is strongly oblique beyond three-quarters of costa with acute apex.

Description

Adult ( Figures 1G,H; 2D ). Head: frons and vertex dark brown, mixed with deep grey; occiput with dark brown, white near scape. Antennal scape white dorsally, shorter than diameter of eye; flagellum white, alternated with dark-brown scales. Labial palpus dark brown, third segment recurved, shorter than the second segment. Thorax and tegula dark brown dorsally, more or less reddish brown. Wing expanse 9.0– 9.5 mm. Forewing dark brown near base, gradually tinged with reddish brown; costa strongly oblique beyond three-quarters; sub-basal and median bands shiny blue, oblique, edged by fuscous scales, median band not reaching costa; one shiny-blue spot on costal margin, the other one under the former, centrally positioned at two-thirds of forewing surrounded by fuscous scales; one short shiny blue band, oblique, edged by fuscous scales before the tornus on posterior margin; one tiny spot at apex after fuscous scales; fringe yellowish brown. Hindwing dark brown, more or less lanceolate; fringes greyish brown. Leg dark brown ventrally, with white scales at basal first, second, third, fourth and fifth segments of fore, mid and hind tarsi; hind tibia with two pairs of greyish brown spurs at sub-base and near apex.

Male genitalia ( Figure 3G, H ). Uncus broad, bifurcate; apices of each blunt; setose at sub-basal lateral margin. Valva very broad, short, truncate on outer margin beyond apex; costal margin strongly sclerotized; apex round, with row of pectinate plate beyond apex; sacuulus band-like, weakly sclerotized, terminated at lower corner of outer margin. Saccus bell-like, shorter than the valva. Aedeagus slender, elongate, slightly bent at three-quarters of its length, 1.5 times longer than valva, cornutus present and one-quarter length of aedeagus.

Female. Unknown.

Holotype. Male , Tam Dao Nat. Park, Vietnam, 24 May 2007, KT Park, slide gen. no. SNU-9003.

Distribution

Vietnam (North).

Etymology

The specific name of the new species is derived from the Latin forti (= strong) plus costa (= costa), referring to strong and sclerotized costal margin of valva.

Figures

Figure 2. Head (labial palpus). (A) Promalactis albipars sp. nov.; (B) Promalactis bitrigona sp. nov.; (C) Promalactis diorbis sp. nov.; (D) Promalactis forticosta sp. nov.; (E) Promalactis magnipuncti sp. nov.; (F) Promalactis polyspina sp. nov.

Figure 3. Male genitalia. (A) Promalactis albipars sp. nov.; (B) P. albipars, aedeagus; (C) P. albipars, close-up apical part of valva; (D) Promalactis bitrigona sp. nov.; (E) P. bitrigona, aedeagus; (F) P. bitrigona, close-up uncus and gnathos; (G) Promalactis forticosta sp. nov.; (H) P. forticosta, aedeagus; (I) Promalactis magnipuncti sp. nov.; (J) P. magnipuncti, aedeagus. Scale bar 0.5 mm.