Athaumasta argillacea Volynkin & Pekarsky

Volynkin, Anton V. & Pekarsky, Oleg, 2016, A new species of Athaumasta Hampson, 1906 from eastern Kazakhstan (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Bryophilinae), Zootaxa 4205 (3), pp. 286-292 : 288-292

Athaumasta argillacea Volynkin & Pekarsky , sp. n.

( Figs 1–3 , 13, 14 , 25 )

Type material. Holotype: male ( Figs 1 , 13 ), 06.V.2015, E Kazakhstan, East Kazakhstan area, Kurchum district, 15.5 km NNE of Amanat village, Kiin-Kirish Massif , clay/chalk hills, 447 m . 48°7.885” N, 84°29.378” E, Volynkin A.V. & Titov S.V. leg. (Coll. ZISP, ex coll. CAV). Slide AV 1467m Volynkin.

Paratypes: 9 males, from the same locality and data as the holotype, slides AV 1438m, AV 1466m, AV 1468m Volynkin, DNA Nos. BC ZSM Lep 94108 and BC ZSM Lep 94109 (Colls CAV and OPB) ; 2 males, 04.VI.2013, E Kazakhstan, East Kazakhstan area, Kurchum district, Kiin-Kirish Massif , clay/chalk hills, 440 m. 48°07’44.81” N, 84°29’03.18” E, Volynkin A.V., Titov S.V. & Černila M. leg. (Coll. CAV).

Diagnosis. The closest relative of the new species is A. expressa ( Figs 4–6 ) externally resembling A. argillacea sp. n. by its wing pattern and robust body, but differing by larger size. In the male genitalia, A. argillacea ( Figs 13, 14 ) differs from A. expressa ( Figs 15, 16 ) by the narrower uncus, somewhat shorter and distally broader valva, much narrower and more curved harpe, broader basal section of vesica having somewhat smaller plate-like cornutus; from the second described species of the A. expressa species group, A. siderigera ( Figs 17 ), A. argillacea differs by the smaller size, narrower forewings, orange brown or brownish olive ground colour of forewing (in siderigera the ground colour is blackish), somewhat narrower uncus, less massive valve with more narrowed distal section, somewhat narrower harpe and somewhat broader basal section of vesica. The male genitalia structure of the new species also resembles that of A. nana ( Figs 8 , 18 ), belonging to another species group, but differs by the somewhat narrower uncus, ovate juxta with broader medial part, more curved and distally narrowed harpe, and much broader basal section of vesica.

Molecular data. The geographic ranges of A. argillacea and A. expressa are overlapping, therefore because of their morphological similarity COI sequences of two specimens of A. argillacea (samples ID BC ZSM Lep 94108 and BC ZSM Lep 94109) were compared with two COI sequences of A. expressa specimens from different localities in the Altai Mts: a topotype specimen from vicinities of Ust’Kamenogorsk in East Kazakhstan (sample ID AV-0070-Noct) and a specimen from vicinities of Aktash village in southeastern Russian Altai (sample ID AV-0076-Noct) ( Fig. 26). Distance between a topotype specimen of A. expressa from East Kazakhstan and specimens of A. argillacea is 2.00%. Distance between specimens of A. argillacea and a specimen of A. expressa from vicinities of Aktash vill. is 2.30%. The new species was compared also with A. pekarskyi and A. splendida belonging to other species groups. Distance between specimens of A. argillacea and a paratype specimen of A. pekarskyi from vicinities of Aktash vill. (sample ID AV-0061- Noct) is 4.9%; distance between specimens of A. argillacea and a specimen of A. splendida from Ulandryk Valley in southeastern Russian Altai (sample ID AV-0065-Noct) is 5.8%. Fresh specimens of A. nana and A. siderigera were not available for comparison.

Description. Adults ( Figs 1–3 , 25 ). Wingspan 24–27 mm. Male antennae bipectinate. Head, collar, thorax and tegulae orange brown or brownish olive. Abdomen dark brown with ochreous scales. Forewing moderately broad, apex finely pointed; outer margin evenly curved with slightly oblique tornus. Ground colour orange brown or brownish olive, irrorated with blackish scales; wing pattern well developed; basal field as ground colour. Crosslines double: subbasal, postmedial and subterminal lines blackish inwardly and whitish outwardly, antemedial line whitish inwardly and blackish outwardly; subbasal line dentate, antemedial line irregularly wavy, postmedial line S-shaped curved, dentate on veins, subterminal line sinuous, discontinuous; terminal line as row of black dots on veins. Reniform and orbicular stigmata as ground colour, with whitish margins edged by blackish scales along outer margin; claviform stigma as dark strake, indistinct, sometimes absent. Cilia orange or olive with blackish spots on veins. Hindwing dark, greyish brown; discal spot as large dark grey; transverse line pale grayish brown; cilia grayish brown. Male genitalia ( Figs 13, 14 ). Uncus moderately long, dorso-ventrally flattened, slightly curved at base with short flattened apex; tegumen relatively short, penicular lobes narrow and rounded; transtilla broad, obtuse apically; juxta ovate, broad, shield-like, with two short trigonal apical processes; valva long, moderately broad, strongly narrowed distally, with pointed apex; costal margin of valva slightly curved, dorsal margin slightly constricted at middle; clasper moderately long, distally broadened, S-shaped; harpe long, digitus-shaped, evenly curved, narrowed distally, with pointed apex. Aedeagus short, cylindrical, distally curved, with scobinated carinal plate; vesica saccular, membranous, finely scobinated, its basal part broad, globular, curved dorsally, with small plate-like cornutus in distal section; distal tube long and narrow. Female genitalia unknown.

Distribution and bionomics. The new species is known only from the Kiin-Kirish hills in northern part of Zaisan Valley in eastern Kazakhstan. A. argillacea inhabits clay and chalk hills covered by ground-dwelling lichens ( Figs 23, 24 ).

Etymology. The species name refers to its argillaceous habitats, whereas the other Athaumasta species prefer rocky and stony habitats.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Athaumasta spp., adults. 1, A. argillacea, holotype, E Kazakhstan (ZISP); 2, A. argillacea, paratype, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 3, A. argillacea, paratype, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 4, A. expressa, Type male, East Kazakhstan, Altai Mts (NKMB) (photo by G. & L. Ronkay); 5, A. expressa (s. l.), male, S Siberia, Tyva (MDS); 6, A. expressa (s. l.), male, S Siberia, Altai Mts (CAV); 7, A. siderigera, holotype male, S Siberia, East Sayan Mts. (ZISP) (photo by A. Yu. Matov); 8, A. nana, male, Russia, Buryatia (ZMHU) (photo by V. S. Kononenko).

FIGURES 13 – 18. Athaumasta spp., male genitalia. 13, A. argillacea, holotype, E Kazakhstan, slide AV 1467 Volynkin; 14, A. argillacea, paratype, E Kazakhstan, slide AV 1466 Volynkin; 15, A. expressa, Type, East Kazakhstan, slide RL 5936 m Ronkay (photo by G. & L. Ronkay); 16, A. expressa, S Siberia, Tyva, slide OP 1293 m Pekarsky; 17, A. siderigera, holotype, S Siberia, East Sayan Mts, slide ZIN 14927 (photo by A. Yu. Matov); 18, A. nana, holotype, Mongolia, Khangay Mts, slide 6 / 25.2 / 1997. MNHU (photo by V. S. Kononenko).

FIGURES 23 – 25. Biotope and adult of Athaumasta argillacea. 23 – 24, East Kazakhstan, Zaisan Valley, 15.5 km NNE of Amanat village, Kiin-Kirish Massif, clay / chalk hills, 447 m. 48 ° 7.885 ” N, 84 ° 29.378 ” E, 06 – 07. v. 2015, type locality of A. argillacea; 25, A. argillacea, adult in nature, Kiin-Kirish Massif, 06. v. 2015.