Meleonoma similicatenata, 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 : 118-119

Meleonoma similicatenata sp. nov.

( Figs 18 , 40 , 51 )

Type material. CHINA, Yunnan: Holotype ♂, Xiajinchang (23.17°N, 104.60°E), Malipo County, Wenshan , 1470 m, 26.VII.2016, leg. KJ Teng et al., slide No. ZXJ19382 . Paratype, Yunnan: 1♀, same data as holotype, slide No. ZXJ19609 .

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to M. catenata Wang & Zhu, 2020 in features of the male genitalia. It can be distinguished by the forewing with a distinct costal spot, the saccus as long as the uncus in the male genitalia, and the signum placed at anterior 2/5 of the ductus bursae in the female genitalia. In M. catenata , the costal spot is a small dot (Wang & Zhu 2020: 334, fig. 3), the saccus is 1.8 times the length of the uncus (Wang & Zhu 2020: 334, fig. 19), and the signum is placed at anterior end of the corpus bursae (Wang & Zhu 2020: 334, fig. 35).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 18 ). Forewing length 5.0– 5.5 mm.

Head with yellow scales. Labial palpus yellow; second segment with sparse black scales on outer surface, black at apex; third segment with a black dot medially, approximately 2/3 length of second segment. Antenna yellow; flagellum alternated with black on dorsal surface.

Thorax pale yellow; tegula pale yellow, with dense black scales basally. Legs yellow, with exceptions on ventral surface: femur of foreleg dark brown mixed with yellow scales, femur of midleg with sparse dark brown scales apically, tibia of foreleg black except yellow apically, tibia of midleg black except yellow at middle and at apices, tibia of hindleg with scattered dark brown scales, tarsus of foreleg black except yellow at base of basal tarsomere and at apices of basal two tarsomeres, tarsus of midleg black 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 three tarsomeres dark brown except yellow at apices. Forewing with costal margin arched, apex rounded; ground colour yellow, with scattered black scales; costal margin with black scales in basal 1/3, forming an ill-defined stripe; costal spot black, distinct, semioval, diffused posteriorly; apical patch black, large, diffused from distal part of costal margin along termen to tornus; tornal spot black; plical spot black, at middle of fold; discal and discocellular spots black, discocellular spots placed one above the other, spot at posterior angle of cell touching with tornal spot; fringe black, yellow along basal line. Hindwing and fringe greyish brown.

Abdomen. Male genitalia ( Fig. 40 ). Uncus clavate, evenly slender except slightly wider base and pointed apex. Tegumen arched in broad U shape, uniformly wide. Costal part of valva widened from base to basal 2/5, then upturned and narrowed to rounded apex; ventral margin heavily sclerotized in basal 1/3, distinctly convex at basal 2/5, forming a large, obtusely rounded angle; costa almost straight; transtilla narrowed toward middle, pointed at apex. Sacculus wide at base, slightly narrowed toward apex, with a long lamellar process arising from near base of dorsal margin, parallelly extending outward to pre-apex of sacculus, free distally, hooked and pointed apically. Saccus as long as uncus, slightly narrowed from wide base to narrowly rounded apex. Juxta arched, forming a semicircle. Phallus almost as long as costal part of valva, distal 3/5 membranous, with four sclerotized belts, dentate marginally on apical band; cornutus absent.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 51 ). Papillae anales narrowed posteriorly, with sparse setae dorsally. Apophyses posteriores twice as long as apophyses anteriores. Eighth tergum sub-rectangular, shallowly concave at middle on posterior margin. Eighth sternal plate spiculate; posterior margin lined with strong setae, deeply and narrowly incised at middle, forming two large triangular plates laterally; anterior margin roundly convex medially. Ductus bursae membranous, enlarged anteriorly. Corpus bursae large, ovate, as long as ductus bursae; a sclerotized catenulate belt from junction of ductus bursae and corpus bursae extending to near posterior 1/4 of corpus bursae, forming a circle, with numerous teeth along outer margin; signum sub-ovate, with three denticles, placed at posterior 2/5 of corpus bursae.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin similis (resembling) and catenata (chained), referring to the similarities of the two species.

Figures

FIGURES 17−22. Adults of Meleonoma spp. 17, M. seorsispina sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 18, M. similicatenata sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 19, M. spicijuxta sp. nov., ♂, paratype; 20, M. tenuicaulis sp. nov., ♂, holotype; 21, M. tenuispina sp. nov., ♀, holotype; 22, M. verticalis sp. nov., ♂, holotype. Scale bars = 2.0 mm.

FIGURES 35−40. Male genitalia of Meleonoma spp. 35, M. microda sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19373; 36, M. montana, slide No. ZXJ19355; 37, M. oxydonta sp. nov., paratype, slide No. ZXJ19602; 38, M. segregacantha, slide No. ZXJ18315; 39, M. seorsispina sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19378; 40, M. similicatenata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. ZXJ19382. Scale bars = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 49−52. Female genitalia of Meleonoma spp. 49, M. crispa sp. nov., slide No. ZXJ19612; 50, M. seorsispina sp. nov., slide No. ZXJ19615; 51, M. similicatenata sp. nov., slide No. ZXJ19609; 52, M. verticalis sp. nov., slide No. ZXJ19600. All paratypes. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.