Kitanola eleganta, Wu & Solovyev & Han, 2022

Wu, Jun, Solovyev, Alexey V. & Han, Hui-Lin, 2022, Four new species and two newly recorded species of Limacodidae (Lepidoptera, Zygaenoidea) from China, ZooKeys 1123, pp. 205-219 : 205

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1123.77217
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C890909D-0AD5-4E5C-ADB4-1129BBECE4FF
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E5445A39-A21F-41D5-89AD-F0778EE5D949
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:E5445A39-A21F-41D5-89AD-F0778EE5D949
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Kitanola eleganta
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Kitanola eleganta sp. nov.

Figs 4 View Figures 1–6 , 18 View Figures 15–20

Material examined.

Holotype. ♂, China, Xizang Autonomous Region, Linzhi (= Nyingchi) City , Motuo (= Medog) County , Gedang Countryside , 25-30.V.2021, J. Wu and JJ. Fan legs (NEFU) . Paratypes. 2♂, China, same data as for holotype, genit. prep. WuJ-500-1, WuJ-501-1 (NEFU) .

Diagnosis.

The new species (Fig. 4 View Figures 1–6 ) is somewhat similar in appearance to K. shilinensis sp. nov. (Fig. 1 View Figures 1–6 ), K. spina (Fig. 2 View Figures 1–6 ), and K. spinula (Fig. 3 View Figures 1–6 ), but it can be distinguished from these by the ground colour of the forewing and thorax, which is white; the forewing with a large patch, which is composed of brown and dark brown; the hindwing is white; and the abdomen is brown alternating with white. In contrast, in the three similar species, the ground colour of the forewing and thorax is yellowish white; the forewing has a broad, dark yellowish-brown band; the hindwings are greyish brown to brown; and the abdomen is brown to dark brown.

It can be also separated from these three species by the following male genitalia characters. In K. eleganta sp. nov. (Fig. 18 View Figures 15–20 ), the uncus is acute apically; the transtilla is lacking; the valva bears a conspicuous triangular basal spine on costa and a strongly sclerotized, eagle-claw-shaped process near middle of sacculus; the aedeagus is short, has an apically bifid, long spur. However, in K. shilinensis sp. nov. (Fig. 15 View Figures 15–20 ), K. spina (Fig. 16 View Figures 15–20 ), and K. spinula (Fig. 17 View Figures 15–20 ), the uncus is broad; the transtilla is present (in K. spina the serrated transtilla is lacking a thick finger-shaped lateral process is present); the aedeagus is slender, with the various numbers of apical spines or spinules.

Kitanola eleganta sp. nov. differs markedly in appearance from K. linea Wu & Fang, 2008 (Fig. 5 View Figures 1–6 ) and K. uncula (Staudinger, 1887) (Fig. 6 View Figures 1–6 ) mainly in that the new species has a white ground colour and lacks a small black spot near the apex of the forewing, whereas the latter two are greyish white to ochreous in ground colour and usually have a small black spot near the apex. However, in the male genitalia, the new species has more similar to K. linea (Fig. 19 View Figures 15–20 ) and K. uncula (Fig. 20 View Figures 15–20 ), but it can be distinguished by the following characters: in K. eleganta sp. nov., the uncus is small, the sacculus bears an eagle-claw-shaped process, and the aedeagus is short, with a long bifid spur terminally; in K. linea and K. uncula , the uncus is large, the process located in the sacculus is straight, and the aedeagus is sinuous and with a large apical spine.

Description.

Adult (Fig. 4 View Figures 1–6 ). Forewing length 9.0-9.5 mm, wingspan 18-20 mm. Head white; labial palpus up-curved, brown; antennae filiform, brown. Thorax white. Forewing ground colour white, covered with sparse dark brown scales; smoothly curved subterminal line runs from the costal margin near apex to tornus, terminal area crescent-like, white, tinted slightly brown; inner margin area white; rest mainly with large irregular brown and dark brown patches; fringe white to dark brown. Hindwing ground colour white with M-area tinted pale brown. Abdomen brown alternating with white, terminal white.

Male genitalia (Fig. 18 View Figures 15–20 ). Uncus and gnathos slender, pointed apically. Basal half of valva without setae, whereas upper half densely covered with setae; valva with a conspicuous triangular spine on the base of costa and a strongly sclerotized, eagle-claw-shaped process near middle of sacculus, with six or seven strongly sclerotized, slightly curved spines on the outer margin; cucullus narrow and rounded; sacculus slightly sclerotized at base; sacculus process not obvious, showing as a hairy rounded papula. Juxta flattened, nearly square. Saccus conspicuous, broadly tongue-shaped. Aedeagus short, caecum large, tapering towards apex; terminal part with a strongly sclerotized, bifid apically spur that almost same length as aedeagus.

Female. Unknown.

Bionomics.

The specimens were collected in May at an altitude of 2,120 m a.s.l., near a subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest, with massive shrubs, ferns, and patches of grassland growing as the ground cover layer in the forest (Fig. 31 View Figures 30–33 ).

Distribution

(Fig. 29 View Figure 29 ). China (Xizang).

Etymology.

The species name, a noun in apposition, is derived from the Latin noun “elegans”, alluding to the fine, perfect, elegant wing features.