Thaumatographa melinhana, Heppner & Bae, 2025

Thaumatographa melinhana , new species

( Figs. 3 View FIGURES 1–4 , 7 View FIGURE 7 )

Type material. Holotype. [ VIETNAM] ♂, Me Linh Biol. Sta. (100m), 20–21 Apr 2015, J. B. Heppner (gen. slide 4650; adult photo 12646) ( MGCL).

Diagnosis. This species is distinctive in its maroon-orange and dark brown wing coloring, with irrorated spots and striae of pale orange, with a yellow head (orange and brown in T. carapaceana sp. nov.). The male genitalia have many features of the previous species, but is distinct in the transtilla being less developed compared to the previous species.

Description. Wing expanse: 14mm (n = 1).

Head ( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1–4 ): yellow overall; antenna light brown with pale yellow venter, with short ventral cilia in male; labial palpus yellow, with white on basal segment and small brown dorsal area on apical segment; head venter light yellow.

Thorax ( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1–4 ): dull orange, with brown-gray median longitudinal line and brown-gray on dorsum of meso- and metathoraces; tegula brown-gray; venter silver-white; legs silver-white (but tan-white on midleg), with dark gray-brown markings, and hindleg dark gray (silver-white mesally) and yellow end tuft and on tarsi between dark marks brown; spurs dark gray (tan-white distally).

Forewing ( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1–4 ): light maroon on basal 1/3 and apical 1/5, with median region dark brown speckled with spots and striae of pale orange; basal maroon area divided by brown-gray horizontal median line and likewise on costal margin and along anal vein; basal vertical stria of pale orange at 2/5, straight from dorsal margin but sharply bent basad before coming to costal margin; costa with 7 pale orange (more orange near apex), angled to tornus, each margined by dark brown, with distal three mostly silvery between orange striae each; apex with light orange subapical bar; subtermen with elongated orange area, with three black spots (middle one more a bar); end of cell with pale orange-yellow spot; fringe dark brown (pale to dull white along apical margin); venter dark brown with yellow termen and apex (black dorsal marks repeated), and anal sector white.

Hindwing ( Fig. 3 View FIGURES 1–4 ): dark brown with diffuse pale yellow in cell from midwing to wing base, and slight pale brown along cubital sector; fringe brown; venter dark brown with orange-yellow termen and as thin line at end of cell, and diffuse orange-yellow along cubital vein.

Abdomen: dark brown with bronze-golden posterior tergal margins; venter tan; genital tufts brown, with tan laterally and tan-white venter; pregenital segment ( Fig. 7c View FIGURE 7 ), with blunt-rounded sternal margin, medially invaginated in U-shape; lateral coremata long, each with deep lateral corematal pouch.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ): tegumen an inverted V-shape; uncus ( Fig. 7b View FIGURE 7 ), stout, from small base, evenly narrow and tapering distally only at somewhat blunt apex; hami ( Fig. 7b View FIGURE 7 ), long (subequal to uncus length) and narrow, strongly sclerotic, bent from stout base, slightly curved ventrally near at middle before acute narrow apex; socii ( Fig. 7b View FIGURE 7 ), long (3.4 uncus length) and thick, basally wide and narrowing to apex, densely setose dorsally; gnathos ( Fig. 7b View FIGURE 7 ), with flattened narrow arms, medially convergent to acute apex; transtilla ( Fig. 7b View FIGURE 7 ), a quadratic plate, with dorsal margin slightly convex and slightly divergent laterally to valval juncture, with caudal end projected and medially divided to bifurcate rounded projections, with margin of fine needle-like spinae; juxta ( Fig. 7b View FIGURE 7 ), an ovate plate (slightly concave caudally), with dorsal margin truncated and slightly concave; anellus a membranous ring; aedeagus ( Fig. 7a View FIGURE 7 ), tubular of moderate length, with blunt end; phallobase long and decumbent; cornutus undeveloped, with spinose vesica; ductus ejaculatorius long, with elongated hood; valva ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ), short, oblong with blunt-rounded termen, overall setose and with denser setal area on costa before apex; sacculus slightly rounded near base; vinculum V-shaped, merging to short ventral extension as undeveloped rounded saccus.

Female unknown.

Etymology. The species is named for its type-locality site, the Me Linh Biol. Sta., near Dai Lai, at the base of Tam Dao Mountain, in Vinh Phuc Prov.

Biology. Unknown. Flight period: April Habitat lowland semi-wet subtropical forest, bordering the Red River Valley of the Hanoi region ( Sterling et al. 2006).

Distribution. Known only from northern Vietnam.

Discussion. This species is clearly related to the previous species, T. carapaceana , with a less developed transtilla. The maculation of both species is similar, with T. melinhana being lighter brown-orange at wingbase.