Lygephila (Sinocampa) longicoecum Kononenko & Fibiger

Kononenko, Vladimir & Fibiger, Michael, 2008, A new subgenus and three new species of catocaline noctuids from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae: Catocalinae), Zootaxa 1876, pp. 19-28 : 23

Lygephila (Sinocampa) longicoecum Kononenko & Fibiger , new species

( Figs. 7 , 15 , 20 , 25 )

Type Material. Holotype: male, CHINA, Province Shansi, Oin Ling Mt, Hu Zhen Zi vic. 33°51ˏ18ˏ N, 107°50ˏ39ˏ E, 1300 m, 4–16.vii 1999, C. Della Bruna leg., coll. ZFMK. Paratypes: 6 males and 1 female. 5 males, “Province Shansi S, Tapaishan in Tsiling, ca. 1700 m ”, 8.vi.1936, 9.vii.1935, 25.vi.1935, 16.vi.1935 H. Höne leg., ZFMK genit. prep. 2019 V. Kononenko, (coll. Zoological Institute and Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn); 1 male, Shaanxi, Tsiling Mts.; 1 male, South Tapaishan Houzhenzi, 33°53ˏN, 107°49ˏ, local collector leg. (coll. Gabor Ronkay, Budapest); 1 male, Province Shansi, Tapaishan Houzhenzi, 33°53ˏN 107°49ˏE, iii.2000, local collector leg., ex coll. Victor Sinjaev, gen. prep. 2993 (coll. Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Peterburg); 1 female, [ China], Province Shansi, Tapaishan, vi.1999, leg. Sinjaev & Simonov, IBSS genit. prep. 698 V. Kononenko (coll. Institute of Biology and Soil Science, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok).

Diagnosis. Compared with Lygephila maxima (Bremer, 1861) ( Figs. 8 , 16 , 19 ), L. longicoecum differs by the straight medial shade from reniform stigma to ventral margin of forewing, and by the unicolorous light brown hindwing. In the male genitalia it differs by the narrower uncus, the shorter tegumen, the broader vinculum and saccus, the waved costa of valva, the huge clasper-ampulla complex, the extremely long sacculus, and the extremely long, narrow coecum of aedeagus. The female genitalia differ by the broad and irregular cone-shaped, heavily sclerotised antrum which is subapically expanded, and the globular corpus bursae.

Description. Imago ( Fig. 7 ). Wingspan: 50–54 mm. Head with long brown scales; coal-black scales between antennae and above on head and patagia; thorax and ground colour of forewing grey, suffused with brown scales, including fringes; all cross-lines present, well marked; postmedial area by costa blackish brown; terminal line marked by small, black intervenal dots; medial shade sharply angled by reniform stigma, from angle straight towards both margins; reniform stigma dark brown, with four black spots; orbicular stigma absent. Hindwing light brown, without pattern. Underside of forewing unicolorous brown; hindwing light brown. Male and female genitalia ( Figs. 15 , 20 ) are as described for the subgenus.

Distribution ( Fig. 25 ). The species is only known from its type locality, south west China, Tapaishan Range, Province Shansi. The moths were collected at light in the mountains from 1300 to1700 m.

Etymology. The species is named after the conspicuously long and narrow coecum.

Figures

FIGURE 25. Distribution map of L. stueningi, L. longicoecum, and Apopestes curiosa.

FIGURES 1 – 8. Lygephila sp., adults. 1, L. stueningi, male, holotype, China; 2, 3, ditto, female, paratype; China; 4, ditto, male paratype, China; 5, 6, L. ludicra, Russia, Tuva, female and male; 7, L. longicoecum, male, holotype, China; 8, L. maxima, male, Russia, Khabarovsk.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Lygephila sp., male genitalia. 13, L. stueningi, male, paratype, genit. prep. 5882 M. Fibiger; 14, L. ludicra, Turkey, genit. prep. 3561 M. Fibiger; 15, L. longicoecum, holotype, China, ZFMK genit. prep. 2019 V. Kononenko; 16, L. maxima, South Korea, CIS genit. prep. 169 - 1 Han H. L.

FIGURES 17 – 20. Lygephila sp., female genitalia. 17, L. stueningi, paratype, genit. prep. 5883 M. Fibiger; 18, L. ludicra, Mongolia, genit. prep. C 21 B. Goater; 19, L. maxima, Russian Far East, Primorye Territory, genit. prep. 5725 M. Fibiger; 20, L. longicoecum, paratype, China, IBSS genit. prep. 698 V. Kononenko.