Lasianobia qinghana Saldaitis, Volynkin & Truuverk, 2018

Saldaitis, Aidas, Volynkin, Anton V. & Truuverk, Andro, 2018, Three new species of the genus Lasianobia Hampson, 1905 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) from China, with a revised checklist for the genus, Zootaxa 4472 (2), pp. 343-357 : 348-349

Lasianobia qinghana Saldaitis, Volynkin & Truuverk , sp. nov.

( Figs 7 , 23 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 7 , 23 ): ♂, China, Qinghai, South from Xining, Laji Shan Mt., N32’’23.069’ E101’’33.662’, 16–17.VII.2014, Floriani leg., 3000 m, slide OP 2707m Pekarsky (coll. AFM).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the Qinghai Province of China, where the species has been found.

Diagnosis. Lasianobia qinghana ( Fig. 7 ) is an externally unmistakable species, which can be distinguished from other congeners by its pale, brownish-gray wing coloration and diffuse transverse lines; similar diffuse transverse lines are present only in L. albilinea ( Figs 5, 6 ), but L. qinghana differs clearly from it in its paler, more gray wing coloration, the much longer submedial longitudinal dash, and by reniform stigma's having shorter extensions along the cubital veins and fused with the orbicular stigma. The male genitalia of L. qinghana ( Fig. 23 ) are characteristic and differ from those of other congeners by the reduced distal saccular process and the broad, elliptical uncus. Within the genus, the male genitalic structure of L. qinghana is most similar to that of L. fickleri ( Fig. 24 ), but can be distinguished by its elliptical uncus; the apically narrower juxta; the shorter vinculum; the shorter and basally broader valve; the cucullus more angular and with the narrower neck; the presence of a small ampulla on valve costa; the narrower and apically pointed digitus; the broader and shorter sacculus with no distal process; the shorter and narrower aedeagus with the weaker carinal thorn; and the basally broader and significantly shorter vesica armed with broad subbasal diverticulum and narrow distal clusters of short spinules (whereas in L. fickleri the vesica has two elongated medial diverticula armed with bunches of extremely long spinules).

Molecular data. Divergences between the holotype of L. qinghana and L. pensottii (1.9%) and L. superba (2.0%) are modest. Pairwise comparisons with other Lasionobia species show differences of 2.7–3.7%.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 7 ). Forewing length 13 mm in male holotype. Male antennae bipectinate, grayishbrown. Head and thorax grayish brown; abdomen pale brownish gray. Forewing ground co pale brownish gray; medial area blackish brown around submedial longitudinal dash and orbicular and reniform stigmata; costa with diffuse dark brown spot between cell and subterminal line; ante- and postmedial line diffuse, thin, brown; subterminal line diffuse, thin, pale yellowish, angled at apex; terminal line diffuse, thin, pale brown; submedial longitudinal dash thin, pale yellowish; orbicular and reniform stigmata pale gray, fused along the cubital vein; reniform stigma with broad trigonal extensions along the cubital veins; cilia pale brownish gray. Hindwing pale brownish gray; discal spot thin, semilunar, diffuse; cilia pale brownish gray. Male genitalia ( Fig. 23 ): Uncus dorsoventrally flattened, broad, elliptical, weakly hairy; tegumen short, broadened; penicular lobes broadened, earshaped; juxta elongated, conical; vinculum V-shaped, with rounded apex; valves symmetrical, evenly curved medially; costa heavily sclerotized, with small pimple-like ampulla medially; costal margin evenly curved, heavily sclerotized; digitus elongated, almost straight, distally narrowed, apically tapered; cucullus broadened, trapezoidal, with rounded corners, weakly setose; neck of cucullus short and broad; sacculus well-developed, broad, with no distal process; aedeagus short, broad, cylindrical; carina with small trigonal thorn; vesica broadened proximally, with rounded cluster of spinules subbasally; medial diverticula absent; subapical diverticulum broad and short, with band-like cluster of spinules.

Female unknown.

Bionomics and distribution. A single male was collected at ultraviolet light at 16–17 June 2014 in remote part of Mount Laji Shan in Qinghai Province, China. It was collected at altitude ranging 3000 meters in the shrubby transition, dominated by various willows and birches, between the mountain coniferous forest and the alpine grassland zones.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Lasianobia spp., male adults. 1, L. dvoraki, holotype, China, W SiChuan (AFM); 2, L. dvoraki, paratype, China, W SiChuan (ASV); 3, L. dvoraki, paratype, China, W SiChuan (AFM); 4, L. dvoraki, paratype, China, W SiChuan (ASV); 5, L. albilinea albilinea, China, NW Yunnan (AFM); 6, L. albilinea albilinea, China, W SiChuan (Pekarsky); 7, L. qinghana, holotype, China, Qinghai (Coll. AFM); 8, L. fickleri, holotype, China, East Tibet (PGM/HNHM).

FIGURES 23–24. Lasianobia spp., male genitalia. 23, L. qinghana, holotype, China, Qinghai, slide OP2707 Pekarsky; 24, L. fickleri, holotype, China, East Tibet, slide GYP 2241 Gyulai.