Lemyra (Thyrgorina) nigrifrons ( Walker, 1865 )

Singh, Harsimranjeet, Raha, Angshuman, Kirti, Jagbir Singh & Singh, Navneet, 2024, Taxonomic review of the genus Lemyra Walker (Erebidae: Arctiinae) from India, Zootaxa 5454 (1), pp. 1-69 : 24

Lemyra (Thyrgorina) nigrifrons ( Walker, 1865) : 401 ( Icambosida )

( Figs 59, 60 , 161, 162 )

TL: Hindostan [ India]

Material Examined: India , West Bengal: [Darjeeling district], Singalila NP, Chitre , 1 ♂, 26.viii.2016, Bhattacharyya & Party leg. ( NZCZSI; 12520/H10), 2 ♂, 15.v.2018, Bhattacharyya & Party leg. ( NZCZSI; 12519/H10), Gairibas, 2 ♂, 21.v.2018, Bhattacharyya & Party leg. ( NZCZSI; 12517/H10), Meghma, 1 ♂, 18.v.2018, Bhattacharyya & Party leg. ( NZCZSI; 12518/H10); [Kalimpong district], Neora Valley, 1 ♂, 6.ix.2016, K. Mondal and Party leg. ( NZCZSI; 12521/H10) .

Diagnosis: Forewing length: ♂ 18 mm. Externally, L. (T.) nigrifrons ( Figs 59, 60 ) resembles L. (T.) neglecta ( Figs 1 – 3 ), L. (T.) melanosoma ( Figs 70, 71 ) and L. (T.) khasiana ( Figs 85, 86 ). The differences between L. (T.) nigrifrons , L. (T.) neglecta and L. (T.) melanosoma have already been discussed under the latter two species. Furthermore, L. (T.) nigrifrons is distinct from L. (T.) khasiana by the black colour of the area surrounding the palpi and first pair of legs (ochreous in L. (T.) khasiana ) and the abdomen with an extensive black colouration laterally and a narrow white strip ventrally. In male genitalia, L. (T.) nigrifrons ( Figs 161, 162 ) is clearly distinct from L. (T.) khasiana ( Figs 191, 192 ) by the thicker and stouter aedeagus with carinal thorns and vesica with a single distal patch of strong spines (in L. (T.) khasiana , aedeagus is devoid of any carinal thorn and vesica is having two distal, longitudinal patches of short spines). Another recently described species, L. (T.) kaikarisi ( Figs 61, 62 ) Saldaitis, Volynkin & Duda, 2019 distributed in China and Myanmar, is also closely similar to L. (T.) nigrifrons , but can be differentiated by its slightly larger size, ochreous orange tegulae (in L. (T.) nigrifrons , it is bright yellow) and absence of a discal spot on hindwing. In male genitalia, L. (T.) kaikarisi ( Figs 163, 164 ) is although quite similar to that of L. (T.) nigrifrons ( Figs 161, 162 ) but the former can be distinguished from the latter by the broader uncus, stouter aedeagus with larger carinal thorns and vesica having distinctly larger basal diverticulum.

Distribution. Indian records: Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim, West Bengal ( Hampson 1901, Dubatolov 2010, Singh et al. 2021). Global records: Myanmar (Kambaiti) ( de Freina & Thomas 2015).

Remarks: The species is found to fly in East Himalayan wet temperate forest, East Himalayan mixed coniferous forest, East Himalayan subtropical wet hill forests in West Bengal from an elevation range of 2000–2750 m.

Figures

FIGURES 53–62. Habitus of Lemyra spp. 53–54. L. fortiorspina sp. nov., holotype male, dorsal and ventral sides (Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, India); 55–56. L. apatani sp. nov., holotype male, dorsal and ventral sides (Old Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, India); 57–58. L. adunca sp. nov., holotype male, dorsal and ventral sides (Rishop, West Bengal, India); 59–60. L. nigrifrons, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Singalila NP, Gairibas, West Bengal, India); 61–62. L. kaikarisi, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Pfutsero, Nagaland, India).

FIGURES 155–166. Genitalia of Lemyra spp. 155–156. L. fortiorspina sp. nov., male: 155, ventral view, 156, Aedeagus; 157–158. L. apatani sp. nov., holotype male: 157, ventral view, 158, Aedeagus. 159–160. L. adunca sp. nov., paratype male: 159, ventral view, 160, Aedeagus; 161–162. L. nigrifrons, male: 161, ventral view, 162, Aedeagus; 163–164. L. kaikarisi, male: 163, ventral view, 164, Aedeagus; 165–166. L. spilosomata, male: 165, ventral view, 166, Aedeagus.

FIGURES 1–11. Habitus of Lemyra spp. 1–2, L. neglecta, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Jang, Arunachal Pradesh, India); 3. ditto, dorsal side, male (Pfutsero, Nagaland, India); 4–5, L. rubripecta sp. nov., holotype male, dorsal and ventral sides (Old Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, India); 6. L. rubripecta sp. nov., female, dorsal side (Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, India); 7. L. biseriata, female, dorsal side, (Jatinga, Assam, India); 8–9. ditto, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Kohima, Nagaland, India); 10–11. L. densimacula sp. nov., male, dorsal and ventral sides (Kohima, Nagaland, India).

FIGURES 63–73. Habitus of Lemyra spp. 63–64. L. spilosomata, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Ahwa, Gujarat, India); 65–66. L. multivittata, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Jhandi, West Bengal, India); 67. ditto, female, dorsal side (Manebhanjyang, West Bengal, India); 68–69. L. pseudoburmanica, male, dorsal side and ventral sides (Devikulam, Kerala, India). 70–71. L. melanosoma, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Mangan, Sikkim, India); 72–73. L. persephone, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Yoksum, Sikkim, India).

FIGURES 85–94. Habitus of Lemyra spp. 85–86. L. khasiana, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Saho, Himachal Pradesh, India); 87–88. L. excelsa, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Jang, Arunachal Pradesh, India); 89–90. L. obsoleta sp. nov., holotype male, dorsal and ventral sides (Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India); 91–92. L. pinus sp. nov. holotype male, dorsal and ventral sides (Old Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, India); 93–94. L. sordidescens, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, India).

FIGURES 191–200. Genitalia of Lemyra spp. 191–192. L. khasiana, male: 191, ventral view, 192, Aedeagus; 193–194. L. excelsa, male: 193, ventral view, 194, Aedeagus; 195–196. L. obsoleta sp. nov., holotype male: 195, ventral view, 196, Aedeagus; 197–198. L. pinus sp. nov. holotype male: 197, ventral view, 198, Aedeagus; 199–200. L. sordidescens, male: 199, ventral view, 200, Aedeagus.