Pantheaforma, Behounek, G., Han, H. L. & Kononenko, V. S., 2015

Behounek, G., Han, H. L. & Kononenko, V. S., 2015, Two new genera and one new species of Pantheinae from East Asia (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae: Pantheinae). Revision of Pantheinae, contribution XI, Zootaxa 3914 (3), pp. 331-338 : 332

Pantheaforma gen. n.

Type-species Pantheaforma ihlei sp. n., herewith designated.

Diagnosis. Habitually, by narrow shape of fore wing, short palpi with tiny 3rd segment and wing venation with M2 developed the new genus resembling Panthea Hübner , [1820] 1816 ( Fig. 9 , 13 ), but differs by fully developed proboscis, naked eyes and dark greenish-ochre-brown colouration of forewing. The forewing pattern resembling those in the genus Tambana Moore, 1882 and Ortopla Walker , [1859]; hindwing pattern with wide diffused dark terminal margin medial and discal bands and diffused discal spot is similar to those in many Pantheinae genera (i.e. Panthea , Belciana Walker, 1862 and Ortopla Walker , [1859]. Male genitalia differs from Panthea (type-species P. coenobita ( Fig. 13 ) and Ortopla (type-species O. iarbasalis Walker, [1859] by well-developed uncus (reduced or short, modified in Panthea ), very short valva with strong clasper and large pointed harpe (narrow clasper and usually short harpe in Panthea ; reduced harpe in Ortopla ) and huge aedeagus with long tubular vesica armed with numerous short spines (short tubular vesica with 2 – 3 large spines in Panthea ; short tubular vesica missing cornuti in Ortopla ). The female genitalia confirms the placement of the genus in Pantheinae by structure of ovipositor with wide quadrangular papillae anales and short with wide base apophyses anteriors and posteriors. It differs from other genera by having long, tubular, coiled appendix bursae, which not found in other Pantheinae .

The genus also differs from other known Old World Pantheinae genera by external and genital characters. The systematic position of the new genus is unclear for the moment. By external morphological affinity we place it near Panthea .

Description. Frons convex, somewhat extended, with obtuse frontal protuberance. Palpi short, with tiny 3rd segment ¼ of the length of 2nd, black laterally, with whitish tips of 2nd and 3rd segments. Proboscis short, reduced. Eyes smooth, without hairs. Antennae of male simple, filiform. Head and vertex covered with pale green-ochre scales, bordered with black. Thorax covered with blackish and dark green-ochre scales, tegulae and patagia bordered with black. Underside blackish-grey, pale in basal half of hindwings, with distinct medial and submedial fascia. Legs black with white tip of segments. Abdomen with crest formed by erected scales on segments I – V. Forewing elongate-triangular, with oblique outer margin. M2 on hindwing developed, arising from the mid of cell.

Male genitalia. ( Fig. 11, 12 ). Uncus short, strong, curved in basal third, pointed and slightly hooked at apex; tegument with very broad lobes, equal to vinculum in length; vinculum V-shaped; juxta inverted-triangular in shape, slightly extended basally; valva broad, very short, more or less rectangular shape, slightly narrower apically; sacculus, with small blunt clavus; clasper as elongate sclerotised plate along ventral margin of valve; harpe large, S-shaped, extended valva for half of length, pointed apically; cucullus abrupt, with small pointed extension in apical third. Aedeagus very large, straight; everted vesica tubular, armed with numerous dense short spine-like cornuti.

Female genitalia (Fig. 17). Papillae anales extremely broad, quadrangular sclerotised; apophyses posteriors broad basally, constricted apically apophyses anteriors shorter than posterior ones; thin, with broad base; eight segment moderately broad; ductus bursae relatively long, broader in caudal part sclerotized and, slightly wrinkled in proximal part; corpus bursae membranous, rather large, ovoid, appendix bursae very long tubular, coiled.

Distribution. East Asia (North Thailand, North Myanmar, Southwest China).

Etymology. The generic name Pantheaforma is given by external similarity of the new genus with Panthea .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Pantheinae spp., structure of head (1 – 4), imagines (5 – 10). 1, 5, 6 — Pantheaforma ihlei (5 — male, holotype, Thailand, genitalia prep. 12067 GB; 6 — female, paratype, China, genitalia prep. HHL- 2795 - 2); 2, 7, 8 — Chrisotea zhangi (7 — male, 8 — female, China); 3, 9 — Panthea coenobita (9 — male, Germany); 4, 10 — Trichosea ludifica (10 — male, Germany).

FIGURES 13 – 16. Pantheinae spp., male 14, 15) and female (16 – 18) genitalia. 14 — Panthea coenobita, genitalia prep. (Russia, Sakhalin); 15 — Trichosea ludifica, genitalia prep. 8031 GB (Germany); 16 — Trichosea ludifica, genitalia prep. 8032 GB (Germany); 17 — Pantheaforma ihlei, paratype, China genitalia prep. HHL- 2795 - 2. 18 — Chrisotea zhangi, genitalia prep. WS 12068 (China).

FIGURES 11 – 12. Pantheinae spp., male genitalia. 11 — Pantheaforma ihlei, holotype, genitalia prep. 12067 GB (Thailand); 12 — P. ihlei, paratype, China, genitalia prep. HHL- 2795 - 1; 13 — Chrisotea zhangi, genitalia prep. VSK (China).