Prays acinacea Li

Cong, Peixin & Li, Houhun, 2017, Review of the genus Prays Hübner, 1825 (Lepidoptera: Praydidae) from China, with descriptions of twelve new species, Zootaxa 4263 (2), pp. 201-227 : 220-224

Prays acinacea Li , sp. nov.

( Figs. 21 , 37 , 47 )

Type material. CHINA: Holotype ♂, Yunnan Province: Nankang [24.82°N, 98.78°E], Baoshan , 2009 m, 17.VII.2015, coll. Kaijian Teng and Xia Bai, genitalia slide No. CPX15154 . Paratypes: 2 ♀, 16–17.VII.2015, other same data as holotype, genitalia slide No. CPX15196 .

Diagnosis. This species is characteristic of the forewing with an inverted triangular blackish brown spot at middle of cell. Prays acinacea sp. nov. is similar to P. inconspicua Yu et Li, 2004 and P. gamma Moriuti, 1977 in the male genitalia. It differs from P. inconspicua by the aedeagus longer than the valva, which is shorter than the valva in P. inconspicua ; from P. gamma by the socius without tooth at apex, the straight aedeagus approximately 1.6 times the length of the valva, while in P. gamma , the socius has apical teeth, and the curved aedeagus is almost as long as the valva ( Moriuti, 1977: Plate XXII, fig. 250).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 21 ) with wingspan 13.0 mm. Head pale brown; frons mixed with white. Labial palpus dark brown, mixed with white on dorsal surface, first segment and apex of second and third segments white on ventral surface. Antenna dark brown except scape white on ventral surface. Thorax and tegula pale brown, white apically; patagium white. Forewing pale brown, mixed with blackish brown; costal margin with five to seven black strigulae in basal 3/4, with a small black spot before apex; cell with small black spot near base and at basal 1/3, with an inverted large triangular blackish brown spot running from middle of upper margin of cell to below middle of fold; longitudinal white band from base of forewing running between lower margin of cell and fold to apex, interrupted at middle of fold by triangular blackish brown spot, ill-defined distally; dorsum with about five blackish brown strigulae, with a large triangular black spot at tornus; termen with a small black spot at middle; cilia pale brown. Hindwing and cilia brown. Foreleg blackish brown, femur white on dorsal surface, tibiae with white streak at base and middle as well as at apex on outer surface respectively, first and second tarsomeres white on outer surface apically; midleg with coxa white, femur white on dorsal surface, remaining part blackish brown; hindleg with coxa and femur white, tibia greyish brown on outer surface, greyish white on inner surface, tarsus dark brown, each tarsomere with a white streak apically. Abdomen brown on dorsal surface, white on ventral surface.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 37 ): Socius broad basally, gradually narrowed distally, pointed apically, curved inwards archly, covered with long setae. Tegumen extended medially for about 2/5 length of lateral band, concave semicircularly at middle on anterior margin, produced to a triangular process laterally; lateral band slightly oblique outwards anteriorly. Gnathos gradually widened from lateral side to middle, protruded triangularly downwards at middle, forming a triangular process across anterior margin of gnathos apically. Valva acinaciform as a whole, its basal 3/5 broad, distal 2/5 gradually narrowed and separated from sacculus, narrowly rounded at apex; transtilla thorn-shaped, connected by a sclerotized fan-shaped plate medially; sacculus S-shaped, about 2/3 length of valva, basal half broad, semicircularlly protruded ventrad, distal half narrowed, semicircularly concave inward ventrally, distal 1/5 free, pointed at apex, covered with long setae on ventral margin; membranous area between basal 4/5 of sacculus and valva. Vinculum U-shaped; saccus two times length of socius, dilated distally, rounded apically. Juxta arched inwards; anellus lobe thumb-like, oblique inwards, covered with long setae, arising from inner margin of juxta posteriorly. Aedeagus approximately 1.6 times length of valva, straight, broad basally, slightly narrowed distally, rounded apically; cornutus being a large thorn, about half length of aedeagus, placed medially.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 47 ): Apophyses posteriores about three times length of apophyses anteriores. Lamella postvaginalis produced into a pair of sub-triangular processes, covered with long setae. Eighth sternite with anterior margin protruded in arc medially. Ductus bursae about 4/5 length of corpus bursae, uniformly sclerotized; ductus seminalis arising from connection between ductus bursae and corpus bursae. Corpus bursae irregular in shape; signum elliptical, placed at posterior 1/3.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin acinaceus, referring to the shape of the valva in the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 22. Adults of Prays spp. 17, P. lobata, holotype, ♂; 18, P. dorsiprotrusa sp. nov., holotype, ♂; 19, P. inconspicua, ♀; 20, P. helanshana sp. nov., paratype, ♀; 21, P. acinacea sp. nov., paratype, ♀; 22, P. alpha, ♀. (Scales = 2.0 mm).

FIGURES 35 – 38. Male genitalia of Prays spp. 35, P. inconspicua (slide no. CPX 15158); 36, P. helanshana sp. nov. (holotype, slide no. JQ 08082); 37, P. acinacea sp. nov. (holotype, slide no. CPX 15154); 38, P. alpha (slide no. CPX 15152). (Scales = 0.2 mm).

FIGURES 44 – 48. Female genitalia of Prays spp. 44, P. semicircularis sp. nov. (paratype, slide no. CPX 16013); 45, P. inconspicua (slide no. CPX 15146); 46, P. helanshana sp. nov. (paratype, slide no. JQ 08176); 47, P. acinacea sp. nov. (paratype, slide no. CPX 15196); 48, P. alpha (slide no. CPX 14081). (Scales = 0.5 mm).