Alena alena, Gyulai & Saldaitis & Zilli, 2019

Gyulai, Peter, Saldaitis, Aidas & Zilli, Alberto, 2019, A new genus and species of Apameini (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Sichuan (China), Zootaxa 4545 (4), pp. 593-600 : 595-599

Alena alena sp. n.

( Figs 1–4 , 9, 10 , 14, 15 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 , 9 ): male, China, W Sichuan, Shaluli Shan, 40 km NW from Daocheng , 4060 m, N29°17.401′, E100°05.068′, 16–17.IX.2017, leg. Saldaitis, slide no. PGY4894, coll. PGM, later to be deposited in the HNHM.

Paratypes ( Figs 2–4 , 10, 13 , 14 ): 4 males and 9 females, same data as in the holotype, slide nos. PGY 4930m, PGY4899f (colls ASV, AFM & PGM / HNHM) ; 1 female, China, W-Sichuan, W. Bamei Mts. , 3750m, 10.VIII.2005, leg. S. Murzin, slide no. AZ1854f (coll. PGM / HNHM) .

Diagnosis. As noted above under the generic description, all superficially similar species to Alena alena sp. n. are unrelated and can be promptly differentiated by their structural features ( Figs 11–13 , 16–18 ). In addition, Metopiora sanguinata (T.P. Lucas, 1893) also shows a pink band longitudinally crossing the forewing all through the middle ( Fig. 8 ), which does not occur in the new species.

Description ( Figs 1–4 ). Wingspan 27–31 mm (holotypus 28 mm), length of forewing 13–15 mm (N = 14). Head and thorax whitish-pale straw-coloured, irregularly suffused with pink, particularly on legs; labial palpus pale brown-tipped, antenna pale ochre. Forewing with feebly acute apex, ground colour straw, with pink suffusion all along costal, anal and terminal edges, narrowest along the latter; fringe pink; hindwing straw-coloured also, with feeble brown irroration on disc and along veins, and fringe varying from straw to whitish-pale pink. Wing undersides patternless, with extensive dark grey suffusion on forewing.

Male genitalia ( Figs 9, 10 ). Overall configuration as in generic diagnosis. Tegumen dome-shaped, vinculum Vshaped with voluminous, broadly rounded saccus; valva of approximately uniform width, with distinctly concave costa, sacculus broad and elongated, clavus indistinct, costal plate broad, strongly sclerotized; clasper as in generic diagnosis; cucullus evenly rounded, its setae dense and long. Uncus as in generic description. Juxta rhomboid, slightly bilobed superiorly and irregularly sclerotised inferiorly. Aedeagus slightly reclinate at middle, broadly rounded distally on right side, where few minute carinal spines are present, vesica sub-quadrate, terminal cornuti field arranged into a narrow stripe.

Female genitalia ( Figs 14, 15 ). Segment A8 well sclerotised, truncate cone-shaped and relatively short, firmly linked with posterior section of ductus bursae, apophyses anteriores relatively long and robust, ductus bursae of uniform width, conspicuously ridged, with posterior edge representing anterior lip of ostium bursae, joining with corpus bursae ventrally on posterior third, corpus bursae broadly ellipsoid, appendix bursae rugose. Intersegmental membrane A8–A9 short. Papillae anales typical for " Apameina ", broad and flat, shortly setose, albeit without distinct midventral rods, apophyses posteriores longer than anteriores, slightly thinner and with feebly arcuate tips.

Variability. Variation has so far been observed in the degrees of extension of pink suffusion along costal edge of forewing, dark irroration on hindwing, development of distal process of clasper, length of uncus and relative dimensions of female genitalic structures.

Biology and distribution. Series of males and females were all collected at light in August-September in remote parts of West Sichuan chinese province near Daocheng and Ba-Mei mountains of the Shaluli Shan range ( Fig. 19 ). The new species was collected at altitudes ranging from 3,700 to 4,100 m in mixed forests dominated by various conifer trees and shrubs such as Rhododendron spp. All individuals have been attracted before midnight, with ambient temperature between 3–5°C. Presence of at least two spermatophores in each of the dissected females shows that they mated more than once.

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of Alena Kazakevich (Lida, Belarus), for her deep understanding and support of the entomological activities of the second author. The name is a feminine noun in apposition.

Remarks. A correct systematic placement of Alena alena gen. n., sp. n. will only be achieved following a thorough reassessment of the concepts for Apameina and Sesamiina . In fact, its lyriform ovipositor appears to be typical for Apameina , although the absence of evident midventral rods between its lobes is a shared similarity with Sesamiina , which have a sharply pointed conical ovipositor. Other similarities between A. alena and most sesamiine groups are the rough, somewhat puffy thoracic vestiture concealing the boundaries between the patagium, tegulae and notum, the absence of notal crests, the broad costa of the valva distally dilated into a plate, and the cucullus without a neck or corona (cf. Moyal & Le Rü, 2005; Moyal et al., 2011a, 2011b; Le Rü et al., 2015).

Figures

FIGURE 19. Biotope in western Sichuan where Alena alena sp. n. was collected: Shaluli Shan, 40 km NW from Daocheng, 29°17.401’N 100°05.068E, 4060 m (photo by A. Saldaitis).

FIGURES 1–8. Adults. 1. Alena alena sp. n., ♂ holotypus, China, W Sichuan, PGY4894m (PGM/HNHM); 2. Idem, ♂ paratypus, China, W Sichuan, PGY4930m (ASV); 3. Idem, ♀ paratypus, China, W Sichuan, AZ1854f (PGM/HNHM); 4. Idem, ♀ paratypus, China, W Sichuan, PGY4899f (PGM/HNHM); 5. Heliocheilus cruentata, ♀, China, W Sichuan, AZ1853f (PGM/ HNHM); 6. H. albicilia, ♂, Nepal, Ganesh Himal, AZ1855m (PGM/HNHM); 7. Adisura marginalis, ♂, Nepal, Kangchenjunga reg., AZ1837m (PGM/HNHM); 8. Metopiora sanguinata, ♀, Australia, Queensland, Taylor Range, NHMUK010896424 (NHMUK).

FIGURES 9–13. Male genitalia. 9. Alena alena sp. n., holotypus, W Sichuan, PGY4894m (PGM/HNHM); 10. Idem, ♂ paratypus, China, W Sichuan, PGY4930m (NHMUK); 11. Heliocheilus albicilia, Nepal, Ganesh Himal, AZ1855m (PGM/ HNHM); 12. Adisura marginalis, Nepal, Kangchenjunga reg., AZ1837m (PGM/HNHM); 13. Metopiora sanguinata, Australia, Queensland, BMNH Noct. slide 249 (NHMUK).

FIGURES 14–18. Female genitalia. 14. Alena alena sp. n., paratypus, W Sichuan, AZ1854f (PGM/HNHM); 15. Idem, paratypus, W Sichuan, PGY4899f (PGM/HNHM); 16. Heliocheilus cruentata, China, W Sichuan, AZ1853f (PGM/HNHM); 17. Adisura marginalis, Nepal, Kangchenjunga reg., AZ1838f (PGM/HNHM); 18. Metopiora sanguinata, Australia, Queensland, BMNH Noct. slide 250 (NHMUK).