Research Article |
Corresponding author: Yanpeng Cai ( cyp815@hotmail.com ) Academic editor: Erik J. van Nieukerken
© 2020 Aihui Yin, Yan Zhi, Yanpeng Cai.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Yin A, Zhi Y, Cai Y (2019) Three new species of Meleonoma Meyrick from Yunnan, China (Lepidoptera, Gelechioidea, Xyloryctidae). ZooKeys 904: 23-33. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.904.47189
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Three new species of Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914 (Gelechioidea, Xyloryctidae) from China, Yunnan Province, Meleonoma plicata sp. nov., M. scalprata sp. nov. and M. taeniata sp. nov., are described and illustrated. A key to Meleonoma species known from China is provided.
Key, morphology, moth, taxonomy
This paper is a continuation of our taxonomic studies of the Chinese Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914. The last contribution of ours to this subject was a description of two new species from China with a review of its taxonomic history (
Little is known about their biology. The larvae of some species, such as M. tamraensis Park, 2016 and M. flavilineata Kitajima & Sakamaki, 2019, are case-bearers. The cases are usually semi-oblong or cylindrical, and built from dead broad leaves and fragments of moss and stems of Poaceae (
As summarized in
The examined specimens were collected from Yunnan Province in southwestern China in 2018. The descriptive terminology of the anatomical structures generally follows
Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914: 255. Type species: Cryptolechia stomota Meyrick, 1910a, by original designation.
= Acryptolechia Lvovsky, 2010: 378. Type species: Cryptolechia malacobyrsa Meyrick, 1921. Synonymised by
See
1 | Male genitalia with an oval process arising from junction of valva and sacculus | M. foliata Li, 2004 |
– | Male genitalia without any process arising from junction of valva and sacculus | 2 |
2 | Costa of valva with a sclerotized process | 3 |
– | Costa of valva smooth, without any process | 4 |
3 | Phallus with an irregularly shaped large cornutus | M. echinata Li, 2004 |
– | Phallus heavily wrinkled and covered with numerous tiny spines distally (Fig. |
M. plicata sp. nov. |
4 | Ventral margin of valva with rounded hairy prominence or sclerotized tooth-shaped or thornlike process | 5 |
– | Ventral margin of valva smooth, without any prominence or process | 10 |
5 | Ventral margin of valva with rounded hairy prominence near base | 6 |
– | Ventral margin of valva with sclerotized tooth-shaped or thornlike process | 7 |
6 | Saccus broader and shorter, triangular in shape; phallus without any sclerotized spine or cornutus in male genitalia. Ductus bursae long and nonsclerotized; signum spine-shaped in female genitalia |
M. flavimaculata ( |
– | Saccus narrower and longer, linguiform in shape; phallus with a group of sclerotized sclerites near apex in male genitalia. Ductus bursae short, lateral sides sclerotized basally; signum irregularly rounded, with toothlike spines in female genitalia |
M. peditata ( |
7 | Valva with large heavily sclerotized thornlike process along median part of ventral margin | M. margisclerotica Wang, 2016 |
– | Valva with small spinelike process on ventral margin | 8 |
8 | Valva with small spinelike process ventroapically | M. torophanes (Meyrick 1935) |
– | Valva with small spinelike process at about middle of ventral margin | 9 |
9 | Uncus long and slender, rodlike; sacculus somewhat triangular in shape, dorsal and ventral margins straightly converging into slightly pointed apex, without any extra process | M. pardalias Meyrick, 1931 |
– | Uncus short, lanciform; sacculus somewhat trapezoid in shape, dorsal and ventral margins each bearing a sclerotized process respectively |
M. malacobyrsa ( |
10 | Uncus sclerotized, long and slender, rodlike, apex acute | 11 |
– | Uncus membranous, short, not rodlike | 18 |
11 | Saccus short and broad, widely rounded at apex | 12 |
– | Saccus triangular or funnel-shaped, tapered or at least narrowly rounded at apex | 13 |
12 | Phallus with numerous extremely small spines distally | M. meyricki Lvovsky, 2015 |
– | Phallus without cornutus or any other spine | M. malacognatha Li & Wang, 2002 |
13 | Forewing mostly blackish brown, broadly and densely scattered with orange yellow forming irregular streaks and blotches, or only sparsely diffused with yellow | 14 |
– | Forewing mostly yellow, more or less mixed with brown, with or without brown fascia or patch on apical half | 15 |
14 | Forewing broadly and densely scattered with orange yellow forming irregular streaks and blotches. Sacculus with several short spines distally and no extra process; phallus with a curved band-shaped plate distally | M. apicispinata Wang, 2016 |
– | Forewing only sparsely diffused with yellow. Sacculus with a long bladelike process distally; phallus with three small teeth distally | M. projecta Yin, 2019 |
15 | Valva small, oblong and pointing downward, median surface covered with long and thick setae | M. polychaeta Li, 2004 |
– | Valva generally broad, knife-shaped and uplifted, median surface covered with thin long hairs | 16 |
16 | Basal half of valva densely covered with long hairs on median surface |
M. facunda ( |
– | Basal half of valva only sparsely covered with long hairs on median surface | 17 |
17 | Dorsal margin of sacculus with one process at end; phallus straight, with one rodlike sclerite extending from middle to apex (Fig. |
M. scalprata sp. nov. |
– | Sacculus with two sclerotized processes at end of dorsal and ventral margins respectively; phallus hooked in distal 1/4, without any sclerite | M. foliiformis Yin, 2019 |
18 | Uncus triangular; sacculus without any process; phallus forming an 8-shaped bandlike structure distally (Fig. |
M. taeniata sp. nov. |
– | Uncus cone-shaped; sacculus with three processes; phallus with one short cornutus in vesica | M. facialis Li & Wang, 2002 |
Holotype : China • ♂; Yunnan Province, Puer City, Lianhua Village; alt. 1300 m, 20 May 2018; Yan Zhi leg.; YAH19068.
This new species, M. foliiformis, M. malacobyrsa and M. scalprata share many characters in both appearance and male genitalia, which implies that these four species might belong to the same lineage within Meleonoma. In appearance, they all have a relatively large wingspan; similar composition of body color (primarily yellow and brown); similar pattern of coloration of forewings (mostly yellow, more or less mixed with brown near base, a brown fascia from costa obliquely to slightly before tornus, a somewhat triangular brown patch at apex). In male genitalia, they all share the following characters: valva large and broad with median surface densely covered with long hairs; sacculus broad, nearly triangular or trapezoid with various sclerotized processes. However, M. plicata can be easily distinguished from the others by the following character combination: forewing with basal 1/3 densely mixed with blackish brown speckles; dorsal margin of valva with a small finger-shaped process at distal 1/6, ventral margin smooth, without any process; dorsal margin of sacculus with a large fingerlike process at end; phallus with an oblique portion in distal 1/3 heavily wrinkled and covered with numerous tiny spines.
Head : vertex and front pale gray, mixed with yellow bilaterally; labial palpus long and recurved, extending well beyond vertex, with smooth scales, yellow, segment 1 mixed with dark brown on outer surface, segment 2 blackish brown distally and extending to middle of ventral margin; segment 3 about 3/4 length of segment 2; antenna with scape blackish brown on dorsal surface and yellow on ventral surface, with flagellum ringed, alternately blackish brown and yellow, except almost pure pale yellow on ventral surface of basal half flagellomeres; scales of proboscis yellow.
Thorax
: tegula and mesonotum blackish brown mixed with yellow; legs whitish yellow, tibiae and tarsi scattered with blackish brown speckles on outside. Forewing (Fig.
Male genitalia
(Fig.
Meleonoma species, morphology 4 male genitalia of M. plicata sp. nov., holotype, phallus illustrated separately (gen. slide no. YAH19068) 5 male genitalia of M. scalprata sp. nov., holotype, phallus illustrated separately (gen. slide no. YAH19069) 6 female genitalia of M. scalprata sp. nov., paratype (gen. slide no. YAH19070) 7 male genitalia of M. taeniata sp. nov., holotype, phallus illustrated separately (gen. slide no. YAH19071). Scale bars: 0.25 mm.
Female genitalia : unknown.
Nothing is known about the larva. The adult was collected at night in May.
Known only from the type locality (Southwest China: Yunnan Province).
The specific name is derived from the Latin adjective plicatus (wrinkled, folded), referring to the heavily wrinkled distal part of the phallus in male genitalia.
Holotype : China • ♂; Yunnan Province, Puer City, Lianhua Village; alt. 1300 m, 20 May 2018; Yan Zhi leg.; YAH19069. Paratype: 1 ♀, same collection data as for preceding; YAH19070.
This new species belongs to the lineage comprising M. foliiformis, M. malacobyrsa and M. plicata. The new species can be easily distinguished from the others by the following combination of characters: forewing with basal half mixed with blackish brown speckles; both dorsal and ventral margins of valva smooth, without any process; dorsal margin of sacculus with an inconspicuous beak-shaped process at end; phallus with one rodlike sclerite originating from middle and extending to apex.
Head : vertex pale gray, mixed with yellow bilaterally, front pale yellowish gray; labial palpus long and recurved, extending well beyond vertex, with smooth scales, yellow, segment 1 mixed with blackish brown on outer surface, segment 2 blackish brown distally and extending vaguely to middle of ventral margin; segment 3 about half length of segment 2; antenna with scape blackish brown on dorsal surface and yellow on ventral surface, with flagellum ringed, alternately blackish brown and yellow, except almost pure yellow on ventral surface of about basal half flagellomeres; scales of proboscis pale yellow.
Thorax
: tegula yellow, very sparsely mixed with blackish brown laterally; mesonotum yellow, mixed with blackish brown and more strongly so on posterior half; legs whitish yellow, tibiae and tarsi scattered with blackish brown speckles on outside. Forewing (Fig.
Male genitalia
(Fig.
Female genitalia
(Fig.
Nothing is known about the larva. The adults were collected at night in May.
Known only from the type locality (Southwest China: Yunnan Province).
The specific name is derived from the Latin adjective scalpratus (knife-shaped), referring to the machete-shaped signum in female genitalia.
Holotype : China • ♂; Yunnan Province, Puer City, Lianhua Village; alt. 1300 m, 21 May 2018; Yan Zhi leg.; YAH19071.
This new species is similar to M. torophanes superficially, but it can be distinguished from the latter by having one large earthy yellow V-shaped mark on forewing; uncus triangular; ventral margin of valva smooth, without any spine; sacculus with distal 1/4 sclerotized forming a thickened plate, without any extra process; phallus forming an 8-shaped bandlike structure distally. Whereas the latter has two large light-yellow marks on forewing; uncus lanciform; valva with a short spine ventroapically; sacculus forming a narrow process distally; phallus with a hairbrush-shaped sclerite attached with short spines.
Head : vertex and front pale earthy yellow mixed with dark brown; labial palpus long and recurved, extending well beyond vertex, with smooth scales, pale earthy yellow, outer surface of segment 1 dark brown, of segment 2 dark brown distally and extending vaguely to distal 2/3, of segment 3 slightly tinged with dark brown at middle, inner surface of segment 2 dark brown distally; segment 3 slightly shorter than segment 2; antenna with scape dark brown on dorsal surface and pale earthy yellow on ventral surface, with flagellum alternately dark brown and yellow on dorsal surface, except middle 1/3 flagellomeres almost pure dark brown, ventral surface pale earthy yellow; scales of proboscis pale earthy yellow.
Thorax
: tegula and mesonotum dark brown mixed with pale earthy yellow; legs pale earthy yellow, forelegs somewhat segmented with wide dark brown rings, mid and hindlegs with tibiae and tarsi scattered with dark brown speckles on outside. Forewing (Fig.
Male genitalia
(Fig.
Female genitalia : unknown.
Nothing is known about the larva. The adult was collected at night in May.
Known only from the type locality (Southwest China: Yunnan Province).
The specific name is derived from the Latin adjective taeniatus (bandlike), referring to the bandlike structure of the phallus in male genitalia.
This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31760630, No. 31760629), Guizhou Provincial Department of Education Youth Science and Technology Talent Growth Project (黔教合KY字[2017]175) and the Science and Technology Project of Guiyang (No. [2017]5-25).