Argyresthia ( Blastotere ) koreana Kim & Byun, 2025

Argyresthia ( Blastotere) koreana Kim & Byun , sp. nov.

( Figures 3B, 3C, 3D View FIGURE 3 , 4B, 4C View FIGURE 4 )

LSID urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:

Type material. Holotype. [ KOREA] ♂, Mt. Sokri , Boeun, CB. 18 vi 2017 (leg. BK Byun), gen. slide no. HNUSEL-1865, DNA accession no. PV571709-coll. HNUSEL . Paratype. [ KOREA] 1♀, Mt. Sokri , Boeun, CB. 18 vi 2017 (leg. BK Byun), gen. slide no. HNUSEL-1864, DNA accession no. PV571714-coll. NIBR ; 1♀, Mt. Sokri , Boeun, CB. 18 vi 2017 (leg. BK Byun), DNA accession no. PV571708-coll. HNUSEL .

Diagnosis. This species is similar with Argyresthia affinicineretra Liu, Wang & Li, 2017 , but can be distinguished by male genitalia. The 8th sternite in this species is Y-shaped, with short and blunt branches and an elongated stalk, whereas in A. affinicineretra , it is Y-shaped with long, slender branches and a short stalk. Also, aedeagus of this species is more slender and slightly curved compared to that of A. affinicineretra (see Liu et al. 2017).

Description. Adult ( Figure 3 View FIGURE 3 B-3D). Wingspan 6-7mm. Head covered with white scales; frons white; labial palpi white. Antenna filiform, covered with white scales, black scales at apex of each segment, scape white. Thorax covered with white to light gray scales. Forewing ground color white to light gray; yellow scales slightly tinged along the wing-fording line, starting from base and ending at 1/4 of wing-fording line; dark brown scales sprinkled overall, especially apical. Hindwing covered with gray scales; cilia light gray.

Male genitalia ( Figure 4B View FIGURE 4 ). Tuba analis very stout and short, 0.5 times longer than valva. Socius short and round with 13-15 sclerotized special scales, one seta on top. Valva lingua-shaped, some short setae along the ventral and apical margin. Aedeagus slightly curved club shaped with blunt base and flat apex, about two times longer than valva in width; cornuti consisting of two spines. 8th sternite elongated Y-shaped, rather reduced at apex.

Female genitalia ( Figure 4C View FIGURE 4 ). Papillae anales bifurcated, long hairs along the apical margin, short setae on top. Apophyses anteriorses 2 times longer than apophyses posteriorses. Ostium bursae trapezoidal shaped, well developed; antrum elongated trophy shaped, slightly sclerotized at bottom. Ductus bursae membraneous, 2 times longer than corpus bursae. Corpus bursae pearl-shaped; signum very small; basal plate smooth, irregular circle shaped; horns diminutive with some short projections.

Distribution. Korea.

Host plants. Unknown.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the type locality ( Korea) of this new species.

Remark. This new species, Argyresthia koreana sp. nov., has a genetic distance of 8~10% from other Argyresthia species in NJ tree.