Acronicta (Viminia) nigricans ( Leech, 1900 ) Leech, 1900

Volynkin, Anton V., Stüning, Dieter & Matov, Alexej Yu., 2016, On the taxonomy of the genus Acronicta (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). III. Acronicta lutea species group, Zootaxa 4193 (3), pp. 595-599 : 598-599

Acronicta (Viminia) nigricans ( Leech, 1900) , comb. n.

( Figs 8–10 , 21, 22, 26, 27)

Acronycta nigricans Leech, 1900 , Transactions of the Entomological Society of London, 1900: 104 (Type locality: W. China, Wa- Shan).

= Acronicta (Hyboma) regifica Draudt, 1937 , Entomologische Rundschau, 54: 383, pl. 4, fig. 2b (Type locality: China, N Yunnan province, Likiang), syn. n.

Type material examined. syntypes of A. nigricans ( Fig. 8 ): 1 male with abdomen in capsule on a pin under the

specimen, printed whitish label "Washan, 6000 ft., Pratt coll., July 1889 " / handwritten whitish label " Acronycta

nigricans sp. n. Type male" / printed whitish label "Leech Coll. 1900–64 " / printed round white label with red ring

"Type" / white printed label with QR-code "BMNH(E) 1377136"; 1 female, printed whitish label "Washan, 6000 ft., Pratt

coll., July 1889 " / handwritten whitish label " Acronycta nigricans sp. n. Type female" / printed whitish label "Leech Coll.

1900–64 " / printed round white label with red ring "Type" / white printed label with QR-code "NHMUK010604265" (preserved in coll. NHM); syntypes of A. regifica ( Figs 9 , 21): 1 male, [ China] Likiang, ca. 3000 m, Prov. Nord- Yuennan, 10.vi.1935, H. Höne / Acr. regifica Dr. , slide ZFMK-2300- DS Stüning ; 1 female, same data, but 12.vi.1935 ; 1 female, same data, but 6.vi.1935, ca. 2000 m ; 1 female, same data, but 14.vi.1935 (preserved in coll. ZFMK) .

Other material examined: 3 females, Washan, 6000 ft., Pratt coll., July 1889 (Coll. NHM) ; 1 male, [ China] Likiang , ca. 3000 m, Prov. Nord-Yuennan, 16.vi.1934, H. Höne, slide ZFMK-Kononenko 1762 (Coll. ZFMK) ; 1 female, same data, 6.vi.1934, slide ZFMK-2290- DS Stüning ; 1 female, same data, but 29.v.1935, ca. 2000 m (Coll. ZFMK) .

Notes. The syntypes of A. nigricans is externally identical to the syntypes of A. regifica , therefore the new synonymy is introduced. Han & Kononenko (2010) erroneously placed A. nigricans to the subgenus Hylonycta Sugi, 1979 , but its male genitalia have all features of the subgenus Viminia (the manica has numerous teeth, the harpe is not strongly curved, the vesica has strong cornuti and not numerous small teeth as in Hylonycta ), therefore the new combination is established.

Diagnosis. The species has an unmistakable appearance, but the genitalia (Figs 21, 22, 26, 27) are surprisingly close to those of A. lutea ( Figs 17 –20, 25, 28) and differ only by the somewhat longer distal part of valva, the somewhat shorter saccular process, and the stronger medial cornuti in males, and by the larger appendix bursae, absence of sclerotized plate near connection of ductus bursae and corpus bursae, and larger digitus-like dorsal posterior diverticulum of corpus bursae in females.

Distribution. The species is known from southern part of China (Yunnan and Sichuan provinces).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Acronicta spp.: adults. 1, A. lutea, lectotype male, China, Beijing (ZISP); 2, A. lutea, holotype male of leucoptera, Japan, Yokohama (© NHM); 3, A. lutea, male, lectotype of A. metaxantha funesta, China, Hunan (ZFMK); 4, A. lutea, female, Mongolia (ZISP); 5, A. nigricans, male syntype, China, Washan (© NHM); 6, A. nigricans, female syntype, China, Washan (© NHM); 7, A. nigricans, male syntype of A. regifica, China, Yunnan (ZFMK); 8, A. nigricans, female, China, Yunnan (ZFMK).

FIGURES 9 – 14. Acronicta spp.: male genitalia. 9, A. lutea, lectotype, China, Beijing, slide 0409 Matov; 10, A. lutea, Russian Far East, slide ZFMK-Kononenko 1852; 11, A. lutea, lectotype of A. metaxantha funesta, China, Hoengshan, slide ZFMK-Kononenko 1851; 12, A. lutea, Japan, Yokohama, slide NHM Noct. 22096 Volynkin (© NHM); 13, A. nigricans, syntype of A. regifica, China, Likiang, slide ZFMK- 2300 - DS Stüning; 14, A. nigricans, China, Likiang, slide ZFMK-Kononenko 3188.

FIGURES 15 – 19. Acronicta spp.: female genitalia, ventral view (15 – 17) and magnified dorsal view with diagnostic features marked (18, 19). 15, A. lutea, Russia, Altai Mts, slide AV 1547 Volynkin; 16, A. lutea, Japan, Hokkaido, Oiwake, slide NHM Noct. 22097 Volynkin (© NHM); 17, A. nigricans, China, Likiang, slide ZFMK- 2290 - DS Stüning; 18, ditto; 19, A. lutea, slide AV 1547 Volynkin.