Socifera asymmetra Liu & Li, sp. nov.

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 85799B53-1712-49EB-A1C2-0A63A151534D

Chinese name: 毛ffiẘ

(Figs 1−11)

Type material. Holotype. [CHINA] ♂, Yinggeling National Nature Reserve, Hainan Province, 18.88°N, 109.41°E, 620 m, 7-v-2010 (leg. B. Hu & J. Zhang), genitalia slide No. LTT 12377. Paratypes. 7 ♂, 16 ♀, 6−7, 9-v-2010, other data same as holotype, genitalia slide Nos. LTT 12371 ♂, LTT 12372 ♀, LTT 12397 ♂, venation slide Nos. LTT 12482 W, LTT 12483 W; 2 ♀, Mt. Diaoluo, 18.67°N, 109.94°E, 70−80 m, 30, 27-v-2007 (leg. Z. Zhang & W. Li), genitalia slide No. LTT 12399; 3 ♀, Mt. Diaoluo, 18.67°N, 109.94°E, 940 m, 31-v, 2-vi-2007 (leg. Z. Zhang & W. Li); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Mt. Jianfeng, 18.78°N, 108.89°E, 940 m, 4, 6-vi-2007 (leg. Z. Zhang & W. Li), genitalia slide No. LTT 12379 ♀; 1 ♀, Mt. Wuzhishan, 18.87°N, 109.68°E, 710 m, 21-iv-2014 (leg. T. Liu, W. Guan & X. Hu), genitalia slide No. LTT 12428 ♀.

Non-type material examined. 2 ♂, 2 ♀, abdomen lost, 18.88°N, 109.41°E, 620 m, 9, 23-v-2010 (leg. B. Hu & J. Zhang).

Diagnosis. The new species is similar to several tropical species of Argyresthia, such as A. (A.) kaoyaiensis Moriuti, 1982, in the smooth occiput and the forewing pattern. It can be easily separated by the genital characters of the socius and the signum as described in the generic characters.

Description. Wingspan 9.0− 9.5 mm (Fig. 2). Head with vertex white (Fig. 3), frons light yellow, with scales arranged in fan-shape (Fig. 4); face light yellow; occiput white, smooth (Figs 3, 5). Labial palpus yellow, pointed apically. Antenna: scape yellowish white, tinged with yellow on margins, pecten yellow; flagellum pale yellowish brown, dotted with blackish brown on each flagellomere dorsally. Thorax bright white; tegula yellowish black. Forewing ratio of length and width 4.8; ground color brown, with metallic glossy, white towards dorsum, golden at base of costa; a white dot near apex, 3 to 5 similar dots along termen; dense blackish-gray to black striae becoming sparse towards dorsum, sometimes concentrated and forming black dot at distal 1/5 and 2/5 of cell, below middle of fold and at middle of dorsum; apex black; fringe dark gray on costa, with three blackish-gray lines around apex, gray near tornus and on termen. Hindwing and fringe dark gray. Abdomen silvery gray dorsally, grayish white ventrally (Fig. 6). Legs yellow; tibia of foreleg brown on inner surface, with blackish-brown dot at middle and distally, tarsus blackish brown on inner surface; tibia of midleg dotted with blackish-brown near base, at middle and near apex dorsally, tarsus blackish brown on distal part of basal two tarsomeres dorsally; tibia of hindleg mixed with blackish gray, black distally, tarsus blackish gray.

Female similar to male, except basal half of abdomen gray dorsally, grayish white ventrally, distal half brownish yellow (Fig. 7).

Male genitalia (Figs 8, 9). Tuba analis longer than width of valva. Socius clavate, with about 12 spine-like setae ventrally, with sparse piliform setae dorsally and apically. Gnathos sclerotized, broader at base. Valva subsemicircular, straight on dorsal margin, rounded ventrally and apically; short and thin setae at base near ventral margin, other area densely covered with long and thick setae, some setae furcated distally. Vinculum heavily sclerotized, concave anteriorly. Saccus slender, right arm longer than left arm, about 3.5 times as long as width of valva. Phallus S shaped, 9.0 times as long as width of valva; ductus ejaculatorius almost as long as phallus; cornuti composed of a long spine and numerous micro spines around, with 5−6 strong spines distally (Fig. 9a). Eighth sternite Y-shaped. Coremata absent (Fig. 10).

Female genitalia (Figs 11, 11a). Ovipositor 2.8 times as long as eighth segment. Apophyses equal in length; anterior apophysis bifurcated basally, each branch extending to lamella postvaginalis, sometimes to near posterior margin of eighth sternite. Lamella postvaginalis inverted V-shaped. Ostium membranous, with dense micro spines. Antrum short, shorter than incomplete sclerotized ring, without spines; ductus seminalis originated from near base of ductus bursae, bulla seminalis almost as large as corpus bursae. Ductus bursae denticulated from opening of ductus seminalis to basal 1/3, with an oval zone of dense micro-denticles near corpus bursae and becoming spines towards corpus bursae. Corpus bursae ovate, with dense micro-spines, sparse towards anteriorly; signum reniform, with horn on each end far apart from each other (Fig. 11a).

Distribution. China (Hainan). Only known from Hainan Island.

Biology. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin word “ asymmeter ”, meaning asymmetrical, referring to the saccus with two arms unequal in length.