Phyllodesma permana, Zolotuhin & Bidzilya & Kostjuk, 2021

Zolotuhin, Vadim V., Bidzilya, Oleksiy V. & Kostjuk, Igor Yu., 2021, Another new species of the genus Phyllodesma (Phyllodesma) Hübner, [1820] 1816 from northern China (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), Zootaxa 5005 (3), pp. 381-387 : 382-386

Phyllodesma permana sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 , 7–8 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂ ( Fig. 1 ), “N CHINA | Ningxia Hui AR, Yanchi | County, Gaoshawo Town | Qing- yangjing, h= 1469m | 37,96′ N; 107,18′ E | at light 12.vi.2019 | leg. O. Bidzilya ” (will be deposited in NKU).

Paratypes (5 ♂♂ — Figs 2, 3 ): ♂, N. China, Ningxia Hui AR, Yanchi County, Gaoshawo Town, Qingyangjing , h= 1469 m, 37,96′ N; 107,18′ E, at light, 12.vi.2019, O. Bidzilya (GP Nr 544, I. Kostjuk); 4##, N China, Ningxia Hui AR, Yanchi County , Qingshan Town , Erdaohu, h= 1407 m, 37,65′ N; 107,29′ E, at light, 13.vi.2019, O. Bidzilya (GP Nr 543, 705, 706, I. Kostjuk) (MWM/ ZSM, ZMKU) .

Diagnosis. Despite rather variable ground colour of wings, the species can be defined by hindwing with distinct greyish-white transversal band gradually broadened towards anal angle with its inner margin strongly edged with grey ( Figs 1–3 ). The species can be confused with dark grey and reddish forms of Ph. sinina , but greyishwhite transversal band on the hindwing is broader and edged with dark from both sides in this species. Both Ph. mongolicum and Ph. jurii are somewhat similar to the new species but more reddish ( Figs 4–6 ). The first species differs additionally by characteristic white suffusion along postmedial fascia on the forewing ( Fig. 4 ). In male genitalia, Ph. permana sp. nov. can be distinguished from Ph. sinina , Ph. jurii and Ph. mongolicum by the narrowest tegumen and most widely separated socii ( Figs 7, 8 ). Additional differences among these species are found in the distal lobe of vesica ( Figs 9a,b; 10a,b ). In Ph. mongolicum this lobe is slender and long (far exceeds apex of distal cornutus when completely everted), and bears two-three needle-shaped cornuti ( Fig. 9b ) that, however, can be lost in some specimens ( Fig. 9a ). In other species this lobe is markedly shorter, extends to ( Ph. sinina ) or not extends to the apex of distal cornutus ( Ph. jurii , Ph. permana sp. nov.), and never bears group of needle-shaped cornuti. Phyllodesma jurii can be additionally separated from Ph. mongolicum by less depressed, hump-shaped rather than flattened socii ( Fig. 10 ). The male genitalia of Ph. sinina are insufficiently documented. However, the available photographs ( Saldaitis & Zolotuhin 2018: fig. 10) indicate the large socii and deep anteromedial emargination of tegumen, that seems to be characteristic for this species. Other characters in the male genitalia are rather variable, and hardly can be apply alone for ambiguous separating of taxa in this complex of species.

Description. Medium sized species ( Figs 1–3 ) with known individual variation. Wingspan of males 26–29 mm (holotype 29 mm)—average 27.9 mm, forewing length 14–16mm (holotype 16 mm)—average 15 mm. Ground color reddish-grey; general variation shows more reddish or greyer specimens among paratypes; paler ash-grey suffusion covers outer fields of both wings and very distinct in R-Cu cellula of forewing forming diagnostic pale figure contrasting in all color forms of new species. Forewing with reddish veins; discal spot indistinct; submarginal fascia vague, dark grey, developed mostly as shadows between veins; basal fascia absent or rarely presents as very few dark grey scales; both antemedial and postmedial fasciae distinct, prominent, weakly broadened, sinuate in Cu zone. No paler zones look as bands or fasciae present. Anal incision on forewing deep and distinct. Hindwing darker, more grey, with ash-grey suffusion and broad dark grey to blackish medial fascia. This fascia 3-shaped and surrounded outside with wide ash-grey field with irregular outer margin; anal spot ash-grey with reddish-grey hair-like scales. Veins prominently visible in both wings, and cilia bright white with narrow red-brown lower layer and scale tufts on tips of veins. Thorax dark grey with ash-grey admixture and reddish patagias and metathorax. Abdomen reddishgrey, darker dorsally.

Female is unknown so far.

Male genitalia ( Figs 7, 8 ). Generally typical in shape and equipment for subgenus Phyllodesma . Valva flattened, leaf-shaped, with broad base and slightly protruded apex, without any serration on inner margin but with indistinct knobs on outside edge; apex of valva pointed, outer margin with distinct serrated transverse ridge. Tegumen comparatively narrow, spectacles-shaped. Socii distinct, densely covered with hair-like setae, broadly separated. Juxta with broad rounded lateral and short finger-shaped dorsal lobes. Aedeagus short stout and widened basally, with rather long hook-like apical spur directed ventrad; vesica with single apical cornutus with widened bowl base and cone-shaped apex; distal group of cornuti absent, but its lobe of vesica developed well, and two lateral groups (so called brushes) of densely situated needle-shaped cornuti very distinct.

Variation. Most of male genitalia characters are variable: socii vary from rounded to triangular; distal part of valva varies in width and number of teeth at apex; transverse teethed ridge on valva varies in width; lateral lobes of juxta are from trapezoid to subtriangular; dorsal lobes of juxta differs in length ( Figs 7, 8 ); large apical cornutus varies from elongated slender with weakly curved apex to short, broad with apex strongly curved; lateral brushes of cornuti differ in size ( Figs 7a,b; 8a,b ).

Biology. All six males were collected at ultraviolet light in mid June 2019 at mid altitudes ranging from 1400 to1470 meters in mountain sparse plantation on stepped biotopes ( Figs 11–14 ). Such biotopes are quite typical for Yanchi County where much of the land is wasteland with alkali soil and lot of clay looking like salt steppes or very dry meadows with sole arboreal trees and bushes. At the same time the climate is similar here to that of southern Europe, with summer temperature ranging from +14°C to +29°C. In winter it falls down up to –14°C, with rather abundant snow cover making hibernation of the species more protected.

Lot of local widows ( Salix spp. ) and sole trees of local poplar ( Populus spp. ) are found in the collecting place. These plants are the favorite hosts for most known Phyllodesma species and are therefore potential hosts for caterpillar of Ph. permana sp. nov.

The new species is probably monovoltine. All other species of the genus overwinter always as a pupa if they have anyway a winter diapauses ( Zolotuhin 2015).

Distribution. China ( Fig. 15 ). The species is seemingly native to rather local territory of Ningxia Hui AR of China.

Etymology. The species name is derived from Latin word permana —hardly captured, elusive, referring to absent of this species in rather rich collection material from adjacent regions of Mongolia.

Thus, the following species of the genus are known from China (are given alphabetically):

Phyllodesma ambigua ( Staudinger, 1901) — Xinjiang;

Phyllodesma henna Zolotuhin & C.S. Wu, 2008 — Shaanxi, Henan;

Phyllodesma ilicifolia ( Linnaeus, 1758) — Heilongjiang;

Phyllodesma japonicum ( Leech, 1888) — Heilongjiang;

Phyllodesma jurii I. Kostjuk, 1992 — Inner Mongolia;

Phyllodesma kopetzi Saldaitis & Zolotuhin, 2018 —Western Sichuan;

Phyllodesma mongolicum I. Kostjuk & Zolotuhin, 1994 — Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi (?);

Phyllodesma neadequata Zolotuhin & Witt, 2004 — Henan, Shaanxi;

Phyllodesma permana sp. nov. — Ningxia Hui AR;

Phyllodesma sinina ( Grum-Grshimailo, 1891) — Qinghai, Tibet, SW Gansu;

Phyllodesma ursulae Zolotuhin & Witt, 2004 — Shaanxi.

Additional new species and new records of Phyllodesma are possible for discovering in China both in mountain regions of central and southern locations and in semi-desert plots of western China.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Map of distribution of Phyllodesma permana sp. nov.; a star marks the type locality.

FIGURES 1–6. Phyllodesma spp., adults, ♂♂. 1–3. Ph. permana sp. nov. 1. HT; 2. PT. 3. PT, darker form. 4. Ph. mongolicum, PT, Mongolia (ZMKU). 5, 6. Ph. jurii. 5. PT, first generation, Russia, Dahuria. 6. HT, second generation, Russia, Dahuria (ZMKU).

FIGURES 7–10. Phyllodesma spp., male genitalia, PTs (armature and aedeagus extracted; a,b—vesica enlarged; scale bar 1 mm, enlarged vesica not in scale). 7, 8. Ph. permana sp. nov. (arrows indicate diagnostic characters: width of tegumen and distance between socii). 7, 7a. GP Nr 543. 8, 8a. GP Nr 544. 7b. GP Nr 705; 8b. GP Nr 706. 9. Ph. mongolicum, Mongolia. 9, 9a. GP Nr. 707; 9b. GP Nr. 121, distal lobe not everted (arrows indicate variation in needle-shaped cornuti). 10. Ph. jurii, Russia, Dahuria. 10, 10a. GP Nr. 115; 10b. GP Nr. 116.

FIGURES 11–14. Phyllodesma permana sp. nov., biotopes (photographs by O. Bidzilya): sparse mountain plantation on alkali soil with clay stepped plots in Yanchi County. 11, 12. Gaoshawo Town, Qingyangjing, h=1469 m, 37,96’N; 107,18’E; 13, 14. Qingshan Town, Erdaohu, h=1407 m, 37,65’N; 107,29’E.