Barsaurea phaeoxanthia ( Hampson, 1900 )

Volynkin, Anton V., Černý, Karel & Huang, Si-Yao, 2020, A review of the genus Barsaurea Volynkin & Huang, 2019, with a description of new species (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini), Zootaxa 4779 (4), pp. 522-534 : 523-524

Barsaurea phaeoxanthia ( Hampson, 1900)

( Figs 1–4 , 17–20 , 33 )

Miltochrista phaeoxanthia Hampson, 1900 , Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum 2: 478, 493, pl. 32, fig. 23 (Type locality: [NE India, Meghalaya, Khasi Hills] “ Assam, Khásis ”).

Type material examined. Holotype (by monotypy) ( Fig. 1 ): female without abdomen, “Khasis. Nat. Coll.” / “ Miltochrista phaeoxanthia type ♀ Hmpsn. / “97-164” / red ring “Type” label / QR-code label with unique number “NHMUK010604769” (Coll. NHMUK).

Additional material examined. INDIA: 1 male, Khasis , Oct. 1896, Nat. Coll., slide AV1898 (male) Volynkin (Coll. ZFMK) ; 1 female, India, [West Bengal] WB, Darjeeling , 2100m, 22.VIII.– 1.09.1983, leg. Dr. W. Thomas, slide MWM 33615 (female) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; THAILAND: 1 male, 2 females, Thailand , Changwat Chiang Mai, 20 km NW of Mae Ai, 1650m, 6.XII.1998, leg. M. Hreblay, Y. Sherpa & I. Soós, slide ZSM Arct. 2020- 124 (male) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 male, Thailand, Changwat Chiang Mai, 20 km NW of Sop Kha, 2 km S of Kop Dong , 1800m, 13.XI.1999, leg. A. Szabó & Z. Czere, slide MWM 33616 (male) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 female, Thailand, Changwat Chiang Mai, Mt. Doi Phahompok , 18 km NW of Fang, 2100m, 7.XII.1998, leg. M. Hreblay, Y. Sherpa & I. Soós (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 female, 1 female, Thailand , Changwat Chiang Mai, 4 km SE of Pang Faen, 1100m, 14.XI.1999, leg. Márton Hreblay (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; VIETNAM: 1 male, N Vietnam, 1400m, Mai-chau , primary forest, 40 km SE Moc-chau, 20°50’N 104°50’E, 07–15.IV.1995, leg. Sinyaev & local collectors, slide MWM 33617 (male) Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 female, N Vietnam, 1200m, Tuan-giao, street Lai-chau to Hanoi, 21°35’N 103°25’E, 5–10.XI.1994, Schintlmeister leg. (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 female, N Vietnam, Mt. Fan-si-pan, Chapa , 22°20’N 103°40’E, sec. forest, 1600–1800m, 10. VI.–6.VII.1994, leg. Sinyaev & local collector (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) .

Remark. Unfortunately the holotype female of B. phaeoxanthia lacks abdomen, but the topotype male and the female from Himalaya were dissected by the senior author. The same species was found in mountain regions of North Thailand and North Vietnam. Such a range is common for many Lithosiini species and here we consider this species distributed in the wide sense Himalayan region as B. phaeoxanthia .

Diagnosis. Forewing length is 12.5– 14 mm in both sexes. Male of B. phaeoxanthia can be distinguished from those of two other congeners by the slightly broader forewing markings. In many cases a study of genital structures is necessary for a reliable identification. Female of B. phaeoxanthia is characterized by the broad, shade-like forewing markings and is very similar to that of B. diehli , from which it can be distinguished by the genitalia structures only. The male genitalia of B. phaeoxanthia are very characteristic and differ clearly from those of two other species by the broader valva apex with two narrow trigonal distal processes, the large medial lobe on the costa, and the presence of one hook-like curved diverticulum in aedeagus vesica bearing 1–3 bundled spines. The female genitalia of the three species of the genus are very similar, but B. phaeoxanthia is characterized by the narrower posterior end of the ductus bursae and the elliptical left sclerotized lateral protrusion of corpus bursae of moderate size (larger than that of B. diehli and smaller than that of B. ketiga sp. n.). In addition, B. phaeoxanthia has the smaller right sclerotized lateral protrusion of corpus bursae than that of B. ketiga sp. n., and lacks a diverticulum of the anterior section of corpus bursae.

Distribution. Northeast India (north of West Bengal and Meghalaya), North Thailand (Chiang Mai Province) ( Černý & Pinratana 2009, partly) and North Vietnam (Lào Cai Province: Fansipan Mts.).

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Barsaurea spp., adults. Depositories of specimens: 1—NHMUK (©); 2—ZFMK; 3, 4, 6, 7, 8—MWM/ZSM; 5—SZMN.

FIGURES 17–20. Barsaurea phaeoxanthia, male genitalia. Depositories of specimens: 17—ZFMK; 18–20—MWM/ZSM.

FIGURES 33–36. Barsaurea spp., female genitalia. Depositories of specimens: 33, 36—MWM/ZSM; 35—CAV; fig. 34 is given after Bayarsaikhan et al. (2018).