Gandhara emgai Volynkin & Černý, 2023

Volynkin, Anton V., Černý, Karel, Huang, Si-Yao & Hu, Hua-Lin, 2023, Taxonomic review of the Oriental genus Gandhara Moore with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Zootaxa 5374 (3), pp. 390-408 : 395

Gandhara emgai Volynkin & Černý , sp. n.

( Figs 9, 10 , 30–32 , 41 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 9 , 30 ): male, “N-Vietnam [Hòa Bình Province] 1400m | Mai-chau, Urwald [jungle] | 40km SE Moc-chau | 20.50’N 104.50’E [20°50’N 104°50’E] | 07.–15.IV.1995 leg. | Sinjaev [recte: Sinyaev] & EinhSamml [einheimische Sammler = native collectors] | Museum Witt” / “Slide | ZSM Arct. | 2019-1087♁ | A. Volynkin ” (MWM/ ZSM).

Paratypes. VIETNAM: 23 males, 8 females, same data as holotype, gen. prep. Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2019-1125 (male), ZSM Arct. 2019-1114 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) (MWM/ ZSM) ; LAOS: 1 female, Luang Prabang Prov., Pak Gaeng Noi, 1200m, 19°27.364’N 102°25.19’E, V .2014, Thomas Ihle leg. ( CKC); THAILAND: 3 males, 3 females, Chiang Mai Prov., Chae Son NP, 1496m, 18°51’22’’N 91°22’03’’E, 9. VI .2005, K. Černý leg., gen. prep. No.: AV7374 (male) ( CKC) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 14.0–14.5 mm in males and 15.5–16.0 mm in females. The male genital capsule of G. emgai sp. n. is indistinguishable from G. interrogativa sp. n. and differs from G. typica sp. n. and G. clava sp. n. in the smoother surface of the lobes of the anellus, which are more heavily serrulate in the aforementioned congeners. The vesica configuration of G. emgai sp. n. is reminiscent of G. clava sp. n. but the latter has a narrower twisted distal dilated section and a smaller subbasal diverticulum. The female genitalia of G. emgai sp. n. differ from G. clava sp. n. in the markedly shorter and anteriorly broader posterior gelatinous section of the corpus bursae, the smaller and elliptical signum (it is round in the congener), and the considerably longer and broader appendix bursae. The detailed comparison with another similar species, G. interrogativa sp. n. is provided below in the diagnosis of the latter.

Distribution. Northern Vietnam (Hòa Bình Province), northern Laos (Luang Prabang Province), and northern Thailand (Chiang Mai Province) ( Černý & Pinratana 2009, partim.).

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Vietnamese ‘em gái’ meaning ‘sister’ and refers to the close similarity to G. interrogativa sp. n. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition to the generic name.

Figures

FIGURES 9–16. Gandhara spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 9–14, 16 in MWM/ZSM; 15 in MfN.

FIGURES 28–30. Gandhara spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 28 and 30 in MWM/ZSM; 29 in CKC.

FIGURES 31–34. Gandhara spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 31 in CKC; 32 and 33 in MWM/ ZSM; 34 in CHSY.

FIGURES 39–42. Gandhara spp.: female genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in MWM/ZSM.