Lemyra (Thyrgorina) multivittata ( Moore, 1865 )

Singh, Harsimranjeet, Raha, Angshuman, Kirti, Jagbir Singh & Singh, Navneet, 2024, Taxonomic review of the genus Lemyra Walker (Erebidae: Arctiinae) from India, Zootaxa 5454 (1), pp. 1-69 : 25-27

Lemyra (Thyrgorina) multivittata ( Moore, 1865) : 808 ( Spilosoma )

( Figs 65 – 67 , 167, 168 , 205 )

TL: Darjeeling [West Bengal, India]. Lectotype designated by Hampson (1901) from Sikkim.

= Diacrisia multivittata assama Rothschild, 1910: 121 (TL: Khasis [Khasi hills, Meghalaya, India]).

Material Examined: India, Sikkim: [East Sikkim district], Nathula , 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 10.ix.2000, J.S. Kirti leg. ( NZCZSI; 5364–65/H10); [Gangtok district], Gangtok, 1 ♂, 15.ix.2000, J.S. Sodhi leg. ( NZCZSI; 5366/H10); Golitar, 1 ♂, 25.iv.2009, R. Joshi leg. ( NZCZSI; 5363/H10) ; Jammu and Kashmir: [Baramulla district], Uri , 1 ♂, 21.v.2017, D.P. Singh leg. ( NZCZSI; 12544/H10) ; Arunachal Pradesh: [Dibang Valley district], Malini , 1 ♀, 27.x.2017 N. Singh leg. ( NZCZSI; 12543/H10); [West Kameng district], Bomdila, 5 ♂, 25.vi.2018, H. Singh leg. ( NZCZSI; 12542/H10); [Tawang district], Jang, 1 ♂, 1 ♀, 1.vii.2018, H. Singh leg. ( NZCZSI; 12545/H10) ; West Bengal: [Kalimpong district], Jhandi , 6 ♂, 1 ♀, 10.ix.2018, H. Singh leg. ( NZCZSI; 12538/H10), Rishop, 3 ♂, 12.ix.2018, H. Singh leg. ( NZCZSI; 12540/H10), 4 ♂, 13.ix.2018, H. Singh leg. ( NZCZSI; 12541/H10); [Darjeeling district], Manebhanjyang, 1 ♂, 5 ♀, 16.ix.2018, H. Singh leg. ( NZCZSI; 12539/H10) .

Diagnosis: Forewing length: ♂ 18 mm, ♀ 21 mm. Externally, L. (T.) multivittata ( Figs 65, 66 ) is reminiscent of L. (T.) costimacula ( Leech, 1899) distributed in China, but differs noticeably by more intense maculation on wings, especially forewing with basal, antemedial and postmedial series of spots (in L. (T.) costimacula only oblique postmedial series of spots is present). In male genitalia, L. (T.) multivittata ( Figs 167, 168 ) is distinct from L. (T.) costimacula ( Fang 2000: 382, Fig. 268) by a longer and narrower uncus and longer terminal section of the valva. Another closely similar species to L. (T.) multivittata ( Figs 65, 66 ) is L. (T.) sordidescens ( Hampson, 1901) ( Figs 93, 94 ), but the latter is distinct by abdomen crimson above (which is yellowish or orange yellow in L. (T.) multivittata ) and forewing suffused with pale yellowish brown with blur markings whereas in L. (T.) multivittata , ground colour is creamish white and markings are clearer. In male genitalia, L. (T.) multivittata is distinct from L. (T.) sordidescens ( Figs 199, 200 ) by the presence of a single patch of spines in vesica whereas in L. (T.) sordidescens , two patches of spines are present in vesica.

Distribution. Indian records: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Meghalaya (Khasi Hills), Nagaland, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal (Darjeeling), ( Hampson 1894, Kirti et al. 2005, Dubatolov 2010, Singh et al. 2021). Global records: southern Tibet (western slope of Himalaya in Zhangmu), China (Yunnan) ( Fang 2000), Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand (Northern Thailand), Vietnam (Northern Vietnam) ( Dubatolov 2010).

Remarks: Although intraspecific variation in the external morphology of L. (T) multivittata is not reported so far. However, we found some recognizable variations, the adults vary from pure white to creamish yellow with wing markings sometimes apparently reduced. Male forewing length varies from 11 mm to 19 mm. Altitudinally, L. (T.) multivittata shows a wide range of distribution from 489 m to 3050 m. The species is found to inhabit East Himalayan moist mixed deciduous, East Himalayan subtropical wet hill, East Himalayan sub alpine and mixed coniferous forests in central Himalaya, East Himalayan wet temperate forest in East Himalaya and subtropical dry evergreen forest in North West Himalaya.

Figures

FIGURES 63–73. Habitus of Lemyra spp. 63–64. L. spilosomata, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Ahwa, Gujarat, India); 65–66. L. multivittata, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Jhandi, West Bengal, India); 67. ditto, female, dorsal side (Manebhanjyang, West Bengal, India); 68–69. L. pseudoburmanica, male, dorsal side and ventral sides (Devikulam, Kerala, India). 70–71. L. melanosoma, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Mangan, Sikkim, India); 72–73. L. persephone, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Yoksum, Sikkim, India).

FIGURES 167–178. Genitalia of Lemyra spp. 167–168. L. multivittata, male: 167, ventral view, 168, Aedeagus; 169–170. L. pseudoburmanica, male: 169, ventral view, 170, Aedeagus; 171–172. L. melanosoma, male: 171, ventral view, 172, Aedeagus; 173–174. L. persephone, male: 173, ventral view, 174, Aedeagus; 175–176. L. nigrescens, male: 175, ventral view, 176, Aedeagus; 177–178. L. collarlis, syn. nov., male: 177, ventral view, 178, Aedeagus.

FIGURES 201–206. Genitalia of Lemyra spp. 201. L. rubripecta sp. nov., female, ventral view; 202. L. biseriata, female, ventral view; 203. L. obliquivitta, female, ventral view; 204. L. eximia, female, ventral view; 205. L. multivittata, female, ventral view; 206. L. stigmata stigmata, female, ventral view.

FIGURES 85–94. Habitus of Lemyra spp. 85–86. L. khasiana, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Saho, Himachal Pradesh, India); 87–88. L. excelsa, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Jang, Arunachal Pradesh, India); 89–90. L. obsoleta sp. nov., holotype male, dorsal and ventral sides (Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India); 91–92. L. pinus sp. nov. holotype male, dorsal and ventral sides (Old Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, India); 93–94. L. sordidescens, male, dorsal and ventral sides (Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, India).

FIGURES 191–200. Genitalia of Lemyra spp. 191–192. L. khasiana, male: 191, ventral view, 192, Aedeagus; 193–194. L. excelsa, male: 193, ventral view, 194, Aedeagus; 195–196. L. obsoleta sp. nov., holotype male: 195, ventral view, 196, Aedeagus; 197–198. L. pinus sp. nov. holotype male: 197, ventral view, 198, Aedeagus; 199–200. L. sordidescens, male: 199, ventral view, 200, Aedeagus.