Two new species of the genus Meleonoma Meyrick (Lepidoptera, Lypusidae) from Korea

Published Date
1 December 2016, Vol.9(4):485–488, doi:10.1016/j.japb.2016.07.006
Open Access, Creative Commons license, Funding information

Original Article

Author 

• Kyu-Tek Park ^a,
• Young-Mi Park ^b

• aKorean Academy of Science and Technology, Seungnam, Gyeonggi Province 13630, Republic of Korea
• bAnimal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk Province 39660, Republic of Korea

Received 4 June 2016. Revised 14 July 2016. Accepted 19 July 2016. Available online 25 July 2016.

Abstract

Two species belonging to Meleonoma Meyrick—M. tamraensis Park, sp. nov. and M. brevicula Park, sp. nov.—are described from Jeju Island, Korea, and Meleonoma facialis Li & Wang, 2002 is reported for the first time from Korea. The genus Meleonoma is still a source of some debate in terms of the taxonomic position of its family level, and it is tentatively placed in the family Lypusidae.

Keywords

Korea

Lypusidae

Meleonoma

new species

taxonomy

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Introduction

The genus Meleonoma Meyrick (Type species: Cryptolechia stomata Meyrick, 1910) was originally placed in the family Oecophoridae (Meyrick 1914). The taxonomic position of the genus has remained under debate, as well as other related genera including Periacma Meyrick. Clarke (1965) placed the genus Meleonoma in Cosmopterigidae, but Lvovsky (2015) recently noted that it was erroneously attributed to Cosmopterigidae without any comments, and subsequently this error was followed by several authors: Li and Wang, 2002 and Li and Wang, 2004 described five species from China, belonging to the family Cosmopterigidae. Prior to this, Lvovsky (2011)classified these related genera as belonging to the subfamily Periacminae under the family Cryptolechiidae. Recently, Lvovsky (2015) placed Meleonoma in the subfamily Periacminae of the family Lypusidae, describing five new Meleonoma species from Nepal and China. At the same time, he established a new subfamily, Melionomini, separating from Periacmini Lvovsky, 2005 by the separable character—with labial palpus three-segmented, instead of two-segmented—in the tribe Periacmini. The genus comprises about 25 known species, but it is assumed that more species will be newly found and added, or several species that have been placed in some related genera including Cryptolechia could be transferred to this genus. The distributional range of the genus extends from India and Sri Lanka to the Russian Far East, including Indonesia and Nepal, and few species are known in Madacascar, too. In Korea, the genus is introduced for the first time, but Meleonoma malacobyrsa(Meyrick), which originally belonged to Cryptolechia and transferred to this genus by Lvovsky (2015), was previously known (Park 1983). In the present paper, two species that were collected from Jeju Island are described as new to science, and are attributed tentatively to the family Lypusidae following Lvovsky (2015). At the same time, Meleonoma facialis Li & Wang, 2002 is reported for the first time from Korea.

Materials and methods

Materials studied herein were collected from Jeju Island, Korea. Types of the new species are tentatively deposited in the first author's private collection.

Taxonomic accounts

• Genus Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914
• Meleonoma Meyrick, 1914: 255.
  • Type species Cryptolechia stomota Meyrick, 1910.
• = Acryptolechia Lvovsky, 2010: 378–381.
  • Type species Cryptolechia malacobyrsa Meyrick, 1921.
• Meleonoma tamraensis Park, sp. nov.
• LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7AC7769A-B97B-4239-A2A7-A29B286E0CC4
• (Figures 1, 1a, 1b, 3, 4, 4a)

  

  Figures 1–7. 1, Adult of Meleonoma tamraensis Park, sp. nov.. 1a, ditto, dorsal view of head; 1b, Ditto, labial palpus; 2, Adult of M. brevicula Park, sp. nov.; 2a, Ditto, dorsal view of head; 3, Venation of M. tamraensis Park, sp. nov.; 4, Male genitalia of M. tamraensis Park, sp. nov. 4a, Ditto aedeagus. 5, Male genitalia of M. brevicula Park, sp. nov.; 5a, Ditto aedeagus.; 6, Adult of Meleonoma facialis Li & Wang; 7, Ditto, male genitalia; 7a, Ditto, aedeagus.

Type. Holotype: ♂, Sanghyo, Seoguipo, Jeju Prov., Korea, 19 vi 2014, Light trap, gen. slide no. CIS-6600. Paratypes: 1♂, Namweon, Seoguipo, Jeju Prov., 16 vii 2012, gen slide no. CIS-6670, wing venation no. CIS-6671; 1♂, Gamsan, Andeok, Seoguipo, Jeju Prov., 18 vi 2015, gen slide no. CIS-6669.

Diagnosis. The new species is superficially similar to M. fascialis Li & Wang, which was described from China, but the forewing is scattered with more fuscous scales irregularly and the male genitalia are quite different each other.

Description. Adult (Figure 1). Wingspan 10.0 mm. Head covered with fuscous scales medially and pale orange scales laterally on dorsal surface; long scales, which are pale orange in basal 2/3 and fuscous beyond, covered downward anterolaterally; frons shiny grayish brown. Basal segment of antenna slender, pale orange to grayish orange dorsally, blackish laterally; flagellum grayish orange with blackish annulations. Second segment of labial palpus thick, long, pale orange with three blackish bands on both surfaces: first one near the base, second beyond half, and third before apex, apex with pale orange scales; third segment as long as half of the second, pale orange basal 1/3 and blackish beyond, with pale orange apical part; apex acute (Figure 1b). Tegula blackish, except pale orange distal 1/3. Thorax pale orange dorsally, irregularly mixed with fuscous scales. Hind tibia with hair-like scales all around beyond middle spurs. Forewing densely covered with fuscous scales irregularly; subbasal fascia pale orange, often obscure; median fascia pale orange, arising from costa medially and obliquely extended to near inner margin, but not quite reaching to it; an ovate pale orange patch at lower corner of cell, with black scales anteriorly; large pale orange, triangular costal patch at beyond 2/3 of costa, extending to vein M₂, with a blackish round spot at middle on anterior margin; costal margin slightly arched; apex obtuse; termen oblique; fringe blackish, with narrow, pale orange basal line; venation (Figure 3) with R₁ arising from before middle; distance between R₁–R₂ at base slightly longer than that of R₂–R₃; R₃ arising from upper corner of cell; R₄ and R₅ stalked before middle; R₅ to costa; M₁ free from R₄ + R₅; M₂ and M₃ free from each other; CuA₁ free, arising near from lower corner of cell; distance CuA₂–CuA₁ at base longer than three times of M₃–CuA₁. Hind wing pale grayish, slightly narrower than forewing, slightly expanded in basal half of costa, then nearly straight; apex obtuse; termen oblique. Venation M₁ not stalked with Rs; M₂present, nearly parallel to M₁; M₃ connate with CuA₁; CuA₂ arising from 2/3 of cell. Female unknown.

Male genitalia (Figures 4, 4a). Uncus slender, as long as saccus, with acute apex. Gnathos reduced. Valva broad, nearly trapezoidal; ventral margin with broadly sclerotized edge, with long setae, more dense distally, inner margin slightly serrate; distal margin truncate, with long setae along margin. Sacullus more or less quadrate, length shorter than width, about half of caudal margin in inner side concave with short, triangular lateral processes. Saccus narrowed towards apex, with obtuse apex. Aedeagus stout, as long as sacullus + valva; round basally; cornuti consist of two different sized, heavily sclerotized plates: longer one about 3/4 length of aedeagus, bifurcate with triangular lateral processes.

Distribution. Korea (Jeju Island)

Etymology. The species name is derived from the old name of the island from which these types were collected.

• Meleonoma brevicula Park, sp. nov.
• LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A72EDB5D-2E12-4082-B9D4-9F549E8CD241
• (Figures 2, 2a, 5, 5a)

Type. Holotype: ♂, Sinrye, Namwon, Seoguipo, Jeju Prov., Korea, 19 vi 2014, Light trap, gen. slide no. CIS-6601.

Diagnosis. The new species is superficially very similar to the preceding new species, and there are no remarkable differences to be distinguished from the latter in superficial characters, but it can be distinguished by the larger size, the more yellowish head, and the pale orange median fascia extended to lower margin of cell. The male genitalia can be easily distinguished by the shorter uncus, about as long as 1/3 length of the latter, the elongate-triangular saccus with acute apex, and the aedeagus without plate of cornuti.

Description. Adult (Figure 2). Wingspan 12.0 mm. Head brownish medially, covered with rough, orange white scales laterally. Antenna with slender basal segment, fuscous in basal 1/3, then orange white beyond; flagellum orange white with dark brown annulations in basal 1/3, then dark brown evenly. Second segment of labial palpus thickened, pale orange with three blackish bands, first one near base, occupied nearly 1/3 of total length, second broad at middle, and third one before apex, obscure; third segment about half of second, pale orange with blackish broad band medially; apex acute. Forewing markings similar to those of the preceding species in color pattern. Median fascia pale orange, arising from middle of costa and obliquely extended to over lower margin of cell; large, pale orange, triangular costal patch well developed at beyond 2/3 of costa, extending to vein M₂, with a blackish round spot below costal margin; apex obtuse; termen oblique; fringe blackish, with obscure pale orange basal line; venation similar to that the preceding species. Hindwing pale grayish. Female unknown.

Male genitalia (Figure 5, 5a): Uncus slender, very short, less than 1/4 of saccus, with acute apex. Gnathos reduced. Valva broad; caudal margin slightly truncate, with long setae; ventral margin produced apically. Sacullus large, more or less triangular, sclerotized, both connected in basal half, with short process apically. Saccus elongate-triangular, narrowed towards apex; apex sharply pointed. Aedeagus stout, long, as saccus + tegumen round basally; basal 2/2 narrow and emissive wrinkles in distal 3/4; cornuti absent.

Distribution. Korea (Jeju Island).

Etymology. This species name is derived from the Latin, brevi (= short) with a Latin diminutive suffix, cula, referring to the short uncus of the male genitalia.

• Meleonoma facialis Li & Wang, 2002
• (Figures 6, 7, 7a)
• Meleonoma facialis Li et Wang, 2002: 230; Yin & Wang, 2016: 140.
• Male genitalia (Figure 7, 7a)

Material examined. 1♂, Chugok, Chuncheon, Korea (37°71′N, 127°69′E), 30 vii 1986, (leg. K.T. Park); 1♂, Chuncheon, Korea (37°78′N, 127°82′E), 13 vii 1995, (leg. L.S. Lee and C. G. Lee);1♂, Chuncheon, Korea, 25 vii 1999, (leg. S.Y. Sim and S.M. Lee).

Distribution. Korea, China, Thailand.

Notes. This species is newly recorded from Korea.

Acknowledgments

This study was partly supported by the National Institute of Biological Resources, Ministry of Environment (NIBR Number 201601203), Korea in 2016. We thank Mr S.M. Oh, Miss R.N. Sohn of the Jeju Regional Office, Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, for help in collecting and spreading specimens.

References

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• Peer review under responsibility of National Science Museum of Korea (NSMK) and Korea National Arboretum (KNA).

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  Corresponding author.

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