Pseudacronicta omihsiensis ( Draeseke, 1928 ) Kiss, 2020

Kiss, Ádám, 2020, On the taxonomy of the genus Pseudacronicta Kononenko, 2001 (Lepidoptera Noctuidae, Acronictinae): the identity of Acronicta omihsiensis Draeseke, 1928, Zootaxa 4759 (1), pp. 132-138 : 133-138

Pseudacronicta omihsiensis ( Draeseke, 1928) , comb. n.

( Figs 1–5 , 9–18 )

Acronicta omihsiensis Draeseke, 1928 , Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. Entomologischen Verein Iris zu Dresden 42: 297. Type-locality: China, Prov. Sichuan, Omisien.

Synonymy: Pseudacronicta curiosa Kononenko, 2001 , Japan Heterocerists’ Journal 216: 299, figs 1, 7, 8. Type-locality: China, Prov. Fujian, Kuatun, syn. n.

Type material examined. Lectotype of Acronicta omihsiensis (here designated) ( Fig. 1 ): female, “Szetschwan. / Omisien. / Exp. Stötzner” [brownish-yellowish label; hardly readable]; “1926 / 7 ” [printed and handwritten]; “Typus / omishiensis / Draes. ” [printed and handwritten on reddish label]; “ Acronycta / omihsiensis / Draeseke ” [handwritten on brownish label]; “Staatl. Museum für / Tierkunde Dresden”; “slide No.: KA2093f” [bold letters] (coll. MTD). Paralectotypes of Acronicta omihsiensis : female, “Szetschwan. / Omisien. / Exp. Stötzner” [brownish-yellowish label; hardly readable]; “1926 / 7 ” [printed and handwritten]; “2 / 21” [greenish label with dashed line on the lower edge]; “ Acronicta omihsiensis / Draeseke 1928 / Paratypus ” [printed and handwritten on red label]; “ Acronycta / omihsiensis / Draeseke ” [handwritten on brownish label]; “Staatl. Museum für / Tierkunde Dresden” (coll. MTD); female, “Szetschwan. / Omisien. / Exp. Stötzner” [brownish-yellowish label]; “1926 / 7 ” [printed and handwritten; upper part of “7” hardly readable]; “2 / 22” [greenish label with dashed line on the lower edge]; “ Acronicta omihsiensis / Draeseke 1928 / Paratypus ” [printed and handwritten on red label]; “ Acronycta / omihsiensis / Draeseke ” [handwritten on brownish label]; “ Acronycta / omishiensis / Draes. ” [handwritten on long, brownish label with torn right side]; “Staatl. Museum für / Tierkunde Dresden” [left forewing missing] (coll. MTD).

Holotype of Pseudacronicta curiosa ( Fig. 3 ): male, “Kuatun (2300m) 27,40n.Br. / 117,40ö. L. J. Klapperich / 5. 5. 1938 (Fukien)” [purple label]; “Genitalpräp. / ZFMK-Nr. / 1693 ” [printed and handwritten]; “ Museum A. Koenig, Bonn / HOLOTYPUS / Pseudacronicta / curiosa / Kononenko / det. D. Stüning, 19” [printed and handwritten on red label with fine black frame] (coll. ZFMK) . Paratypes of Pseudacronicta curiosa : male, “Wenchow (Chekiang) / Juli.1939.H Höne”; “ Museum A.Koenig, Bonn / PARATYPUS / Pseudacronicta / curiosa / Kononenko / det. D. Stüning, 19” [red printed and black handwritten letters on white label with fine red frame] (coll. ZFMK) ; female ( Fig. 2 ), “Wenchow (Chekiang) / Juli.1939.H Höne”; “Genitalpräp. / ZFMK-Nr. / 1694 ” [printed and handwritten]; “ Museum A.Koenig, Bonn / PARATYPUS / Pseudacronicta / curiosa / Kononenko / det. D. Stüning, 19” [red printed and black handwritten letters on white label with fine red frame] (coll. ZFMK) ; female, “Linping / Prov. Kwangtung / 24.4.24 H. Höne ”; “ Museum A.Koenig, Bonn / PARATYPUS / Pseudacronicta / curiosa / Kononenko / det. D. Stüning, 19” [red printed and black handwritten letters on white label with fine red frame], [right hindwing missing], (coll. ZFMK) .

Additional material examined: CHINA: 2 males ( Figs 4, 5 ), Prov. Hubei, Wudang-shan Mts , 1500 m, 32°16’N, 110°57’E, August 2000, leg. local collector, slide No.: KA 806m (coll. HNHM and GR) ; 1 male, Prov. Hubei, Mt. Yingshan , 14-16.v.2012, leg. H. L. Han, G. H. Zu & J. Liu, slide No.: HHL-4006-1 (coll. NEFU) . LAOS: 1 female, Prov. Luang Prabang, 1 km NE of Kioutaloun , 1350 m, 19°34.626’N, 102°13.545’E, 13.ii.2012, leg. Peregovits & Szappanos, Lao 2012PL_16, slide No.: RL10899f (coll. LP) .

Diagnosis. Pseudacronicta omihsiensis ( Figs 1–5 ) is externally similar to Acronicta pulverosa ( Fig. 7 ), A. pruinosa ( Fig. 8 ), and especially to A. jozana ( Fig. 6 ). However, the basal dash of forewing is narrow and linear, short or sometimes strongly reduced, almost absent; the tornal streak of forewing line-like, mostly located between the medial and postmedial lines but often continuing between the antemedial and medial lines with a broken, sometimes reduced black line; the basal dash and tornal streak sometimes fused; the hindwing apically more elongate; in males, the 8 th abdominal segments ( Figs 5 , 12, 13 ) bearing long hairs that tend to stay attached during the dissection and in situ more conspicuous. In the female, the 7 th abdominal segments ( Figs 1 , 17, 18 ) also bearing some stronger, but easily removable hairs.

In the male clasping apparatus ( Figs 9–11 ), P. omihsiensis can be distinguished from the superficially similar species by the serrated ventral edge of costa with the claw-like sclerotized extension; asymmetrical clavus; additional sclerotized, rod-like section between the vinculum and tegumen; and the 4–6 strong, long, spike-like cornuti on the outer edge of peniculus.

The female genitalia of this species ( Figs 14–16 ) can be distinguished from those of the externally similar species by the extremely wide and sclerotized ductus bursae and its wide, heavily sclerotized, shield-like extension at the antrum.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1–5 ). Wingspan 27–29 mm (males), 27–30 mm (females). Head wide, covered with greyish-brownish and whitish scales; frons smooth; eye moderate in size, naked; the 2 nd segment of labial palp laterally flattened, covered with white scales, dorsally with blackish-brownish patch; the 3 rd segment of labial palp about three-fourths length of 2 nd, covered with white scales and patchy brownish scales, dorsally with a blackish-brownish patch; antennae in both sexes filiform, in male basally slightly expanded, both covered with whitish scales and black stripes in the basal part. Thorax, patagia and tegulae greyish-brownish with whitish scales. Forewing elongated, ground colour greyish-brownish with several indistinct whitish patches, in males more or less evenly narrow, apically more rounded, in females wider with small depression in the middle section and apically less rounded; basal line rather indistinct, hardly visible; antemedial line double, rather indistinct, filled with white in the middle and tornal parts; medial line indistinct, double, filled with brown, inner line very thin black line between the costa and reniform spot, at the junction with tornal streak a short blackish line, at the inner edge rather brownish patch, outer line absent except at the costal area; postmedial line indistinct, double, filled with white, inner line forming teeth-like patches above the tornal streak and widely opened “V” below the tornal streak, outer line finely crenulated, blackish; subterminal line rather indistinct or wavy whitish line; terminal line whitish with small, short black lines on the veins; basal field slightly darker, greyish or brownish than the ground colour; medial field whitish; subterminal field brownish with indistinct whitish patches; terminal field indistinct, brownish; basal dash and tornal streak reduced, sometimes indistinct, very thin black line, sometimes fused; tornal streak sometimes absent in the inner part of medial field or finely broken line; cilia greyish-brownish patches with whitish patches at the veins, divided by a whitish line from the apex towards the tornal angle. Hindwing in both sexes apically elongated, fully brown; discal spot and postdiscal line pale or absent; marginal band indistinct; cilia long with continuous light brownish inner line with some brown lunules and rather whitish-brownish outer part. Abdomen greyish-brownish, without crests; in males ( Figs 12, 13 ), with a bunch of longer, partly easily removable hairs on the 8 th abdominal segments; in females ( Fig. 17 ), with bunch of short, partly easily removable hairs on the 7 th abdominal segments.

Male genitalia ( Figs 9–11 ). Uncus short, dorsoventrally flattened, apically rounded, covered with fine, long, weak hairs. Scaphium membranous; subscaphium absent. Tegumen developed, sclerotized; peniculus rather wide, covered with moderately strong, spine-like setae arranged into a patch, middle section with a small, sclerotized prominence covered with 4–6 strong, long, spike-like cornuti. Vinculum rather narrow, evenly wide, dorsally abruptly narrowing, rod-like, connected with the tegumen by short membranous section; an additional, basally wide, then evenly narrowing sclerotized, rod-like section can be found between the tegumen and the vinculum. Saccus short, wide, “U”-shaped, apically rounded. Juxta semi-circular, ventrally with a stronger, sclerotized arch, dorsally with a membranous arch. Transtilla rod-like, moderately sclerotized, long, fused with the sclerotized sclerite in the middle part of valva, connected with juxta via membranous part. Valvae long, basally wide, evenly narrowing up to two-third then widening before the narrowing tip of valva, apically pointed with a moderately sclerotized, long medial sclerite; sacculus wide, sclerotized with a smaller, more sclerotized patch at the base of harpe and the ventral part below the harpe, covered with long, weak hairs on the inner surface, ventral margin slightly wavy; clavus prominent, asymmetrical, inner part abruptly protruded with rounded edge, one is short, rather quadrangular, other is larger, rather elongated; harpe long, strongly curved, basally wide, apically more and more sclerotized, apically slightly widening or ended with pointed tip; costa wide, sclerotized, ventral margin weakly sclerotized, in middle part with short, claw-like sclerotized extension, apically ventral margin strongly serrated. Aedeagus sclerotized, laterally curved and distally finely tapering, dorsoventrally abruptly narrowed next to coecum; carina field indistinct, long, bar-like sclerotized patch. Vesica tubular, weakly sclerotized, basally abruptly curved, basal diverticulum long, evenly narrowing, weakly sclerotized, distal part covered around with numerous spinulose structures.

Male 7 th and 8 th abdominal segments ( Fig. 12 ). 7 th sternite quadrangular, slightly trapezoidal, about three times wider than long with a narrow, slightly stronger part distally without “window”; proximal edge shallowly “W”-shaped, slightly stronger rods; lateral sides slightly curved to the base of distal edge; distal edge slightly convex. 7 th tergite quad- rangular, one and a half times as wide as long with an interrupted, semi-circular, slightly stronger part distally and a bellshaped, distally wider “window”; proximal edge straight with two curved, slightly stronger rods; lateral slides convex, highest at the middle section; distal edge straight. 8 th sternite more or less quadrangular, about two and a half times wider than long, the sclerotization “U”-shaped, laterally moderately sclerotized, distally with a stronger sclerotized bar; “window” proximally widening “U”-shaped; proximal edge slightly curved to the middle, slightly stronger, laterally wider, rod-like, connected with the more sclerotized, dorsal slightly curved rods between the proximal edges of 8 th sternite and tergite; lateral sides curved, at the distal edge abruptly protruded; distal edge strongly curved, indented in the middle, laterally surrounded with the membranous intersegment, connected with long, distally widening hairs. 8 th tergite trapezoidal, wider than long, proximally with wedge-shaped sclerotized part and a proximally reversed “V”-shaped, distally strongly wide, softly, evenly sclerotized “window”; proximal edge slightly curved, stripe-like; lateral sides curved; distal edge slightly curved, indented in the middle, weakly sclerotized.

Female genitalia ( Figs 14–16 ). Ovipositor more or less wider than long, tapering posteriorly, strongly sclerotized; papillae anales weakly sclerotized, oval, densely hairy; apophyses anteriores short, moderately sclerotized, spike-like, much shorter than apophyses posteriores; apophyses posteriores long, moderately sclerotized. Antrum relatively wide, strongly sclerotized with a curved, shield-like section; ductus bursae rather wide, strongly sclerotized, without clear distinction from corpus bursae. Corpus bursae tube-like with a strongly sclerotized, slightly ribbed distal part fused with the very short appendix bursae; middle section with strong, left-handed curve; proximally slightly sclerotized, rather membranous, bulb-like.

Female 7 th abdominal segments ( Figs 17, 18 ). 7 th sternite trapezoidal, much longer than wide, distally with a moderately stronger, semi-circular band laterally covered with moderately strong hairs; proximal edge straight; lateral sides straight or slightly concave; distal edge slightly concave. 7 th tergite quadrangular, about one and a half times wider than long with a semi-circular, slightly stronger part distally with a “V”-shaped “window” and laterally covered with moderately strong hairs; proximal edge more or less straight or slightly concave; lateral sides convex; distal edge slightly concave. The membranous intersegment between the sternite and tergite rather narrow, bearing dense, soft, short hairs.

Distribution. The species is known only from Central China (Prov. Hubei, Prov. Sichuan), Southeast China (Prov. Guangdong, Prov. Fujian, Prov. Zhejiang) and Northern Laos (Prov. Luang Prabang).

Note. Pseudacronicta omihsiensis shows some variability both externally and genitalically. In male genitalia, the three figured specimens have subtle differences in the shape of harpe, the shape of valvae and the fine structure of the claw-like sclerotized extension of costa. In female genitalia, specimen from Laos shows subtle differences in the proportion of the ductus and corpus bursae relative to the two Chinese specimens.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Pseudacronicta omihsiensis and Acronicta spp. adults. 1. P. omihsiensis, LT, female, China, Prov. Sichuan, Omisien, slide No.: KA2093f (coll. MTB); 2. P. omihsiensis, PT of curiosa, female, China, Prov. Zhejiang, Wenchow, slide No.: ZFMK-Nr. 1694 (coll. ZFMK); 3. P. omihsiensis, HT of curiosa, male, China, Prov. Fujian, Kuatun, slide No.: ZFMK-Nr. 1693 (coll. ZFMK); 4. P. omihsiensis, male, China, Prov. Hubei, Wudang-shan Mts, slide No.: KA806m (coll. HNHM); 5. P. omihsiensis, male, China, Prov. Hubei, Wudang-shan Mts (coll. GR); 6. A. jozana, male, Russia, Primorsky Krai, slide No.: KA1053m (coll. HNHM); 7. A. pulverosa, male, China, Prov. Shaanxi, slide No.: KA1691m (coll. HNHM); 8. A. pruinosa, male, Myanmar, Chin Hills, slide No.: KA2065m (coll. MfN).

FIGURES 9–13. Pseudacronicta omihsiensis male genitalia and abdomen. 9. P. omihsiensis, HT of curiosa, male genitalia, China, Prov. Fujian, Kuatun, slide No.: ZFMK-Nr. 1693 (coll. ZFMK); 10. P. omihsiensis, male genitalia, China, Prov. Hubei, Wudang-shan Mts, slide No.: KA806m (coll. HNHM); 11. P. omihsiensis, male genitalia, China, Prov. Prov. Hubei, slide No.: HHL-4006-1 (coll. NEFU); 12. P. omihsiensis, male 7th and 8th abdominal segments (left side sternite, right side tergite), China, Prov. Hubei, Wudang-shan Mts, slide No.: KA806m (coll. HNHM); 13. P. omihsiensis, distal part of male abdomen (upper lateral view, lower ventral view), China, Prov. Hubei, Wudang-shan Mts (coll. GR).

FIGURES 14–18. Pseudacronicta omihsiensis female genitalia and abdomen. 14. P. omihsiensis, LT, female genitalia, China, Prov. Sichuan, Omisien, slide No.: KA2093f (coll. MTB); 15. P. omihsiensis, PT of curiosa, female genitalia, China, Prov. Zhejiang, Wenchow, slide No.: ZFMK-Nr. 1694 (coll. ZFMK); 16. P. omihsiensis, female genitalia, Laos, Prov. Luang Prabang, slide No.: RL10899f (coll. LP); 17. P. omihsiensis, LT, female 7th abdominal segments (left side tergite, right side sternite), China, Prov. Sichuan, Omisien, slide No.: KA2093f (coll. MTB); 18. P. omihsiensis, female 7th abdominal segments (left side tergite, right side sternite), Laos, Prov. Luang Prabang, slide No.: RL10899f (coll. LP).