Micardia minuta Chen & Xue

Chen, Fuqiang & Xue, Dayong, 2012, A review of Micardia Butler, 1878 from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Eustrotiinae, Zootaxa 3417, pp. 45-52 : 49

Micardia minuta Chen & Xue , sp. nov.

Figs. 7 , 14

Description. Head. Frons fuscous; antennae yellowish brown. Thorax. Dorsally, laterally and legs yellow. Forewing length 13mm. Wing pattern. Costa fuscous, a pink longitudinal stripe between costa and vein Sc, yellow scales, then fuscous, present below that stripe; a strong stick-like white stripe at terminal 3/5 of ventral margin of cell; discocellular fascia fuscous, crescentic; a white oblique line from base to apex, section from discocellular to apex obviously wider than other section, covered with pink scales at lower angle of cell and base; submarginal area yellowish brown; a pale yellow longitudinal band along inner margin; fringes yellowish brown. Hindwing. Ground color yellow mixed with fuscous scales; both discocellular spot and postmedial line indistinct; terminal line a series of dark grayish brown spots between veins; fringes yellow. Abdomen. Yellow. Male genitalia. Uncus slender and elongate, curved ventrally; broadened basally; terminal half with dense long setae dorsally; tip sharply pointed. Tegumen trapezoidal, peniculus densely covered with long setae; vinculum almost as long as tegumen; saccus small, projecting dorsally. Juxta pyriform. Valva asymmetric; transtilla plate-like, extending towards uncus; left valva basally wide, constricting towards apex, costa well developed, strongly sclerotized, harpe finger-like at middle of costa, sacculus well developed, with finger-like process at basal third; right valva wide basally, terminal part expanded to auriform, then strongly constricted. Aedeagus sclerotized ventrally; ductus ejaculatorius arising from middle of aedeagus. Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis. The species is closely related to M. pulcherrima and M. pallens sp. nov. On the forewing of M. pulcherrima and M. minuta sp. nov, a pink longitudinal stripe is present between costa and vein Sc, while a pale orange stripe is present in M. pallens . The forewing of M. minuta has the white stripe at ventral margin of cell more pronounced than in the other species. In the male genitalia, the species is very close to M. pallens , but differs by tip of uncus without the additional acute hook as in M. pallens , and a finger-like process is present on the sacculus rather than a tuberculiform process as in M. pallens . Additionally, the finger-like harpe is more slender than that in M. pallens .

Material Examined. Holotype, 3 (Slide No.: Noct-00274), CHINA, Yunnan: Yongsheng, Liude, 2250m, 7.VII.1984, coll. Liu Dajun ( IZCAS).

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin " minut ", corresponding to the smaller size of the adult compared with other species of the genus.

Remarks. The holotype is partly destroyed. However, the external characters are obviously distinguishable from other species of the genus by the longer and stronger white stripe on ventral margin of cell of the forewing.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Adults. 1 – 3. Micardia pulcherrima. 1, male, holotype (BMNH); 2, male (Gyirong, Tibet); 3, male (Cona, Tibet). 4 – 5. M. pallens sp. nov. 4, male, holotype; 5, female, paratype. 6, M. distincta sp. nov., male, holotype. 7, M. minuta sp. nov., male, holotype. 8, M. munda, male, holotype (BMNH). 9, M. argentata, male, holotype (BMNH). Scales: 1 cm.

FIGURES 10 – 18. Genitalia and sternite. 10 – 14. male genitalia. 10, Micardia pulcherrima (Noct- 00275); 11, M. pulcherrima (Noct- 00273); 12, M. pallens sp. nov. (Noct- 00271); 13, M. distincta sp. nov. (Noct- 00272); 14, M. minuta sp. nov. (Noct- 00274). 15 – 16. female genitalia. 15, M. pallens sp. nov. (Noct- 00277); 16, M. munda (Noct- 00276). 17 – 18. eighth abdominal sternite of female. 17, M. pallens sp. nov. (Noct- 00277); 18, M. munda (Noct- 00276). Scales: 1 mm.