Meleonoma licina, 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 : 113

Meleonoma licina sp. nov.

( Figs 11 , 33 )

Type material. CHINA, Xizang: Holotype ♂, Yadong Village (29.33°N, 95.34°E), Motuo County, 833 m, 16.VIII.2017, leg. MJ Qi & XF Yang, slide No. ZXJ19601 .

Diagnosis. The new species has male genitalia most similar to those of M. meyricki Lvovsky, 2015 . It can be distinguished by the costal part of the valva produced medially on the ventral margin, the saccus slightly longer than the uncus, and the phallus with a long curved cornutus. In M. meyricki , the ventral margin of the costal part of the valva is produced at basal 1/3, the saccus is shorter than the uncus, and the phallus lacks a curved cornutus ( Lvovsky 2015: 773, fig. 14).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 11 ). Forewing length 4.0 mm.

Head with yellow scales. Labial palpus lost. Antenna yellow; scape black on dorsal surface; flagellum ringed with black on dorsal surface.

Thorax with yellow scales, black anteromedially; tegula black, yellow distally. Legs yellow, with exceptions on ventral surface: foreleg black except coxa mixed with yellow scales, tarsus yellow at base of basal tarsomere and at apices of basal two tarsomeres, midleg black except femur mixed with yellow scales, tibia yellow at middle and at apex, tarsus yellow at apices of basal two and apical one tarsomeres, femur and tibia of hindleg with scattered dark grey scales, tarsus lost. Forewing with costal margin slightly arched, apex narrowly rounded; ground colour yellow, with scattered black scales; costal margin with a black stripe along basal 2/5, widened basally, with a small dim black dot at distal 1/4 of costal margin, composed of a few scales; costal spot black, semicircular, extending to above anterior margin of cell posteriorly, slightly placed beyond middle; apical patch black, large; tornal spot black, diffused to apical patch along termen; plical spot small, black; discal and discocellular spots black, at beyond middle and at outer margin of cell respectively, discocellular spots placed one above the other, spot at posterior angle of cell almost inseparable from tornal spots; fringe black. Hindwing and fringe dark grey.

Abdomen. Male genitalia ( Fig. 33 ). Uncus slender, pointed at apex. Tegumen uniformly banded, arched in U shape, obtuse at anterior end laterally. Costal part of valva with basal 1/2 parallel, distal 1/2 slightly narrowed to rounded apex, curved dorsad distally, setose ventrodistally; ventral margin obtusely produced at middle; costa concave at distal 2/5; transtilla slender banded, curved distally. Sacculus triangular, gradually narrowed from base to narrowly rounded apex. Saccus slightly longer than uncus, wide at base, gradually narrowed to rounded apex. Juxta slender, U-shaped. Phallus longer than costal part of valva, tubular, with numerous spinules in vesica; cornutus being a curved band extending from before basal 1/4 to beyond apex of phallus.

Female unknown.

Distribution. China (Xizang).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin licinus (turned upward), referring to the costal part of the valva curved dorsad distally.

Figures

FIGURES 9−16. Adults of Meleonoma spp. 9, M. crispa sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 10, M. heteroidea sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 11, M. licina sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 12, M. magnifica sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 13, M. microda sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 14, M. montana, ♂; 15, M. oxydonta sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 16, M. segregacantha, ♂. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 29−34. Male genitalia of Meleonoma spp. 29, M. bilobata, slide No. ZXJ19380; 30, M. costiclavata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19360; 31, M. crispa sp. nov., holotype, slide No. YAH15571; 32, M. heteroidea sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19358; 33, M. licina sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19601; 34, M. magnifica sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZML17558. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.