Antapamea conciliata (Butler, 1878)

An, Jeong-Seop, Choi, Sei-Woong & Ronkay, László, 2013, New Noctuidae (s. l.) species from the Korean fauna with description of a new species of Bryophila Treitschke, 1825 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae and Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3734 (3), pp. 345-361 : 349

Antapamea conciliata (Butler, 1878)

(Plate 2, fig. 12; gen. fig. 11)

Apamea conciliata Butler, 1878 , Annals and Magazine of Natural History 1: 84. Type locality: Japan, Yokohama.

Records from Korea. 1 male, Prov. South Jeolla, Yeongam, Mt. Wolchul, 160 m, 126°39’E, 34°44’N, 11.vi.2005, slide No. RL 10671m (coll. MNU); 1 male, Prov. South Jeolla, Muan, Mt. Seungdal-san, Dalsan-ri, 150 m, 126°27’E, 34°54’N, 18.vi.2006, leg. S.W. Choi (coll. MNU).

Diagnosis. The largest-sized member of the genus, with wingspan of 34–41 mm. It shows considerable external variation, as pale and dark and unicolorous and contrastingly marked specimens can be found in one population, but all are regularly larger than corresponding forms of the sister-species, A. okinawensis . After their wide range of colour variation, the two species can hardly be distinguished externally, although the forewing markings of A. conciliata are most often less contrasting. The main differences in the male genitalia which provide the best cues for easy identification of the two species occur in the shape and size of the cucullus and the digitus, but the other parts of the genital capsule and the vesica also show a series of smaller differences. Comparing the two species, the cucullus of A. conciliata (gen. fig. 11) is much smaller and narrower, rather foot-shaped, and the digitus is broader, more flattened and apically acute. In addition, the juxta of A. conciliata is larger than in A. okinawensis , having longer dorso-lateral arms, the valva is more dilated medially, the ampulla is straighter, the two carinal sclerotised bars are finer, less serrate, and the eversible sclerotized comb has larger, stronger teeth. The female genitalia of the two species differ in the shape and size of the ostial plate and the posterior part of the ductus bursae: both are remarkably larger and broader in A. conciliata than in A. okinawensis .

Distribution. Sino-Pacific. The species had long been considered as endemic to Japan, but was discovered in Sichuan in China (Zilli et al. 2010).