Anepholcia rosahoferae Behounek & Kononenko, 2012

Behounek, G. & Kononenko, V. S., 2012, A new species of Anepholcia Prout, 1922 from Nepal: postscript to the revision of Pantheinae, Contribution IV (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3445 (1), pp. 59-62 : 59-62

Anepholcia rosahoferae Behounek & Kononenko , sp. n.

( Figs. 1–3, 7–21 )

Type material. Holotype: male labelled “ Nepal Himal. Paon [Poon] Hill , 2700 m, 15.vii.1995, leg. Afonin, genitalia slide 8070, collection G. Behounek (Grafing, near Munich, Germany) . Paratypes: 1 male with same data, genitalia slide 8067, collection G. Behounek ,); 13 males with same data, collection of Franz Hofer, ( Baden near Vienna, Austria)

Diagnosis. The new species belongs to the same group with A. pygaria (Warren, 1912) and A. brechlini Behounek & Kononenko 2011 . Externally it differs from A. pygaria ( Figs. 4–6 , 22 ) by somewhat smaller size, more acute forewing, duller colouration of forewing with expressed bronze tint, less expressed subtornal dash, more strongly expressed, almost fused brown orbicular and reniform, stronger antemedial, submedial and subterminal lines, less expressed terminal row of semilunar dashes on forewing and darker and wider terminal band on hindwing with reduced yellow subterminal and anal patches and thin yellow terminal line. Four male specimens of the type series have white suffusion between medial and subterminal area similarly to the female of A. pygaria . In the male genitalia it differs from A. pygaria and other congeners by shorter uncus, more elongated and narrower valva, constricted apically and by short tooth-like apical extension of the sacculus. Aedeagus similar to A. pygaria , but straight, longer, carina apically with small spines, vesica larger, with large dorsal diverticuli. The new species is allopatric with all known species of Anepholcia .

Description. Adult ( Figs. 1–3, 7–20 ). Wingspan: male 52–54 mm. Head white, patagia pale ochre-brown, tegulae ochre-brown, bordered with white; thorax and abdomen reddish-brown, abdominal crest presents. Antennae of male bipectinate, with moderate pectinations to beyond middle, shortening gradually to serrations, filiform in apical third. Forewing with oblique outer margin, glossy, ground colour dark brown with ochre-reddish and with bronze shining, darker in basal and subbasal fields, suffused with whitish scales; basal line marked by white streak on costal margin, outlined dark brown subcostal streak; subbasal line as two brown spots in subcostal area; antemedial line sharply angled outward on M, slightly curved inward and angled outward on A; orbicular pale, surrounded by dark brown, fused with reniform; reniform outlined by brown, claviform often present as dark diffused spot; medial shadow indistinct, diffused; postmedial line distinct, twin, in dark form, waved, veins behind postmedial lines suffused with blackish in dark form; tornal mark white, well expressed, outlined by black spot; white suffusion presents behind reniform in costal area, in white form it strong, similar to female of A. pygaria ; subterminal line strong, distinct, dentate, subterminal and terminal areas magenta-reddish brown; terminal line thin, whitish, diffused, less dentate and less expressed than in A. pygaria , forming row of indistinct semilunar marks along termen; fringes blackish-brown, paler opposite veins. Hindwing brightyellow, with broad terminal band (broader than in A. pygaria ); terminal line thin, yellowish, indistinct, extending along wing and forming yellow mark in anal angle, smaller than in A. pygaria ; terminal band darker in anal angle; fringes dark brown-grey, pale opposite veins. Underside of fore and hingwings yellow along dorsal part of wings, intensive brown with suffusion of white scales in costal part of wings; reniform area marked by yellow; medial lines distinct, as diffused dark-brown lines; vein suffused with dark brown, marked on costal margin by white; fringes brown, yellowish-white opposite veins

Variation. The species is represented by two wing pattern forms. More typical form is dark with little white suffusion distally from reniform ( Figs. 1, 2, 7–16 ) Four specimens of the type series ( Figs. 17–20 ) show pale form with intensive white suffusion on forewing outward of reniform and medial shadow, resembling females of A. pygaria ( Fig. 6 ). The male genitalia of both forms are identical.

Genitalia ( Fig. 21 ). Male. Uncus shorter and broader than in A. pygaria ( Fig. 22 ), spatulate, somewhat extended subapically, with rounded apex; tegumen with very wide lobes bearing short tooth-like lateral extensions, shorter than vinculum; juxta triangular, huge, shield-like, with small central bar; valva with parallel margins on half of length, from tip of sacculus constricted apically, longer and more extended than in A. pygaria ; costa and ventral margin of valva heavily sclerotised, cucullus apically rounded, covered with strong setae, covering about half of costa; central part of valva with large sclerotised plate extending from costa and large editum; sacculus rather broad, clavus not expressed, clasper with strong short tooth-extension, shorter than in other species of Anepholcia ; vinculum V-like. Aedeagus straight, rather long, strong, carina with numerous short spines apically; vesica projecting dorsally, significantly extended medially, with two pouch-like subbasal diverticula larger than in A. pygaria and with large and broad subapical diverticulum. Female: unknown.

Distribution. The species is known only from the type-locality in Central Nepal, far away from known localities of A. pygaria in Northern Thailand and Myanmar. The species inhabits mid mountain belt at elevation 2700 m, flight period – July.

Etymology. The new species is named in honor of Ms. Rosa Hofer, the wife of the enthusiastic Austrian Lepidoptera collector Franz Hofer, who presented us the material for the description.

Figures

FIGURES 1–20. Anepholcia spp., imagines. 1. A rosahoferae sp. n., HT male, Nepal, genit. prep. 8070GB; 2. Ditto, PT, underside; 3. Ditto, PT, male, white form, genit. prep. 8067GB; 4. A. pygaria, male, Vietnam; 5, 6—A. pygaria 5—male, 6—female; 7–20. Type series of A. rosahoferae sp. n. (7— holotype, 8–20—paratypes; 7–16—dark form; 17–20—pale form)

FIGURES 21–22. Anepholcia spp., male genitalia. 21—A rosahoferae sp. n., HT, Nepal, genit. prep. 8070GB; 22—A. pygaria, Vietnam, genit. prep. 7923GB.