Neoblastobasis camelliae Chen & Wu, sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Neoblastobasis camelliae is similar to N. ianella Adamski, 2003 (Thailand) in genital structures. However, the lower part of valva in N. camelliae is as long as the upper part, while it is shorter than the upper part in N. ianella. In N. camelliae, a broadly curved spine-like sclerite is present in the phallus, which is not mentioned in the original description of N. ianella. Moreover, N. camelliae (4.9–5.3 mm) has smaller forewing length than N. ianella (6.3–7.0 mm).

Description. Adult (Figs. 3, 4). Head. Vertex with scales gray brown tipped with pale gray. Frontoclypeus yellow. Labial palpi upturned, fuscous on outer surface pale yellow on inner surface. Antennal scape yellow, flattened; pedicel small; flagellomeres fuscous, male ciliated and with first flagellomere notched (Fig. 7). Proboscis pale yellow.

Thorax. Tegula and mesonotum gray brown. Legs gray brown mixed with gray scales on outer surface, pale yellow on inner surface; tibia and tarsus brown.

Forewing. Length of male 4.9–5.3mm (n=3); base 1/4, medial and discal area fuscous, area surrounding cell and apical part from crossvein of cell gray brown mixed with fuscous scales; fringe gray brown; undersurface yellow brown. Hindwing brown.

Abdomen. Body brown. Tergite I reduced; series of tergal spines present on posterior part of tergites II–VIII; tergite VIII with tergal spines absent (Figs. 5, 8).

Male genitalia (Figs. 6, 9). Uncus lingulate, extended ventrally, dorsoventrally flattened; gnathos sclerotized bandlike, posteroventral margin with a protuberant medial part bearing two small dentitions; tegumen wide, series of tergal setae on lateral surface of tegumen anterior to gnathos; valva divided into two parts, upper part digitate and setose, overlaid basally by a subsemicircular membranous area with dense microtrichiae, lower part gradually constricted from medial to apex, forming a hooked process; process flattened on inner surface, setose on outer surface to 2/3; base of ventral part protuberant beyond margin, bearing an elongate seta, broadly extended dorsally and inwards; juxta divided into two weakly sclerotized parts; phallus elongate, with a broadly curved spine-like sclerite; anellus setose.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Holotype. 3, CHINA, Jiangxi, Xinyu, Yushui, 80m, 16.XI.2011 (collected), 25.III.2012 (emergence), coll. Huang DunYuan (gen. slide: WU0189).

Paratypes. Same data as holotype, 2 3 (gen. slide WU0048, WU0421).

Host plant. Camellia oleifera Abel (Theaceae).

Biological notes (Figs. 1, 2). The larva of Neoblastobasis camelliae feeds on Camellia oleifera Abel (Theaceae). It bores into seeds of Camellia fruits. Under laboratory conditions, the insect overwintered as a pupa and emerged in the spring of the following year. This species appears to be univoltine. It is usually co-occurring with two pyralid moths, Acrobasis sp. and Plodia interpunctella (Hübner, [1813]). All these species can lead to the fruits cracking and dropping. In 2011, these insects caused 20% loss of the Camellia fruits in the forest of Shuibei.

Distribution. China (Jiangxi).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the generic name of the host plant.