Paramathes daochengi, Saldaitis, Aidas & Gyulai, Peter, 2016

Saldaitis, Aidas & Gyulai, Peter, 2016, A new Paramathes Boursin, 1954 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) species from China, Zootaxa 4173 (6), pp. 596-600 : 596-600

Paramathes daochengi sp. n.

( Figs 5, 6 , 10 , 14, 15 )

Holotype: Male ( Fig. 5 ), China, West Sichuan, Shaluli Shan, 40 km NW from Daocheng , 4050 m, N29°17.399′, E100°05.068′, 19.VI.2015, leg. Floriani & Saldaitis ; slide No. PGY 4469m (coll. PGM, later to be deposited in the HNHM)

Paratypes: 2 females ( Fig. 6 ), with the same data as the holotype ; 1 female, China, West Sichuan, 50 km W from Batang, near Rikeng lake , 3700–4100m, N30°25.371′, E099°24.985′, 17.VI.2015, leg. Floriani & Saldaitis; slide Nos PGY4470f, PGY4492f (colls AFM, ASV).

Diagnosis. New species ( Figs 5, 6 ) is easily distinguishable from its five congeners both by external and genitalia features. It is significantly the smallest species within the genera, wingspan 26–27 mm, versus 27–37 mm (but mostly 32–36 mm) of the additional members of the genera. Externally three taxa of the Paramathes ( Paramathes perigrapha Püngeler, 1900 , Paramathes perigrapha simonyisandori Varga, Ronkay, Ronkay & Gyulai, 2015 and Paramathes xestioides Varga, Ronkay, Ronkay & Gyulai, 2015 ) ( Figs 1, 2, 3, 4 ) resemble the new species. Beside the remarkably smaller size, P. daochengi can be easily dituingished from all the three by its more greyish suffused forewings, the unicolorous, evenly greyish suffused hindwings, in which entirely lack or conjectural the cellular spot; while this is conspicuous in the additional members of the species group, in which the ground colour of the hindwings more variegate, lighter, sometimes whitish suffused. The separation is more easy by the comparison of the male genitalia; P. daochengi ( Fig. 10 ) have the smallest, evenly thin and not more or less lanceolate uncus; the shortest, however distally the broadest valva with the largest distance between the equally short apical process and the pseudopollex and the smallest, slightly dentate carinal plate of the vesica. These features are so unique, that confusion is impossible with the congeners ( Figs 7–9 ). In the female genitalia, P. daochengi ( Figs. 14, 15 ) is the most resembling that of the P. xestioides ( Fig 13 ), (particularly by the flap-like shape of the two bilateral lobes of the strongly sclerotized antrum), however it can be easily separate from this and all the related taxa ( Figs 11, 12 ) by the flap-like (from that of the only similar P. xestioides much smaller) shape of the two bilateral lobes of the strongly sclerotized somewhat calycle antrum, the very short, rather evenly broad, medially slightly folded ductus bursae and the four longer signae of the corpus bursae.

Description. Wingspan 26–27 mm, length of forewing 13–14 mm. Antennae of both sexes are filiform, however slightly pectinated in the males, grey, but white basally; the frons whitish, the collar slightly brown outlined. The vesture of the body and the ground colour of the forewings are grey, however somewhat lighter in the basal area. The ground plan of the forewing pattern basically resembles those of the P. perigrapha , P. perigrapha simonyisandori and P. xestioides ( Figs 1, 2, 3, 4 ). The most remarkable external features of the new species are the forewing with pointed apex, the well discernible, sharply defined orbicular and reniform stigmata with deeply black outlined and grey filled, incompletely perimacular patch; the black outlined, double somewhat wavy antemedial line and the simple, crenlated postmedial transverse line. The hind wings evenly greyish suffused in which entirely lack or conjectural the cellular spot and the medial line. The male genitalia ( Fig. 10 ) can be characterized by the evenly thin and straight uncus; broadly subtriangular juxta, dorsally with a flap-like, strongly sclerotized appendage; V-shaped vinculum; forward projected, apically inward curved harpe; rather short, distally broaden valva, with unusually large distance between the equally short apical process and pseudopollex; small, slightly dentate carinal plate of aedeagus and slightly sclerotized bar in the basal area of the broadly tubular, ventrally everted vesica. The main recognizable features of the female genitalia ( Figs 14, 15 ) are the rather short apophysis anterioris and posterioris, the flap-like shape of the two bilateral immense appendages of the strongly sclerotized antrum, the short, evenly broad, slightly folded ductus bursae, the ample, partly detached rather posteriorly projected appendix bursae and the four, medium long signae in the elliptical-ovoid corpus bursae.

Biology and distribution. Single male and three females were collected at ultraviolet light on 17–19 June, 2015 in remote parts of west China Sichuan Province near the Daocheng and Batang of the Shaluli Shan mountain range. The new species was collected at altitudes ranging from 3700 to 4100 meters in mountain mixed forests dominated by various conifer trees, bushes and rhododendron.

Etymology. The new species is named after the type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Paramathes spp. adults. 1. P. perigrapha, male, China, Qinghai, GYP 4110 m (PGM); 2. P. perigrapha simonyisandori, male, HT, China, Sichuan, GYP 2534 m (PGM / HNHM); 3. P. xestioides, male, HT, China, Sichuan, GYP 4250 m (PGM / HNHM); 4. P. xestioides, female, PT, China, Sichuan (PGM); 5. P. daochengi male, HT China, Sichuan, GYP 4469 m (PGM / HNHM); 6. P. daochengi, female, PT China, Sichuan, GYP 4492 f (AFM).

FIGURES 7 – 10. Paramathes spp. male genitalia. 7. P. perigrapha, China, Qinghai, GYP 4110 m (PGM); 8. P. perigrapha simonyisandori, HT, China, Sichuan, GYP 2534 m (PGM / HNHM); 9. P. xestioides, HT, China, Sichuan, GYP 4250 m (PGM / HNHM); 10. P. daochengi, HT, China, Sichuan, GYP 4469 m (PGM / HNHM).

FIGURES 11 – 15. Paramathes spp. female genitalia. 11. P. perigrapha, China, Qinghai, GYP 4114 f (PGM); 12. P. perigrapha simonyisandori, HT, China, Sichuan, GYP 4142 f (PGM); 13. P. xestioides, PT, China, Sichuan, GYP 4032 f (PGM); 14. P. daochengi, PT, China, Sichuan, GYP 4470 f (ASV); 15. P. daochengi PT China, Sichuan GYP 4492 f (AFM).