Athaumasta etugen Volynkin & Saldaitis, 2019

Volynkin, Anton V., Saldaitis, Aidas, Titov, Sergey V. & Truuverk, Andro, 2019, Six new species of Athaumasta Hampson, 1906 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Bryophilinae) from the mountains of Kazakhstan, Russian Altai and Mongolia, Ecologica Montenegrina 22, pp. 1-26 : 19

Athaumasta etugen Volynkin & Saldaitis , sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8E5B6C53-5FA1-4B1A-8348-2743F3AF757C

( Figs 20, 21 , 56, 57 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 20 , 56 ): male, ― 17.V.2012, W Mongolia, Hovd aimak, Mongolian Altai Mts., Hundijn-Gol river valley ( Bodonchijn-Gol river basin), h= 1800 m, 46˚07.473‘ N, 92˚30.752‘ E, Yakovlev R. V. leg.‖, GenBank voucher MN023153 , slide AV4924 ♂ (Coll. NHMUK).

Paratype. 1 male, same data as in the holotype, GenBank voucher MN023152 , slide AV1445 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. CAV) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 14–15 mm in males (15 mm in the holotype). Athaumasta etugen is a closest relative of A. arida . Externally, A. etugen ( Figs 20, 21 ) differs from Mongolian specimens of A. arida ( Fig. 19 ) by the broader forewing with less oblique tornus. The male genitalia of A. etugen ( Figs 56, 57 ) differ clearly from those of A. arida ( Figs 54, 55 ) by the much broader harpe with convex outer margin, the more convex ventral margin of valva, the longer broad section of vesica and the larger cornutus.

Female unknown.

Molecular data. COI 5‘ sequences of both specimens of A. etugen were compared with nine specimens of A. arida from three localities (including one sympatric specimen) and specimens of A. expressa , A. kuchinichi , A. argillacea and A. tarbagata as well. The infraspecific variation of COI 5‘ sequences of A. etugen is 0.00%. The distance between specimens of A. etugen and A. arida is 1.39–2.03%. It is worth to note that the distance between specimens of A. etugen and the Mongolian specimens of A. arida (including the sympatric one) is higher (2.01–2.03%) that that between A. etugen and the specimens of A. arida from the Russian Altai (1.39–1.42%). The distance between specimens of A. etugen and A. expressa is 4.27–4.77%; that between A. etugen and A. kuchinichi is 4.27%; that between A. etugen and A. argillacea is 3.46%; that between A. etugen and A. tarbagata is 4.10–4.44%. The COI 5‘ sequences of A. arida are characterized by the combination of three character states unique for the genus, 100(C), 205(C) and 472(G), and one character state unique for the species-group, 292(T) ( Table 3).

Distribution. Athaumasta etugen is known so far only from its type locality in West Mongolia. In its type locality, A. etugen is sympatric with A. arida . The species inhabits stony semi-deserts at medium altitudes (1800 m) ( Fig. 79 ).

Etymology. ―Etugen‖ is the goddess of the earth in Mongolian mythology.

Figures

Figure 79. West Mongolia, Khovd aimak, Mongolian Altai Mts., Hundijn-Gol river valley (Bodonchijn-Gol river basin), 1800 m, 18.V.2012, the type locality of A. etugen and the habitat of A. arida (photo by M. Černila).

Figures 16–30. Athaumasta expressa species-group: adults. 16, A. arida, HT male, Russian Altai (NHMUK); 17, ditto, PT male, Russian Altai (CAV); 18, ditto, PT male, Russian Altai (CAV); 19, ditto, PT male, W Mongolia (CAV); 20, A. etugen, HT male, W Mongolia (NHMUK); 21, ditto, PT male, W Mongolia (CAV); 22, A. tarbagata, HT male, E Kazakhstan (NHMUK); 23, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 24, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 25, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 26, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 27, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 28, A. argillacea, PT male, E Kazakhstan (ZISP); 29, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 30, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV).

Figures 54–57. Athaumasta spp., male genitalia. 54, A. arida, HT, Russian Altai, slide AV4912 Volynkin; 55, A. arida, PT, W Mongolia, slide AV4915 Volynkin; 56, A. etugen, HT, W Mongolia, slide AV4924 Volynkin; 57, A. etugen, PT, W Mongolia, slide AV1445 Volynkin.