Irene litanga, Saldaitis, Aidas & Benedek, Balázs, 2017

Saldaitis, Aidas & Benedek, Balázs, 2017, Irene litanga, a new genus and new species in the Polia generic-complex from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Hadeninae, Hadenini), Zootaxa 4238 (2), pp. 275-280 : 276-280

Irene litanga sp. n. ( Figs 1–4 , 13, 15 )

Holotype: male, ( Fig. 1 ) China, W. Sichuan, near Litang , H- 4000 m, N29°49.136’, E100°20.576’, 15. VI. 2015, Floriani & Saldaitis, slide No.OP 3364m, (coll. GBG / ZSM) .

Paratypes: 1 female, ( Fig. 2 ) China, W. Sichuan, 25 km N from Batang , H- 3100 m, dry valley, N30°12.049’, E099°14.078’, 16. VI. 2015, Floriani & Saldaitis, slide No.OP 3365f, (coll. AFM) , 2 females, ( Figs 3, 4 ) China, Yunnan, Diqing Tibetan Aut. Pref., Tiger Leaping Gorge, SE Slope, at Sean’s Guesthouse , 2000–2500 m, N27°16.113’, E100°10.233’, 12. VI. 2008, leg. B. Benedek, slide No. RL 9697f, (coll. HNHM) .

Diagnosis. The distinctive external and genital features are discussed in the diagnosis of the genus above.

Description. Wingspan 52–54 mm, length of forewing 23–25 mm. Antennae filiform; forewings triangular, elongated with apex rounded; thorax robust, hairs with black, green, yellow and whitish scales. The forewing ground colour is dark olive-green with a creamy-yellowish subbasal and subterminal field and reniform stigmata. Antemedian fascia gently waved; postmedian fascia dentate; subterminal fascia irregularly waved; reniform large, unicoloured creamy-yellowish; orbicular stigma indistinct, marked with creamy-yellowish frame on ground colour; cilia basally white but terminally black; all patterns rather diffuse and the entire moth is saturated with a fine yellowish tint, including the thorax, abdomen and hindwings. Hindwings yellowish covered with dirty-grey scaling and a lighter yellowish terminal streak along the vein CU2; discal spot well visible; cilia yellowish.

Male genitalia. ( Fig. 13 ) Uncus rather small, hook-like, basal third curved, apically pointed; subapical hairs short but densely presented; tegumen rather small, low-positioned; penicular lobes large, conical in shape; fultura strongly sclerotised, narrow and elongated, shaft-like in shape with a calyculate, terminally conical anterior process; vinculum strong, but narrow, widely U-shaped; sacculus strong, with a long, strongly sclerotised and finely arched, somewhat asymmetrical, apically rounded, branch-like narrow extension nearly reaching the cucullus; clasper strong, elongated, claw-like; harpe heavily sclerotised, asymmetrical, larger, crank-like in shape on the left, reduced, small, rounded spearhead-like in shape on the right; valva widely V-like positioned, upper half strongly sclerotised, short but broad, shaft-like in shape with nearly parallel margins, dorsally gently curved; cucullus rounded with a small ventro-apical process, corona well developed, broadly covering the terminal-third; ventral side of valva broadly membranous. Aedeagus medium length, tubular with narrower coecum, dorsally and ventrally extended with sclerotised carinal bars; basal part of vesica tubular, moderately broad and even, medial segment with two large diverticuli on the dorso-lateral side, the first is broader but flattened, armed with a large, strong cornutus with a conical basis, the second diverticulum is narrower but longer, chisel-or lance like in shape, terminal third strongly curved ventrally, saccular, extended into a long and narrow, membranous terminal tube.

Female genitalia. ( Fig. 15 ) Papillae anales rather small, moderately sclerotised and hairy, more or less rhomboidal in shape; apophyses posteriors and apophyses anteriores short and narrow; ostial plate largely conical, tongue-shaped; antrum broader distally, rounded proximally with two large, horn-like lateral lamias, the ostium to the proximal edge of the ductus is entirely heavily sclerotised; appendix bursae entirely covered with a broad, sclerotised “cloak” fused with the ductus with a thick sclerotised “neck” and a rolled up proximal edge; corpus bursae moderately large, globular, membranous with two small medial signum.

Distribution and bionomics. A single male and three females were collected at ultraviolet light on June, 2008 and 2015 in remote parts of west China’s Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces near the Litang, Batang and Diqing. The new species was collected at altitudes ranging from 2000 to 4000 meters in mountain mixed forests dominated by various conifer trees, bushes and rhododendron.

Etymology. The new genus is named in memory of the beautiful Irene Floriani (Milan, Italy), who was a good friend and an ideal partner on many collecting trips to China. The new species is named after the type locality.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Irene gen. n. & Kollariana spp., adults. 1. I. litanga, male, holotype, China, Sichuan (coll. GBG / ZSM); 2. I. litanga, female, paratype, China, Sichuan (coll. AFM); 3. I. litanga, female, paratype, China, Yunnan (coll. HNHM); 4. I. litanga, female, paratype, China, Yunnan (coll. HNHM); 5. K. scotochlora, male, Pakistan, Kaghan valley (PGM); 6. K. scotochlora, female, Pakistan, Kaghan valley (PGM).

FIGURES 13 – 16. Irene gen. n. & Hada spp., male and female genitalia. 13. I. litanga, male, holotype, gen. prep. OP 3364 m; 14. H. fraterna, male, gen. prep. GYP 1863 m; 15. I. litanga, female, paratype, gen. prep. OP 3365 f; 16. H. fraterna, female, gen. prep. GYP 4514 f.