Tagoria watsoni ( Hampson, 1900 ) Yakovlev & Zolotuhin, 2021

Yakovlev, Roman V. & Zolotuhin, Vadim V., 2021, Revision of the family Metarbelidae (Lepidoptera) of the Oriental Region. IV. Genus Tagoria Yakovlev & Zolotuhin, gen. nov., Ecologica Montenegrina 43, pp. 38-43 : 39-42

Tagoria watsoni ( Hampson, 1900) comb. nov.

Figs 1−3 , 5−6 , 8

Arbela watsoni Hampson, 1900 , J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 13: 228.

Type material (syntypes) in NHMUK .

Type locality: “Madras” [Chennai].

Material examined. Male (syntype), Madras, Apr. [18]97, Watson Coll. ( NHMUK); 2 males, 1 female, Madras, Apr. [18]97, collection H.J. Elwes ( NHMUK, individual number NHMUK: 012832508, 012832509, 012832511; slides NHMUK: 010315539, 010315542, 010315540 – female) .

Redescription. Male. Length of fore wing 12−13 mm. Fore wing light- brown, with small brown strokes along costal edge; brown portion basally (at base of cubital veins); light creamy strokes more distally, wide brown band in discal area with two bright brown spots at top of discal cell and in cubital zone; poorly expressed brown pattern of strokes postdiscally, submarginally and marginally; thin brown band submarginally. Fringe on fore wing mottled, creamy between veins, brown at veins. Hind wing light-brown with poorly developed pattern of brown strokes; marginal area creamy without pattern. Fringe on hind wing creamy, unicolorous.

Male genitalia. Uncus thin, long, apically slightly extended, with wide semicircular bifurcation, uncus halves thick, diverging to sides; subscaphium dorsally strongly extended, abdominal half narrow, funnel-shaped; gnathos arms short, lamellar; gnathos lamellar, with long thin lateral processes; costal edge of valve practically smooth, outer edge semicircular, saccular edge curved, strongly sclerotized, with small harpe, saccus tiny, juxta lamellar, semicircular; phallus very small, slightly curved on border between basal and medium thirds, equal to 1/3 of valve in length, coecum very extended, vesica aperture in dorso-apical position, about 1/2 of phallus in length, vesica without cornuti.

Female. Length of fore wing 14.5 mm. Wing slightly more extended than that of male. Wing pattern resembles that of male but significantly lighter, all dark elements reduced.

Female genitalia. See the genus description.

Diagnosis. T. watsoni differs from T. dierli in the lighter pattern, more distinctive postdiscal band, wider valve and shorter subscaphium.

Etymology. The species is named after Captain Edward Yerbury Watson (1864−1897), a prominent British entomologist, specialist in Hesperiidae killed in action at Maidan 8th November 1897.

Distribution. SE India (Tamil-Nadu).

Figures

Figure 8. Distributional map of Tagoria.

Figures 1−4. Adult specimens of Tagoria: 1. T. watsoni, male, syntype (NHMUK); 2. T. watsoni, male, Madras (NHMUK); 3. T. watsoni, female, Madras (NHMUK); 4. T. dierli, male, holotype (ZSM).

Figures 5−7. Genitalia of Tagoria: 5. T. watsoni, male, Madras (slide NHMUK: 010315539); 6. T. dierli, male, holotype (slide ZSM-Coss 2016/3); 7. T. watsoni, female, Madras (slide NHMUK: 010315540).