Teulisna (Poikilothosia) plica Volynkin, Černý, 2025

Volynkin, Anton V., Černý, Karel & Huang, Si-Yao, 2025, On the generic assignment of the taxa placed in the Oriental footman-moth genus Teulisna with the description of three new genera, one subgenus and eighteen new species, Ecologica Montenegrina 88, pp. 104-163 : 126

Teulisna (Poikilothosia) plica Volynkin, Černý & Huang, sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6733EC1D-400D-4131-8E83-2315A9ADCCFE

( Figs 76, 77 , 137 , 176 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 76 , 137 ): male, “ Taiwan, Prov. Taoyuan, | Ming Chyr Forest Recreation | Area , 1160m, 17– 18.03.1996. | leg.: Gy. Fábián & L. Németh. ” / “Slide | ZSM Arct. | 2021- 354♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( MWM / ZSM).

Paratypes. TAIWAN ISLAND: 2 males, 1 female, same loclaity and collectors as in holotype, 29.ii.1996, gen. slide Nos: ZSM Arct. 2021 - 457♂, 2021- 458♀ ( MWM / ZSM) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 17.0 mm in males and 17.5 mm in the female. Teulisna plica sp. n. is externally similar of T. spatula sp. n. but distinguished by the broader forewing with a shorter costal protrusion, and the paler hindwing only slightly suffused with grey subapically. The male genitalia of T. plica sp. n. are reminiscent of the externally dissimilar T. tricolor but the genital capsule of the new species differs from the latter in the longer and thinner uncus, the narrower dorsal section of the valva, the fold-shaped lamella centralis (it is plate-like with a short proximal pseudoampulla in T. tricolor ), and the distally spatulate distal saccular process, which is flattened but distally tapered in T. tricolor . The phallus of T. plica sp. n. is distally narrower than in T. tricolor and bears a smaller carinal process. The vesica configurations of the two species are similar but unlike in T. tricolor , the new species has a shorter main chamber, a dorsal medial diverticulum lacking the cornutus, a smaller terminal cornutus, and a shorter distal diverticulum. As the female of T. tricolor is unknown, the female genitalia of T. plica sp. n. were compared to T. mingchyra sp. n. instead, and T. plica sp. n. differs from the latter species in the somewhat shorter ductus bursae, the broader posterior sclerotised section of the corpus bursae having a broad conical lateral protrusion, and the appendix bursae having a broader posterior and a shorter and narrower distal sections. In addition, the subostial depression of the 7 th abdominal sternite of T. plica sp. n. is caliciform whereas it is V-shaped in T. mingchyra sp. n.

Distribution. The new species is endemic to Taiwan Island (Taoyuan County).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin ‘plica’ meaning ‘a fold’ and refers to the fold-like pseudoampulla of the new species. The name is a noun in the nominative singular.

Figures

Figures 64–77. Adults of Teulisna (Poikilothosia) spp. Depositories of the specimens: 64, 65 and 69 in OUMNH; 66, 67 and 70–77 in MWM/ZSM; 68 in NHMUK.

Figures 135–138. Male genitalia of Teulisna (Poikilothosia) spp. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 135– 137 in MWM/ZSM; 138 in NHMUK.

Figures 174–177. Female genitalia of Teulisna (Poikilothosia) spp. The specimens dissected are deposited in MWM/ZSM.