Meleonoma crispa, Zhu & Wang, 2025

Zhu, Xiaoju & Wang, Shuxia, 2025, Taxonomy of the facialis species-group of the genus Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera: Autostichidae) from China, with descriptions of nineteen new species, Zootaxa 5637 (1), pp. 99-125 : 111-112

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5637.1.4
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9DDDC67B-5DAB-4045-996D-F2B3C4308896
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15562111
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/30635100-E114-3659-2FAB-B824FF65FAB8
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Meleonoma crispa
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Meleonoma crispa sp. nov.

( Figs 9 View FIGURES 9−16 , 31 View FIGURES 29−34 , 49 View FIGURES 49−52 )

Type material. CHINA, Yunnan: Holotype ♂, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden , 531 m, 19.VIII.2010, leg. YH Sun & LX Li, slide No. YAH15571 . Paratypes, Yunnan: 3♀, same data as holotype, slide Nos. ZXJ19612 , DZH10123 .

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to M. fasciculifera ( Wang, 2004) in features of the male genitalia. It can be distinguished by the costal part of the valva with distal 2/3 uniformly wide except slightly narrower apex, and the dorsal margin of the sacculus produced to a digitate apical process directed dorsad in the male genitalia; and the corpus bursae without a signum in the female genitalia. In M. fasciculifera , the costal part of the valva is narrowed from distal 2/3 to apex and the dorsal margin of the sacculus has a hooked apical process; and the corpus bursae has two signa ( Wang 2004: 229, figs 9, 20).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 9−16 ). Forewing length 3.5–4.5 mm.

Head with frons covered with yellow tipped with dark brown scales, vertex with dark brown scales, yellow laterally, occiput yellow, dark brown medially. Labial palpus yellow; first and second segments with dense dark brown scales on outer surface, with sparse dark brown scales on inner surface; second segment dark brown at apex; third segment with dense dark brown scales except yellow at base and at apex, approximately 2/3 length of second segment. Antenna yellow; scape with scattered dark brown scales; flagellum ringed with dark brown.

Thorax yellow, dark brown at base and at midline; tegula dark brown, yellow apically. Legs yellow, with exceptions 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 tarsomeres and yellow at apical one tarsomere, tarsus of hindleg with basal four tarsomeres dark brown except yellow at apices, all femora with scattered dark brown scales, all tibiae dark brown except yellow at middle and at apex. Forewing with costal margin arched, apex rounded; ground colour yellow, with scattered dark brown scales; costal margin with dense dark brown scales along basal 1/3, forming an ill-defined stripe, widened downwards at base and before basal 1/3, forming a smaller spot at base and a larger spot at around basal 1/3 respectively, with a small dark brown dot at distal 1/4 of costal margin, composed of a few scales; costal spot dark brown, diffused posteriorly; apical patch dark brown; tornal spot dark brown, equal with apical patch; plical spot dark brown, at distal 2/5 of fold; cell covered with dark brown scales, forming a stripe extending from near base on anterior margin to before apex on posterior margin, a dark brown spot placed before outer margin of cell, discal and discocellular spots dark brown, discocellular spots placed one above the other, spot at anterior angle of cell touching with costal spot, spot at posterior angle touching with tornal spot; dorsum with scattered dark brown scales from base to before end of fold, forming a long stripe; fringe greyish black, yellowish white along basal line. Hindwing and fringe greyish brown.

Abdomen. Male genitalia ( Fig. 31 View FIGURES 29−34 ). Uncus with basal 3/5 wider, distal 2/5 narrower. Tegumen narrowly banded, arched in U shape, rounded at anterior end laterally. Costal part of valva widened from base to basal 1/3, distal 2/3 uniformly wide except slightly narrower at rounded apex, setose ventrodistally; costa straight; transtilla absent. Sacculus parallel from base to 1/2, distinctly narrowed from 1/2 to narrowly rounded apex, with a large digitate dorsoapical process. Saccus broad triangular, rounded at apex, nearly same length as uncus. Juxta narrowly linked basally, lateral lobe wide, pointed at apex. Phallus nearly as long as costal part of valva, basal 1/4 tubular, then tapered to beyond middle, distal 2/5 being a curved band; cornuti being numberous of small spines in vesica.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 49 View FIGURES 49−52 ). Papillae anales sub-quadrate, setose.Apophyses posteriores approximately 1.5 times as long as apophyses anteriores. Eighth sternal plate spiculate; posterior margin notched at middle, lined with long setae. Antrum rectangular, widened posteriorly, slightly concave medially on posterior margin, rectangularly produced laterally. Ductus bursae membranous. Corpus bursae distinctly longer than ductus bursae, pyriform; ductus seminalis arising from posterior part of corpus bursae; signum absent.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin crispus (curly, curved), referring to the curved phallus.