Scrobipalpa sinica sp. n.

(Figs. 14, 36, 37, 51)

Type material. Holotype, 3, China: Nantianmen, Hohhot (40°48' N, 111°41' E), Inner Mongolia, 1400 m, 13.viii.2007, leg. Houhun Li & Bidzilya, genitalia slide no. 208/08. Paratypes: 2 3, 2 Ƥ, same data as holotype, genitalia slide nos. 258/08, L06139, L07023; Mongolia: 1 3, Darhat, s. Ulan-Ula, 26.vi.1965, leg. Soljanikov, genitalia slide no. 146/08 (ZIN).

Description. Adult (Fig. 14): Wingspan 11.0–12.0 mm. Head, thorax and tegula covered with light grey, brown-tipped scales; frons white. Labial palpus upcurved, light brown, inner surface white. Scape brown, other antennal segments brown, white-ringed basally. Forewing covered with light grey, brown-tipped scales; veins slightly mottled yellow, especially in basal part of forewing; indistinct small black spot at base and at corner of cell; cilia light grey. Hindwing and cilia light grey.

Male genitalia (Figs. 36, 37): Uncus slightly longer than broad, rounded apically. Gnathos short, weakly curved. Valva distinctly broadened and weakly curved basally, slightly curved inwards; apex broadly rounded, not exceeding top of uncus. Sacculus short, nearly parallel-sided, rounded apically, with small curved inwards tip. Paired processes on posterior margin of vinculum very short, narrow, tip curved outwards; medial excision comparatively broad, V-shaped. Vinculum broad. Saccus moderately long. Aedeagus basally flattened, distal portion straight, with small sub-apical cornutus, pointed at apex.

Female genitalia (Fig. 51): Papilla analis sub-oval, sparsely covered with short setae. Segment VIII slightly longer than broad, weakly sclerotized, without foamy sculpture; postvaginal plates narrow, weakly sclerotized, not exceeding anterior margin of sternite VIII, fused posteriorely, anterior margin distinctly sclerotized. Apophysis anterioris slightly shorter than segment VIII. Ductus bursae short and broad; cingulum present but indistinct, weakly sclerotized. Corpus bursae sub-oval; signum thin, weakly curved, basal sclerite stout, placed near entrance of corpus bursae.

Diagnosis. Scrobipalpa sinica sp. n. is similar externally to small specimens of S. parki Povolný, but recognizable by the lighter forewing with indistinct black dots. The male genitalia are very similar to those of S. chinensis Povolný, but slightly differ in apically narrower, not constricted basally sacculus. The female genitalia resemble those of S. chinensis, but differ in shorter and broader, more clearly separated corpus bursae, longer and weakly curved signum, longer apophysis anterioris and segment VIII without foamy sculpture. Both species differ externally in the wing pattern, which is dark-brown in S. chinensis and light grey in S. sinica.

Biology. Host-plant unknown. Adults were collected in August.

Distribution. China (Inner Mongolia), Mongolia.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the species distribution.