Thecobathra minutiprocessa Wang, 2023

Liu, Haoyu & Wang, Shuxia, 2023, Taxonomic study of the genus Thecobathra Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) in China, with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 5325 (4), pp. 483-508 : 496

Thecobathra minutiprocessa Wang , sp. nov.

( Figs 6 , 17 , 28 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:255E143A-BF3F-4A60-A197-CFFB43418DF4

Type material. CHINA, Guangxi: Holotype ♁, Mt. Dayao (24.14°N, 110.08°E), Jinxiu County, 578 m, 24.VII.2022, leg. H Sun et al., slide No. LHY21667.

Paratypes: Guangxi: 3♁, same data as holotype except dated 24‒25.VII.2022, slide Nos. LHY21607, LHY21707, LHY21714 ; Hainan: 1♁ 1♀, Bawangling , 1000 m, 23.IV.2009, leg. BB Hu & Q Jin, slide Nos. JQ 10071♁, JQ10078 ♀ ; Yunnan: 5♁, Mt. Luoluoxinzhai , 1500 m, 22.X.2000, leg. WJ Bu, slide Nos. YHL00382, YHL00385, YHL00386, JQ09026 .

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to T. yunnana Liu, 1984 . It can be distinguished in the male genitalia by the subscaphium narrowed toward apex, the differently shaped valva obtuse on the ventral margin medially, and the smaller ventroapical process of the sacculus. In T. yunnana , the subscaphium is parallel sided to apex, the ventral margin of the valva is nearly straight medially, and the ventroapical process of the sacculus is larger and more conspicuous ( Liu 1984: 324, fig. 1).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 6 ). Wingspan 15.0‒ 16.5 mm.

Head white. Antenna white; flagellum ringed with yellow dorsally. Labial palpus white.

Thorax and tegula white. Forewing white, with dark brown scales in distal 2/3; brown scales becoming denser around apex and near costal margin in some individuals; costal margin with basal 1/4 dark brown, distal 1/4 tinged with yellowish brown in some individuals; brown stripe oblique outward from basal 3/5 of dorsum to distal 1/3 of fold; ill-defined short yellowish brown stripe from above distal 1/3 of fold and crossing fold, oblique inward; yellowish brown stripe diffused from 5/6 of dorsum to fold and crossing end of fold; fringe yellowish white, with dark brown tip. Hindwing pale yellow, darkened distally; fringe white, mottled with pale yellow. Legs white; tarsi ochreous yellow, dark brown at apices; tibia of foreleg ochreous yellow on ventral surface, tibia of midleg with an oblique, ochreous yellow stripe at apex on outer surface, tibia of hindleg ochreous yellow at apex, with a brown dot at each side terminally.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 17 ). Uncus subtriangular, bifid posteriorly. Socius broad, oblique outwards, slightly narrowed medially, with a short thorn at apex. Subscaphium elongate, narrowed toward apex. Ventral plate of gnathos tongue-shaped, membranous, ill-defined. Valva with basal 1/4 wide, parallel-sided, basal 1/4 to distal 1/4 slightly narrower and obtuse on ventral margin, then narrowed to obtusely rounded apex; costa with basal 1/4 distinctly wide, narrow distally; dorsoproximal process subrectangular, extending obliquely upward; inner process triangular; basal plate band-shaped, extending ventrally from inner corner of dorsoproximal process to basal 1/4 of valva, slightly narrowed medially. Sacculus subrectangular, slightly protruding ventroapically, forming a small process. Saccus stout, with posterior half U-shaped, anterior half slightly narrowed to apex. Aedeagus slender, 1.5 times length of saccus, with two rows of dentations: one row along distal 1/4, the other along distal 3/4.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 28 ). Papillae anales long and narrow, with long setae. Apophyses anteriores 3/4 length of apophyses posteriors, obtuse at apex. Lamella postvaginalis composed of paired crescent-shaped hairy lobes. Ductus bursae stout, parallel-sided, 2.3 times length of corpus bursae; ductus seminalis widened medially, arising from posterior 1/3 of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae small, rounded; signum triangular in posterior 1/4, slender in anterior 3/4, lateral flange thorn-shaped, curved.

Distribution. China (Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin minutus- and processus, referring to the small ventroapical process of the sacculus.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Adults of Thecobathra spp. 1, T. albana, male, slide No. LHY21451; 2, T. cuneata sp. nov., paratype, female, slide No. LHY21668; 3, T. lambda, male, slide No. LHY21460; 4, T. magnidentalis sp. nov., holotype, male, slide No. YHL00384; 5, T. meniscata sp. nov., holotype, male, slide No. LHY21528; 6, T. minutiprocessa sp. nov., paratype, female, slide No. JQ10078. Scales = 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 15–18. Male genitalia of Thecobathra spp. 15, T. meniscata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. LHY21528; 16, T. microsignata, slide No. LHY21734; 17, T. minutiprocessa sp. nov., holotype, slide No. LHY21667; 18, T. odontoidea sp. nov., holotype, slide No. LHY21068. Scales = 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 27–31. Female genitalia of Thecobathra spp. 27, T. longisaccata, slide No. LHY21073 (corpus bursae lost); 28, T. minutiprocessa sp. nov., paratype, slide No. JQ10078; 29, T. nakaoi, slide No. LHY21038; 30, T. paranas, slide No. LHY21648; 31, T. pectinacea sp. nov., paratype, slide No. LHY21092. Scales = 0.5 mm.