Apamea ingloria postnikovi, Volynkin & Titov & Saldaitis, 2023

Volynkin, Anton V., Titov, Sergey V. & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2023, A new subspecies of Apamea ingloria (A. Bang-Haas, 1912) from northern Tien Shan Mountains (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae: Xylenini: Apameina), Ecologica Montenegrina 67, pp. 83-90 : 84-89

Apamea ingloria postnikovi ssp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0BE2A0EE-E8CC-45CB-9A65-AD037BC50948

( Figs 1-3 , 9-10 , 13-14 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs ): male, “ 21–22.VII.2022, | SE Kazakhstan, Almaty Region, | Raiymbek District, E Ketmen | Ridge, Ketmen Pass, | 43°19'39.32"N 80°19'9.41"E, | 3000–3100m, alpine meadows | with rock outcrops, | Volynkin A. V. & Titov S. V. leg.” / “Slide | AV7424 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( WIGJ).

Paratypes: 2 males, the same data as in the holotype ( CAV) .

Diagnosis. Apamea ingloria postnikovi ssp. n. ( Figs 1–3 ) differs from the nominate subspecies ( Figs 4–6 ) in the darker, brownish-grey body and forewing ground colour lacking the bronze suffusion which is typical of A. i. ingloria , the more diffuse forewing pattern, and the considerably darker, brownish-grey hindwing. Compared to A. kaszabi ( Figs 7, 8 ), the new subspecies has a somewhat shorter and broader forewing, more contrast dark forewing markings, a broader whitish edge of the reniform stigma, and a markedly darker hindwing. The male trifine brush organ of the new subspecies ( Figs 13, 14 ) has a longer, distally broader and apically rounded flat sclerotisation corresponding to a remnant of a lever whereas it is apically pointed in the nominate subspecies ( Figs 15, 16 ). Unlike A. i. postnikovi ssp. n., the trifine brush organ of A. kaszabi ( Fig. 18 ) is reduced to a basal plate. Additionally, the sternum A1+2 has the antero-lateral (outer) apodemes in both the subspecies of A. i. ingloria ( Figs 13–16 ) whereas they are absent in A. kaszabi ( Fig. 18 ). In the male genitalia, A. i. postnikovi ssp. n. ( Figs 9, 10 ) differs from A. i. ingloria ( Figs 11, 12 ) in the shorter and narrower setose field of the cucullus, the shorter ampulla, the somewhat broader clavus, and the slightly longer base of the distal cornutus in the phallus vesica. Compared to A. kaszabi ( Fig. 17 ), the new subspecies has a slightly broader cucullus with a shorter setose field, a broader clavus, and a somewhat longer base of the distal cornutus. The male genitalia of the externally vaguely similar A. fervida (illustrated by Zilli et al. (2009: 283)) from Qinghai differ from A. i. postnikovi ssp. n. in the shorter cucullus with a markedly longer setose field stretching towards the pollex, the broader digitus, and the longer latero-posterior processes of the juxta.

Description. External morphology of male adult ( Figs 1–3 ). Forewing length 19.5–20.0 mm. Antenna filiform. Head and thorax brownish-grey with admixture of pale grey scales. Forewing ground colour brownish-grey, pattern slate black, diffuse. Basal dash short, with two short branches. Antemedial line sinuous, sloping outwards from costal to anal margins. Medial area intensely suffused with slate black in cell between orbicular and reniform stigmata, and between claviform stigma and postmedial line. Claviform stigma large, reaching middle of medial area. Orbicular stigma elliptical, oblique, pale grey with grey core suffusion. Reniform stigma large, constricted medially, pale grey with grey core suffusion. Postmedial line dentate on veins, curved inwards between vein R and costal margin, its outer margin edged with pale grey suffusion. Subterminal line indistinct, pale grey, irregularly wavy, edged with row of triangular diffuse slate black spots inwardly. Terminal line thin, interrupted on veins. Cilia brownish-grey with admixture of slate black scales. Hindwing dark brownish-grey, paler subbasally. Cilia as ground colour. Abdomen pale brownish-grey. Male genitalia ( Figs 9, 10 ). Vinculum U-shaped with anteriorly dilated arms forming short saccus. Valva elongate and relatively narrow, somewhat upcurved subbasally and almost straight medially. Sacculus short with broad, semiglobular and serrulate clavus. Clasper narrow, stretching parallel to ventral margin of valva. Ampulla short and thin, stick-shaped, slightly downcurved. Costa with distal-inner trapezoidal protrusion bearing dense field of setae, and broad, laterally flattened and apically rounded digitus reaching outer margin of cucullus. Cucullus large, elongate dorsally, with broadly triangular and apically rounded pollex (ventral lobe), bearing corona stretching along its entire outer margin, and short and narrow setose field medially-basally. Transtilla long, band-shaped. Juxta shield-like with two short triangular latero-posterior processes, and one short medial anterior process. Phallus cylindrical, somewhat dilated and downcurved distally, with short and rounded coecum. Vesica with two short spike-like cornuti on broad plate-like bases subbasally and medially, broadly conical and apically rounded postero-ventral diverticulum, and upcurved and distally tapering distal section with short semiglobular apical diverticulum. Vesica ejaculatorius directed dorsally. Tegumen equal in length to vinculum, with broad trapezoidal peniculus. Tuba analis narrow, weakly sclerotised. Uncus elongate, slender, hook-like downcurved, apically pointed, distal half of its dorsal margin bearing dense cluster of hair-like setae.

Female unknown.

Distribution and bionomics. The new subspecies is currently known only from its type locality in the central part of the Ketmen Ridge (Southeast Kazakhstan, Almaty Region) which is part of Northern Tien Shan Massif ( Fig. 19 ). The specimens were collected at light of mercury vapor bulb in the belt of alpine meadows at an altitude between 3000–3100 m ( Fig. 20 ).

Etymology. The new subspecies is named after Nikolay Postnikov (Almaty, Kazakhstan), a renowned photographer and organiser of the collecting trip to the Ketmen Ridge.

Figures

Figure 19. Distribution map of Apamea ingloria sspp.

Figure 20. Southeast Kazakhstan, Almaty Region, Ketmen Ridge, vicinities of Ketmen Pass, 43°19'39.32"N 80°19'9.41"E, ca. 3000m, the habitat of Apamea ingloria postnikovi spp. n. (photo by A. Volynkin).

Figures 1–8. Apamea spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1 in WIGJ; 2–8 in CAV.

Figures 9–12. Apamea ingloria sspp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 9 in WIGJ; 10–12 in CAV.

Figures 13–16. Apamea ingloria sspp.: sternite A1+2. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 13 in WIGJ; 14–16 in CAV.

Figures 17–18. Apamea kaszabi: male genitalia (17) and sternite A1+2 (18). The specimen dissected is deposited in CAV.