Liocrobyla indigofera, Liu, Tengteng, Wang, Encui & Wang, Shuxia, 2018

Liu, Tengteng, Wang, Encui & Wang, Shuxia, 2018, Taxonomic study of the leafmining genus Liocrobyla Meyrick, 1916 from China (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae, Ornixolinae) with a description of one new species, Zoosystematics and Evolution 94 (2), pp. 305-314 : 307

Liocrobyla indigofera sp. n. Figures 3, 4, 7, 10, 12and 23-28

Diagnosis.

The new species resembles L. lobata in the male genitalia, but can be separated by the phallus longer than the valva and the minute cornutus; in L. lobata , the phallus is shorter than valva and the cornutus is more than 1/12 length of the phallus. In L. indigofera , the head is dark grey and the forewing ground colour is blackish fuscous, while in L. lobata , the head is white and the forewing ground colour is brownish grey.

Type material.

Holotype, ♂, China: Shandong Province: Mt. Laoshan, 36.204°N, 120.609°E, 400 m, Qingdao City, 2017.vii.01, leafmine collected on Indigofera kirilowii , pupated vii.05, emerged vii.18, leg. Tengteng Liu & Zhenquan Gao, genitalia slide no. LIU0030♂, registered no. SDNU.QD170710.2 (SDNU); Paratype: 1♀, genitalia slide no. LIU0029♀, registered no. SDNU.QD170710.1, other data same as holotype (SDNU).

Other material.

Leaf mines collected on Indigofera tinctoria Linn., Mt. Laoshan, 120.609°E, 36.204°N, 400 m, Qingdao City, 2017.vii.01, leg. Tengteng Liu.

Adult (Figs 3 and 4). Forewing length 3.0 mm. Head with frons white, vertex dark grey with a black median line. Maxillary palpus black, pointed apically, about 1/4 length of labial palpus. Labial palpus white, with black rings at middle and before apex. Antennae with scape dark dorsally, white ventrally, other segments dark with black rings. Thorax yellowish gray, with a dark central line, tegula blackish-fuscous; legs white with blackish-fuscous rings. Forewing blackish-fuscous, fuscous along dorsum, stripes and spots white; a sinuous stripe from costal 1/3 to apex of disc divided into three or occasionally two parts (which is continuous in L. lobata ); one stria at costal 2/3; a transverse outwards arched stripe at 4/5, separated at middle, with violet reflection; two spots above the fuscous stripe on dorsum, with outer one larger; two minute spots near apex; cilia white, with three black lines. Hind wing blackish-grey. Abdomen: blackish-grey dorsally, silvery white ventrally.

Male genitalia (Figs 7 and 10). Tegumen weakly sclerotized. Valva more or less rectangular, divided by a sclerotized ridge, dorsal part more sclerotized than costal one; costal part densely covered with setae apically, dorsal part with two long digital processes apically and one or two minute processes below apex. Vinculum narrowly triangular. Phallus longer than valva, curved beyond middle, pointed apically, vesica roughened, with a minute inversed cornutus. Ninth tergite more or less oval (Fig. 10).

Female genitalia (Fig. 12). Posterior and anterior apophyses triangular, about as long as eighth tergite. Antrum sclerotized. Ductus bursae about twice the length of seventh segment, sinuous at middle, strongly sclerotized ventrally, membranous dorsally; ductus seminalis originated from ductus bursae near antrum, sclerotized and sinuous basally. Corpus bursae oval, membranous.

Biology (Figs 23-28). Larval mine is a white blotch, with several digital galleries, always located in the middle of the upper side of a leaflet (Figs 23 and 27). A frass opening on the lower side of the leaflet always locates close to the midrib, covered by a piece of white dry leaf tissue (Fig. 28). A single mine per leaflet (Figs 23-25).

Host plants.

Fabaceae : Indigofera kirilowii Palib., I. tinctoria L.

Distribution.

China (Shandong).

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the genus name of the host plants.