Meleonoma aequabilis, 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 : 105

Meleonoma aequabilis sp. nov.

( Figs 2 , 24 )

Type material. CHINA, Guizhou: Holotype ♂, Banzhai Village (25.23°N, 108.03°E), Maolan , 530 m, 13.VIII.2018, leg. ML Zheng et al., slide No. ZXJ18364 .

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to M. longiprocessa Wang & Zhu, 2020 in features of the male genitalia. It can be distinguished by the costal part of the valva slightly widened from the base to 2/3 its length, with a mushroom-shaped process near the base on the ventral margin, and the phallus with a long, curved, uniformly thick process from the base to the apex. In M. longiprocessa , the costal part of the valva is widened from the base to 1/2 its length and has a hooked process near the base on the ventral margin, and the phallus has a long, curved process that is narrowed from the base to the apex (Wang & Zhu 2020: 337, fig. 22).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 2 ). Forewing length 4.5 mm.

Head with yellow scales, greyish brown on vertex, tipped with dark brown on occiput. Labial palpus yellow; first and second segments with dense, dark brown scales on outer surface; second segment with dark brown scales in distal 1/2 on inner surface and 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 dark brown on dorsal surface; flagellum annulated with dark brown on dorsal surface.

Thorax yellow, dark brown basally; tegula dark brown, yellow distally. Legs yellow, with exceptions on ventral surface: coxa of foreleg with scattered black scales, femur black mixed with yellow scales, femora of mid- and hindlegs with scattered black scales, tarsus of foreleg black except yellow at apices of basal two tarsomeres, tarsi of mid- and hindlegs black except yellow at apices of basal two tarsomeres and yellow at apical one tarsomere, all tibiae black except yellow at middle and at apex. Forewing with costal margin arched, apex pointed; ground colour yellow, with scattered black scales; costal margin with dense black scales, forming a diffused stripe along basal 1/3, denser at base, with a small dot before apex of costal margin, composed of several black scales; costal spot black, diffuse posteriorly; apical patch black; plical spot black, at middle of fold; discal and discocellular spots black, discocellular spots placed one above the other, spot at posterior angle extending to tornal spot; tornal spot black, triangular; fringe black, with a yellow basal line. Hindwing and fringe brown.

Abdomen. Male genitalia ( Fig. 24 ). Uncus wide at base, narrowed to 2/3 its length; distal 1/3 straight, slender, pointed at apex. Tegumen narrowed medially, laterally wide and uniform, banded, obtuse on anterior end. Costal part of valva slightly widened from base to 2/3 its length, thereafter narrowed to rounded apex, with dense setae ventrodistally; ventral margin straight before basal 2/3, gently convex at basal 2/3, with a mushroom-shaped process near base, widened apically; costa concave medially; transtilla short, triangular, narrowed to pointed apex. Sacculus wide at base, slightly narrowed to apex, distal 2/5 strongly sclerotized, densely setose, serrate dorsoapically, rounded apically. Saccus wide at base, narrowed to middle, parallel-sided from middle to before rounded apex, as long as uncus. Juxta slender, U-shaped. Phallus slightly longer than costal part of valva, tubular from base to beyond middle, band-like from beyond middle to apex, with a long, curved, uniformly thick process arising from beyond middle and exceeding apex of phallus apically.

Female unknown.

Distribution. China (Guizhou).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin aequabilis (uniform), referring to the uniformly thick process of the phallus.

Figures

FIGURES 1−8. Adults of Meleonoma spp. 1, M. acutidens sp. nov., ♂, paratype; 2, M. aequabilis sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 3, M. angularis sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 4, M. apicula sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 5, M. auriculata sp. nov., ♂, paratype; 6, M. balteiformis sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 7, M. bilobata, ♂; 8, M. costiclavata sp. nov. ♂, holotype. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 23−28. Male genitalia of Meleonoma spp. 23, M. acutidens sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19371; 24, M. aequabilis sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ18364; 25, M. angularis sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19376; 26, M. apicula sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19606; 27, M. auriculata sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZXJ18353; 28, M. balteiformis sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ18356. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.