Phlogophora distorta ( Moore, 1881 )

Bandyopadhyay, Uttaran, Dey, Rushati, Bhattacharyya, Kamalika, Mallick, Kaushik, Mazumder, Arna, Gayen, Subrata, Das, Moumita, Raha, Angshuman, Sanyal, Abesh Kumar, Kumar, Vikas, Uniyal, Virendra Prasad & Chandra, Kailash, 2021, Taxonomy and ecology of genus Phlogophora Treitschke, 1825 (Lepidoptera Noctuidae) in Indian Himalaya with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5004 (2), pp. 311-342 : 324-325

Phlogophora distorta ( Moore, 1881)

[ Fig. 8 , 33, 34 ]

Euplexia distorta Moore, 1881 , Proc. Zool. Soc.: 354.

Trachea distorta (Moore) : Hampson, 1908, Cat. Lepid. Phalaenae Br. Mus., 7: 121.

Phlogophora distorta (Moore) : Yoshimoto, 1992, in Haruta, Tinea , 13:59.

Phlogophora distorta (Moore) : Kononenko & Pinratana, 2013, Moths of Thailand, 3 (2): 328.

Type locality: Darjeeling [ India, West Bengal]

Material examined: India: 1 ♂, Uttarakhand, Dist. Pithoragarh, Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, Gowalghat , 29.91398° N, 080.40338° E, 2248 m, 04. VI. 2018; coll. A. K. Sanyal & team ;

1 ♀, West Bengal, Dist. Darjeeling, Singalila National Park, Chitre , 26.99126° N, 088.11189° E, 2295 m, 15. V. 2018 ; 1 ♀, Meghma , 27.01586° N, 088.08993° E, 2733 m, 18. V. 2018 ; 1 ♀, Gairibas , 27.05090° N, 088.03360° E, 2494 m, 21. V. 2018 ; 1 ♂, Manebhanjan , 26.9877° N, 088.1194° E, 1975 m, 16. X. 2018 ; 1 ♂, Sirikhola , 27.13034° N, 088.07441° E, 1914 m, 17. X. 2018 , 1 ♀, Rimbik , 27.1141° N, 088.1105° E, 1905 m, 18. X 2018 ; 3 ♂♂, Palama- jua, 27.07071° N, 088.09071° E, 1909 m, 03. XI. 2018; coll. K. Bhattacharyya & team; 1 ♂, Manedara , 27.1147° N, 088.1000° E, 2168 m, 04. XI. 2018; coll. A. K. Sanyal & team.

Diagnosis: Wing expanse: Male: 32–34 mm, female: 28–30 mm. The species has distinct white tipped palpi, ciliated antenna with white basal tufts and black collar with continuous outlying patches of broad golden-white hairs. It is distinctly recognizable by its zigzag black patterns on white forewing. A trapezoid black patch on middle of costa minutely conjoined with an irregular black patch starting from lower angle of cell to inner margin; a big black triangular patch on costa just before apex; a submarginal elongated black patch with crenulate outer margin, not touching apex.

Male genitalia: Uncus moderately long, hook-shaped; juxta broad, apically narrow, moderately sclerotised with a small triangular sclerotised projection at the middle; valva long, spindle-shaped with one distally curved harpe, cucullus with prominent corona; aedeagus vesica with scattered patches of small cornuti.

Distribution: India: Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal ( Moore 1881). Global: Nepal, Thailand ( Yoshimoto 1992; Kononenko & Pinratana 2013).

Bionomics: Distributed from Western to Central Himalaya, preferably within altitudinal zone of 1900–2700 m, in Wet Temperate and Mixed Coniferous forests with an annual mean temperature range of 12–16 ºC and average annual precipitation of 1700–2700 mm. Individuals were recorded in both pre-monsoon and post-monsoon months.

Figures

FIGURES 3–10. Habitus images of Phlogophora spp. 3. Phlogophora nobilis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998; 4. Phlogophora costalis (Moore, 1882); 5. Phlogophora humilis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998; 6. Phlogophora meticulodina (Draudt, 1950)*; 7. Phlogophora conservuloides (Hampson, 1898); 8. Phlogophora distorta (Moore, 1881); 9. Phlogophora szecsenyii (Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998); 10. Phlogophora sinuata (Moore, 1882). *Image procured from Dr Péter Gyulai, Hungary, through personal correspondence.

FIGURES 31–38. Male genitalia images of Phlogophora spp. 31–32. Phlogophora conservuloides (Hampson, 1898), Uttarakhand, Gen. prep. AS/CK26/3/18.VI.18/7; 33–34. Phlogophora distorta (Moore, 1881), Uttarakhand, Gen. prep. AS/ CK22/3/14.V.18/4; 35–36. Phlogophora szecsenyii (Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998), Sikkim, Gen. prep. KB/DZ19/1/23.XI.19/203; 37–38. Phlogophora albovittata (Moore, 1867), West Bengal, Gen. prep. SN/CH22/2/15.V.18/190.