Palumbina chelophora

Palumbina chelophora (Meyrick, 1918)

(Figs 4, 8, 25, 29, 47, 64, 86, 106)

Thyrsostoma chelophora Meyrick, 1918: 121; Meyrick, 1925: 100; Gaede, 1937: 301; Clarke, 1969: 484. TL: Assam, India. TD: NHMUK.

Palumbina chelophora: Sattler, 1982: 25.

Material examined. CHINA: Hainan Province: 1 ♂, Limushan Forest Park (19.17°N, 109.74°E), 607 m, 14.v.2015, leg. Peixin Cong, Wei Guan and Sha Hu, genitalia slide no. LGE16086, DNA voucher no. LGE-G001; 1 ♂, Tianchi (18.73°N, 108.87°E), 787 m, Jianfengling, 13.vii.2015, leg. Qingyun Wang, Suran Li and Mengting Chen, genitalia slide no.16087, DNA voucher no. LGE-G002.

Re-description. Adult (Figs 8, 25, 29, 86). Wingspan 10.5̄1 1.0 mm. Head silvery white to creamy white. Labial palpus silvery white, strongly recurved and slightly exceeding occiput; segment I black on outer surface, segment II with white hair pencil reaching apex of segment II; segment III black, with silvery white scales scattered on inner surface, very stout, twice as long as segment II, strongly curved inward (Fig. 8). Antenna with scape silvery white to creamy white, black on posterior margin; flagellum white dorsally, fuscous ventrally, cilia slightly longer than width. Thorax and tegula with anterior half black, posterior half white. Forewing with hair pencil reaching basal 3/4 (Fig. 29); ground color dark fuscous to black, silvery white along fold, at base and near apex (Fig. 86); markings silvery white: basal fascia sometimes interrupted by black scales near costa; antemedian fascia slender, not reaching dorsum posteriorly; distal fascia at 3/4, slender, in parallel with antemedian fascia. Hindwing dark fuscous. Legs silvery white, fore femur, tibia and tarsus black on outer surface, fore tarsus with first tarsomere black at middle on inner surface, remaining tarsomeres ringed with black apically; mid femur black apically, mid tibia with a black spot after middle (Fig. 25), remaining parts as in P. pylartis.

Pregenital abdomen (Fig. 47). Coremata extremely long, about 3/4 length of abdomen, situated interiorly; sternum VIII tongue-shaped, sometimes with posterior margin slightly emarginate at middle; tergum VIII with sclerotized edge.

Male genitalia (Figs 64, 106). Uncus sub-oblong, slightly widened toward apex, apex nearly straight. Culcitula present. Gnathos hook long and slender, upcurved, pointed at apex. Tegumen about four times longer than uncus, with a pair of long micropapilla patches anteriorly: its posterior end attached to posterior 1/3 of tegumen, slender and hook-like, remaining micropapilla free from tegumen, stout and nearly reaching tegumen pedunculi (Fig. 64). Valva slender, gradually narrowing from base to middle, then broading toward blunt apex. Anellus lobe ovate; apical bristle strong, hooked, 2/3 length of anellus lobe. Vinculum with posterior margin reduced, nearly straight. Juxta angled at middle, with sparse hairs on inner margin. Saccus broad, tongue-shaped, as long as anellus lobe. Aedeagus small and slender, narrowed distally.

Diagnosis. Palumbina chelophora is unique in the male labial palpus, which is very long and slightly exceeds occiput of the head; the stout segment III is twice longer than the segment II and strongly curved inward (Fig. 8). The forewing has the hair pencil as males of the fifth clade (P. pylartis, P. sineloba sp, nov., P. spinevalva sp, nov., P. ac erosa sp, nov., P. triangularis sp, nov., P. operaria and P. acuticula sp, nov.). The coremata is remarkably long, about 3/4 length of the abdomen (Fig. 47). This species is also distinguishable by the mid tibia having only one spot (Fig. 25), while other species have two. Male genitalia are characterized by the pair of micropapilla patches on the tegumen (Fig. 64) and the small aedeagus not dilated basally.

Distribution. China (Hainan), India.

Remarks. This species was described from two male specimens collected from India, and it is firstly recorded since Meyrick.