Pulcheria kasymkhani Volynkin & Matov

Volynkin, Anton V. & Matov, Alexej Yu., 2015, A review of the genus Pulcheria Alphéraky, 1887 with description of a new species from southeastern Kazakhstan (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3974 (2), pp. 196-202 : 200-201

Pulcheria kasymkhani Volynkin & Matov , sp. n.

( Figs 4–6 , 11, 12 , 16, 19, 22 )

Type material examined. Holotype: male, Ost-Kazakhstan, 450 m, Ili-Tal, 40 km SW Dsharkent, 23.vi.1992, 43º58' N, 79º38' E, V.A., A. & O. Lukhtanov leg. / ex Coll. EMEM, U. Eitschberger (coll. ZSM). Slide ZSM 4082 Vo l y n k i n.

Paratypes: 6 males, 2 females, with the same labels as the holotype (coll. ZSM); 1 male, Kazakhstan, Alma- Ata range, Taschkarasu, 500 m, 43°48’ N, 79°39’ E, 1993. vi.21. Leg.: V. and A. Lukhtanov (coll. PGM); 1 male, same data (coll. GRB).

Slides AV 1342, AV 1344 Volynkin, 4123 Gyulai (males), AV1343 Volynkin (female).

Diagnosis. P. kasymkhani sp. n. most closely resembles P. cinescens , but is separated from this species by the somewhat larger size, the darker grayish brown ground colour of body and forewing, the darker blackish brown ground colour of hindwing, the somewhat more elongated forewing, the more clear forewing pattern and the somewhat larger reniform stigma. The male genitalia are also similar to those of P. c i n e s c en s, but the uncus is somewhat shorter, the penicular lobes are smaller, the apical part of juxta is longer, the harpe is somewhat slender, the distal part of valva is narrower, rounded, the corona is much shorter, the subbasal diverticulum of the vesica is somewhat smaller. In addition, male of P. kasymkhani sp. n. differs from the other two Pulcheria species by the shape of 1st sternite ( Fig. 19 ) and 8th sternite and tergite ( Fig. 16 ); the abdominal coremata and their pockets ( Fig. 19 ) are smaller than those of P. cinescens ( Fig. 20 ). In the female genitalia, the ductus bursae is longer and less sclerotised than that of P. cinescens , the corpus bursae is somewhat shorter and broader; from P. catomelas differ clearly by the weaker sclerotised antrum, the somewhat longer ductus bursae and the much longer corpus bursae.

Description. Adult ( Figs 4–6 ). Wingspan 32–33 mm in males and 36–37 mm in females. Male antennae bipectinate, with moderately long branches; female antennae ciliate. Head, thorax and abdomen dark grayish brown. Ground colour of forewing dark grayish brown. Pattern diffuse. Subbasal line diffuse, brown, wavy; antemedial line irregularly wavy, brown, with pale fringe outwardly; postmedial line dentate, curved at the cell, brown with pale fringe inwardly; subterminal line indistinct, irregularly curved, with dark brown oblique large stroke towards the wing apex; terminal line thin, brown. Medial shade present, diffuse, narrow, curved, dark brown. Orbicular stigma small, indistint; reniform stigma large, roundish, with pale diffuse border. Cilia dark grayish brown. Hindwing dark blackish brown, pale brown basally; fringe pale brown. Male genitalia ( Figs 11, 12 ). Uncus long, narrow, pointed apically. Tegumen short, penicular lobes large, trapezoidal, with rounded margins. Vinculum relatively short, U-shaped. Valva elongated, broadened basally, its distal part broadened, slightly curved, rounded; corona present, short. Sacculus relatively broad; costa strongly sclerotised, digitus very short, broad, trigonal. Clasper elongated and narrow; harpe strong, curved, rounded apically, slightly broadened basally. Aedeagus elongated, curved; carina has two strongly dentate sclerotised lateral bands; vesica membranous, tubular, distally directed, with short and broad ventral subbasal diverticulum. Female genitalia ( Fig. 22 ). Ovipositor moderately long; gonapophyses long and thin, apophyses anteriores much shorter than apophyses posteriores. Ostium bursae narrow, with narrow moderately sclerotised margin. Ductus bursae relatively short, narrow, moderately sclerotised posteriorly and slightly sclerotised anteriorly. Appendix bursae small, sack-like, positioned laterally. Corpus bursae very long and narrow, drop-like broadened anteriorly.

Distribution. The new species is known only from the Ili river valley, southeastern Kazakhstan.

Etymology. Kasym Khan was fourth khan of the Kazakh Khanate in the 16th century. During his reign the Khanate reached their zenith.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Pulcheria spp. adults. 1, P. catomelas, lectotype male, Kashgar (ZISP); 2, P. catomelas, male, China, Xinjiang (ZISP); 3, P. catomelas, paralectotype female, Kashgar (ZISP); 4, P. kasymkhani, holotype male, SE Kazakhstan (ZSM); 5, P. kasymkhani, paratype male, SE Kazakhstan (ZSM); 6, P. kasymkhani, paratype female, SE Kazakhstan (ZSM); 7, P. cinescens, neotype male, S Kazakhstan, Syr-Darya river (ZISP); 8, P. cinescens, female, Syr-Darya river (ZISP).

FIGURES 9 – 14. Pulcheria spp. male genitalia. 9, P. catomelas, lectotype, slide 0342 Matov; 10, P. catomelas, China, slide 0351 Matov; 11, P. kasymkhani, holotype, Kazakhstan, slide ZSM 4082 Volynkin; 12, P. kasymkhani, paratype, Kazakhstan, slide AV 1342 Volynkin; 13, P. cinescens, neotype, slide 0352 Matov; 14, P. cinescens, S Kazakhstan, slide 0343 Matov.

FIGURES 15 – 23. Pulcheria spp.: tergite and sternite 8 of males (15 – 17); basal abdominal segments of males (18 – 20), and female genitalia (21 – 23). 15, P. catomelas, lectotype, slide 0342 Matov; 16, P. kasymkhani, paratype, slide AV 1342 Volynkin; 17, P. cinescens, neotype, slide 0352 Matov; 18, P. catomelas, slide 0351 Matov; 19, P. kasymkhani, paratype, slide AV 1342 Volynkin; 20, P. cinescens, neotype, slide 0352 Matov; 21, P. catomelas, paralectotype, slide 0344 Matov; 22, P. kasymkhani, paratype, slide AV 1343 Volynkin; 23, P. cinescens, slide 0346 Matov.