Micardia pallens Chen & Xue

Chen, Fuqiang & Xue, Dayong, 2012, A review of Micardia Butler, 1878 from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Eustrotiinae, Zootaxa 3417, pp. 45-52 : 47-48

Micardia pallens Chen & Xue , sp. nov.

Figs. 4, 5 , 12, 15, 17

Description. Head. Frons fuscous, centrally yellowish brown; labial palpi upturned, fuscous on outer side, pale yellowish brown on inner side, slightly longer than diameter of eyes, second segment covered with long scales ventrally; antennae yellowish brown. Thorax. Yellow dorsally. Legs yellow except fuscous tarsi and spurs. Forewing length 14–16mm. Wing pattern. Base fuscous; costa yellowish brown, a pale orange longitudinal stripe between costa and vein Sc; a stick-like white stripe on terminal 2/5 of ventral margin of cell, discocellular fascia fuscous; a white oblique line arising below apex to middle of inner margin, terminal 1/4 crescentic; a pale yellow band along inner margin, divided into two parts by the crescent line, white above that band; outer area of the oblique white line pale orange, mixed with dark grayish brown between M2 and CuA2, three pale orange longitudinal stripes and a wider white stripe between them; terminal line a series of dark grayish brown spots between veins; fringes pale yellowish brown, but dark grayish brown at apex, anal angle and between M2 and M3; underside fuscous, costal area yellow, apex and anal angle pale yellow. Hindwing. Ground color fuscous; discocellular spot and postmedial line slightly darker than ground color; terminal line a series of dark grayish brown spots between veins; fringes fuscous; underside pale yellow mixed fuscous scales, discocellular spot and indistinct postmedial line present. Abdomen. Pale yellow. Male genitalia. Uncus slender and elongate, curved ventrally; basally broadened; apical half with dense long setae dorsally; tip pointed, an additional acute hook present on the tip. Tegumen trapezoidal, peniculus densely covered with long setae; vinculum almost as long as tegumen; saccus small. Juxta pyriform. Valva asymmetric; transtilla plate-like, extending towards uncus; left valva wide basally, constricting towards apex, costa well developed, strongly sclerotized, harpe small, at middle of costa; sacculus well developed; right valva wide basally, terminal part expanded to auriform, then strongly constricted, a harpe at middle of costa, slightly larger than the left one. Aedeagus sclerotized ventrally; ductus ejaculatorius arising from middle of aedeagus. Female genitalia. The eighth abdominal tergite broad; the eighth abdominal sternite ( Fig. 17 ) consists of two sclerotized plates, two processes densely covered with minute setae present inside on both sides; papillae anales nearly rectangular, densely covered with long setae; apophyses anteriores and posteriores short and strong, anteriores ones about 3/4 as long as posteriores; ostium funnel-like, with sclerotized antrum; ductus bursae tortuose and wrinkled, extremely shorter than the length of corpus bursae; corpus bursae kidney-shaped; ductus seminalis very thin, arising from base of corpus bursae.

Diagnosis. The species is closely allied to M. pulcherrima . On the forewing of M. pallens , a pale orange stripe is present between the costa and vein Sc; a white stripe is present on the terminal 2/5 of ventral margin of cell, while M. pulcherrima has a pink stripe between costa and Sc and a white stripe on the terminal half of ventral margin of cell. In the male genitalia, the new species has the left valva thinner than M. pulcherrima ; the apical part of right valva of M. pallens is expanded to auriform, then strongly constricted. In addition, the harpe on both valva in M. pallens are shorter than that in M. pulcherrima , and the tuberculiform processes on both sacculus are indistinct.

Material Examined. Holotype, 3 (Slide No.: Noct-00271), CHINA, Hubei: Badong, Tiechanghuang, 1.VIII.1981, coll. Li Wei ( IZCAS). Paratype, 1Ƥ (Slide No.: Noct-00277), same data as holotype ( IZCAS).

Distribution. China (Hubei).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the Latin " pallens ", corresponding to the pale orange longitudinal stripe on 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.