Meleonoma crassispina, Zhu & Wang, 2025

Zhu, Xiaoju & Wang, Shuxia, 2025, Five new species of the genus Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae) from China, European Journal of Taxonomy 997, pp. 131-143 : 136-138

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.997.2929
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:490CED5F-274B-4490-AC41-DD189E1CD1F5
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15684607
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CEED77-A77E-DA1D-FD87-FEF0FE0FFE00
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Meleonoma crassispina
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Meleonoma crassispina sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A0B5FC3F-0E76-4833-AB35-67004A64F583

Figs 1C View Fig , 2C View Fig , 3C View Fig , 4A View Fig

Diagnosis

The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the costal part of the valva with a sclerotized, gradually widening band on the ventral margin. Meleonoma crassispina sp. nov. is similar to M. dentitaeniana sp. nov. in the male genitalia, and can be distinguished by the sub-quadrangular sacculus which is not as long as wide, the saccus shorter than the uncus and the aedeagus as long as the costal part of the valva. In M. dentitaeniana , the trapezoidal sacculus is longer than the wide, the saccus is slightly longer than the uncus, and the aedeagus is ca 3.0 × as long as the costal part of the valva.

Etymology

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin ‘ crassispinus ’, meaning ‘stout spines’ in English, which refers to the two spines of the cornuti. The species epithet is an adjective in the feminine gender.

Type material

Holotype CHINA – Shaanxi Province • ♂; Huaishuzhuang, Fuyang, Hangzhou City ; 35°51′ N, 108°43′ E; 1150 m a.s.l.; 21 Jun. 2019; S. Yu leg.; slide No. ZXJ19226 ; NKU. GoogleMaps

Paratypes CHINA – Shaanxi Province • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same data as for holotype; NKU GoogleMaps • 1 ♀, same data as for holotype; slide No. ZXJ19227 ; NKU GoogleMaps • 2 ♂♂; same data as for holotype; 22 Jun. 2019; NKU GoogleMaps • 2 ♂♂; Nanniwan, Yan’an ; 1157 m a.s.l.; 17 June 2019; S. Yu leg.; slide No. ZXJ19225 ; NKU • 1 ♀; Yulin, Zhiluo Town, Fu County ; 1244 m a.s.l.; 25 Jun. 2019; S. Yu leg.; NKU .

Description

ADULT ( Fig. 1C View Fig ). Forewing length 5.5–6.0 mm. Head dark brown, frons mixed with yellow scales, occiput yellow laterally. Labial palpus yellow; first palpomere with dense dark brown scales on outer surface; second palpomere with sparse dark brown scales, forming dark brown ring at apex; third palpomere with dark brown scales from near base to before apex on outer and ventral surfaces. Antenna with scape yellow ventrally, dark brown on dorsal surface; flagellum dark brown annulated with yellow. Mesonotum dark brown dorsally, yellow laterally; tegula predominantly dark brown, yellow apically. Forewing narrowly elongated, apex pointed; ground colour dark brown, with orange-yellow scales near base below costal margin above fold; costal margin with inner yellow spot from basal 2 /5 running obliquely outward crossing anterior margin of cell, outer yellow spot at distal ⅓, large, X-shaped, its inner arm of lower part crossing middle of outer margin of cell, outer arm of lower part reaching tornus; orange yellow stripe extending along fold, covered with dark brown scales, dark brown scales denser from middle to basal ¾ of fold; dorsum with small yellow spot near base, dorsal spot orange yellow, placed around end of fold; termen with yellow dots, interrupted by black scales; fringe greyish black. Hindwing and fringe greyish brown. Legs yellow, except on ventral surface: coxa of foreleg with sparse dark brown scales, tarsi of fore- and midlegs dark brown except yellow at base of basal tarsomere and at apices of basal two and apical one tarsomeres, tarsus of hindleg dark brown except yellow at apices, all tibiae dark brown except yellow at middle and at apex, all femora with sparse dark brown scales.

MALE GENITALIA ( Figs 2C View Fig , 3C View Fig ). Uncus slender, clavate, pointed at apex. Gnathos with lateral arm heavily sclerotized, narrowed anteriorly, not exceeding anterior margin of tegumen apically. Tegumen widened medially, with shallow anterior emargination; lateral arms narrowed anteriorly. Valva with costal part knife-shaped, widening from base to apex, rounded and produced dorso-apically, setose ventrally; ventral margin heavily sclerotized, forming wide, gradually widened band, slightly concave before apex, forming small ventro-apical process; costal band reaching tip of costal margin; transtilla rectangular, blunt at apex. Sacculus quadrangular, shorter than wide; apex narrowly sclerotized, with dense long setae. Saccus wide at base, distinctly narrowed to middle, distal half uniformly narrow to rounded apex, shorter than uncus. Juxta broadly U-shaped. Aedeagus nearly as long as costal part of valva, tubular in basal ⅔, distal ⅓ produced to plate, with spine at its apex; cornuti comprising of two spines, different in size, placed in vesica.

FEMALE GENITALIA ( Fig. 4A View Fig ). Papilla analis narrowed posteriorly, with dense short setae on dorsal surface. Apophysis posterioris approx. twice as long as apophysis anterioris. Eighth tergite straight on posterior margin, slightly concave on anterior margin. Eighth sternal plate spiculate; posterior margin lined with long setae, deeply concave medially. Lamella ante-vaginalis annular, broadly concave medially and gently produced laterally on posterior margin. Ductus bursae membranous, narrowest at middle, widened toward corpus bursae. Corpus bursae large, spiculate; signum absent.

Distribution

China (Shaanxi).