Phlogophora nobilis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998

Bandyopadhyay, Uttaran, Dey, Rushati, Bhattacharyya, Kamalika, Mallick, Kaushik, Mazumder, Arna, Gayen, Subrata, Das, Moumita, Raha, Angshuman, Sanyal, Abesh Kumar, Kumar, Vikas, Uniyal, Virendra Prasad & Chandra, Kailash, 2021, Taxonomy and ecology of genus Phlogophora Treitschke, 1825 (Lepidoptera Noctuidae) in Indian Himalaya with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5004 (2), pp. 311-342 : 315-316

Phlogophora nobilis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998

[ Fig. 3 , 23, 24 ]

Phlogophora nobilis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998 , in Haruta, Tinea , 15: 259.

Type locality: Nangethanti , Annapurna Himal [ Nepal] .

Material examined: India: 1 ♀, Sikkim, Dist. West Sikkim, Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, Yuksom , 27.37864° N, 088.22087° E, 1879 m, 23. XI. 2019; coll. A. K. Sanyal & team .

1 ♂, West Bengal, Dist. Darjeeling, Singalila National Park, Manedara , 27.1147° N, 088.1000° E, 2168 m, 19. X. 2018 ; 1 ♀, 27. X. 2018; 1 ♂, 29. X. 2018; coll.A. K. Sanyal & team; 2 ♀♀, Palamajua , 27.07071° N, 088.09071° E, 1909 m, 03. XI. 2018; coll. K. Bhattacharyya & team.

Diagnosis: Wing expanse: Male: 38–40 mm, female: 40–42 mm. P. nobilis differs from P. costalis and P. humilis in having the typical purplish brown head and thorax, and pinkish costal stripe of the forewing. Moreover, brownish-olive green ground colour of forewing and less sinuous and interrupted submarginal pale line are also diagnostic features.

Male genitalia: Male genitalia of this species is very unique with elongated valva having a constriction below cucullus. Sacculus broad with heavily sclerotised claw-like process, the outer part of which is bifid and the inner part is short, inwardly bent. The clasper of the harpe is relatively less sclerotised, apically long and thumb-like; aedeagus vesica long without any scobination or cornuti.

Distribution: India: Sikkim, West Bengal. Global: Nepal (Hreblay & Ronkay 1998).

Note: The species is being reported for the first time from India.

Bionomics: Probably a very rare and range-restricted species known only from Central Himalaya, recorded in an altitudinal zone of 1900–2500 m, preferably in Wet Temperate and Mixed Coniferous Forest. Individuals were active during post-monsoon months of October–November within a very narrow annual mean temperature and annual precipitation range of 14–15 ºC and 2300–2500 mm respectively.

NCBI GenBank accession No.: MT219970

Figures

FIGURES 3–10. Habitus images of Phlogophora spp. 3. Phlogophora nobilis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998; 4. Phlogophora costalis (Moore, 1882); 5. Phlogophora humilis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998; 6. Phlogophora meticulodina (Draudt, 1950)*; 7. Phlogophora conservuloides (Hampson, 1898); 8. Phlogophora distorta (Moore, 1881); 9. Phlogophora szecsenyii (Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998); 10. Phlogophora sinuata (Moore, 1882). *Image procured from Dr Péter Gyulai, Hungary, through personal correspondence.

FIGURES 23–30. Male genitalia images of Phlogophora spp. 23–24. Phlogophora nobilis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998, West Bengal, Gen. prep. SN/MND21/1/29.X.18/60; 25–26. Phlogophora costalis (Moore, 1882), West Bengal, Gen. prep. SN/ GAR24_2/2/21.V.18/37; 27–28. Phlogophora humilis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998, West Bengal, Gen. prep. SN/PAL19_1/1/03. XI.18/166; 29–30. Phlogophora meticulodina (Draudt, 1950), Sichuan, China, Gen. prep. GYP 5267*. *Image procured from Dr Péter Gyulai, Hungary, through personal correspondence.