Endoclita meifenga Buchsbaum & Grehan, 2019

Buchsbaum, Ulf & Grehan, John R., 2019, New species of Endoclita (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) and revived species status of E. kosemponis from Taiwan, Zootaxa 4551 (4), pp. 432-444 : 434-436

Endoclita meifenga Buchsbaum & Grehan sp. n.

Figs. 1 a–c, 4a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a, 9a, 12a

Etymology. Named for the Meifeng Highland Experimental Station where the holotype was collected.

Holotype ♂ with the following labels (separated by forward slashes): Central Taiwan; near Puli, Nantou Co.; Meifeng , ca. 2100 m NN; 24°05’19 N / 121°10’26 E; LF, 11 May 2011; leg. Mei-Yu Chen & U. Buchsbaum. Deposited in NMNS.

Diagnosis. A medium sized Endoclita species with a darker shaded triangular region over much of the discal area and a trapezoid ‘recess’ in the central anterior discal cell. These features are also present in E. chalybeatus ( Moore, 1879) (northeastern India), E. davidi ( Taiwan and western China), E. kosemponis (Taiwan) , E. magnus ( Tindale, 1942) (southwestern India), E. malabaricus ( Moore, 1879) (southwestern India), E. signifer ( Walker, 1856) (northeastern India), and E. sinensis ( Taiwan and eastern China), but absent from the Taiwanese species E. atayala and E. inouei . Within the triangular shaded discal cell species present in Taiwan, the FW of E. meifenga sp. n. can be distinguished from E. kosemponis and E. sinensis by the presence of a prominent costal lobe. The FW pattern of E. meifenga sp. n. is very similar to E. davidi , but there is a pale submarginal band extending across Rs2 and Rs3 that is absent in E. davidi . The male genitalia of E. meifenga sp. n. and E. davidi are also distinct, including a contrasting concave vs convex shaped posterior ventral margin of the pseudotegumen.

Description. Male holotype ( Fig. 1 a–c): Wingspan 71 mm; FW length: 33 mm, width: 14 mm, ratio 2.4: 1; HW length: 29 mm, width: 12, ratio 2.4: 1.

Head. Eyes prominent. Antenna filiform, pale yellowish brown, scape cylindrical, pedicel rounded and slightly barrel shaped, flagellum with 22 segments and covered with numerous sensillae caeticae, lamellar scales absent, annuli slightly larger centrally, narrowing to apex. Interocular-antennal scales absent.

Thorax. Dorsally covered with pale to dark olive green scales, scutum III dark yellowish brown, anteriorly free of scales, lateral and ventral thorax olive green; FW costal margin with shallow costal lobe anterior to the discal white spot, margin almost straight from base to costal lobe, and distally a shallow convex curve to apex; outer margin a shallow curve merging into posterior margin; venation ‘hepialine’ (sensu Dumbleton 1966), Sc1 extending into costal lobe ( Fig. 4a ). FW dorsal ground colour pale greyish brown covered with olive green markings edged in pale greenish white. Single largest olive green patch forming a triangular shape bounded anteriorly by R and posteriorly by CuA2 and extending distally just beyond the Cu-M-Rs cross veins; a greyish brown anterior trapezoid ‘recess’ patch in anterior discal cell anteriorly bounded by R ( Fig. 12a ). A premarginal band of olive green extends obliquely from CuA to the costal margin near the apex, comprising elliptical shapes between the veins, and darkest between costal margin and M 1. Adjacent submarginal band pale, extending to costal margin at apex with darker marginal band between apex and almost to Rs4 ( Fig. 12a ). An ovoid white spot edged basally with dark olive green is located on the basal side of the M 1 –M 2 cross vein. Costal region with 4–5 pale olive patches edged with pale greenish white and separated by pale grey. Ventral FW with costal pocket; pale grey to greyish green with dorsal ornamentation between costal margin and Sc; posteriorly oriented row of piliform scales along Sc; softer piliform scales across much of the basal and central wing surface. Dorsal HW grey with pale olive green scales over anterior apical region and marginal scales. Ventral HW pale grey to greyish green with dorsal ornamentation between costal margin and Sc. Legs pale greyish olive; leg length ratio pro: meso: meta 1:1.2:0.77; proleg lacking epiphysis; metatibia with yellowish to reddish brown androconia and large androconial gland along dorsal length of tibia ( Fig. 5a ).

Abdomen ( Fig. 6a, 7a, 8a ) Pale greyish olive; tergites and sternites moderately sclerotized; tergum II with lateral ridge extending anterio-medially to lateral tuberculate plate, anterior ridge extending from tergosternal connection to dorsal median ( Fig. 6a ); tergosternal connection with broad, triangular central region, lacking tergal knob, lateral and dorsal brace almost at right angles, dorsal brace not fused to anterior ridge of TII ( Fig. 7a ); Segment II pleurum with lateral pouch, sternum II elongate and laterally concave, anterio-lateral arms subrectangular and obliquely angled, anterior margin forming broad ‘V’ shape ( Fig. 6a , one lateral arm broken off); tergum VIII an isosceles trapezoid with lateral edges curving anteriorly and narrowing to posterior margin; sternum VIII sub-rectangular, slightly wider posteriorly, anterior and lateral margins straight, posterior margin with medial rectangular concavity ( Fig. 8a ).

Male genitalia ( Fig. 9a ). Tegumen (intermediate plate) elongate. Saccus (vinculum) triangular, lateral edge almost straight, posterior margin with medial apical tooth and lateral, curved apodemal ridges. Tergal lobes not observed. Pseudotegumen well developed, margin adjacent to anogenital field with a ragged or broken edge with a triangular dorso-posterior projection, a blunt medial posterior projection angled to the median, and a strongly sclerotized ventral W-shaped bridge meeting across the median as an anterio-ventral nexus, and dorso-posterior margin fused across the median forming a narrow tubular junction. Fultura superior membranous, fultura and inferior sub-square with concave lateral edges. Valva small relative to pseudotegumen, narrow, digitiform, apex rounded. Phallus membranous, without cornutus.

DNA sequences: The following sequences were obtained from the COI gene and were processed according to the BOLD System (boldsystems.org/). In the absence of comparable species in BOLD, only the available sequences are presented below.

Female unknown.

Endoclita meifenga Buchsbaum & Grehan sp. n. Sample ID: BC ZSM Lep 59526, Process ID: GWOTK290-12, BIN URI: BOLD: ABX1145

Sample Nucleotide Sequence:

AACTTTATATTTTATTTTTGGTATTTGAGCAGGAATAATTGGTACTTCATTAAGATTATTAATTCGAACAG AATTAGGAAACCCAGGATCTTTAATTGGAGATGATCAAATTTATAATGTAATTGTAACAGCACATGCTTT TATTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTTATACCAATTATAATTGGAGGATTTGGAAATTGATTAGTTCCATTAATATT AGGAGCACCAGATATAGCTTTCCCACGATTAAATAATATAAGATTCTGGCTATTACCCCCATCATTAATA TTATTAATTTCTAGAAGAATCGTTGAAAATGGAGCAGGAACAGGCTGAACTGTTTACCCCCCACTATCT GCAAATATTGCACATGCTGGAAGATCTGTTGATTTAGCAATTTTTTCTCTACATTTAGCAGGAATTTCTT CTATTTTAGGGGCAGTAAATTTTATTACAACTGTAATTAATATACGATCAGAAGGAATATCTTTTGATCG AATACCTTTATTTGTTTGAAGAGTAGCAATTACTGCTTTATTACTTTTATTATCATTACCTGTACTAGCAG GAGCTATTACTATATTATTAACAGATCGAAATTTAAATACTTCATTTTTTGATCCTGCGGGAGGAGGAGA TCCAATTTTATATCAACATTTATTT

Amino Acid Sequence

TLYFIFGIWAGMIGTSLSLLIRTELGNPGSLIGDDQIYNVIVTAHAFIMIFFMVMPIMIGGFGNWLVPLMLGA PDMAFPRLNNMSFWLLPPSLMLLISSSIVENGAGTGWTVYPPLSANIAHAGSSVDLAIFSLHLAGISSILGA VNFITTVINMRSEGMSFDRMPLFVWSVAITALLLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNLNTSFFDPAGGGDPILYQH LF

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in northern Taiwan ( Fig. 13 a–b). The Highland Experimental Farm (http://mf.shengchi.com.tw/enweb/) is an open area of agricultural crops and dry meadows at an elevation of about 2,100 m and surrounded by natural mountain forest. In the days preceding collecting, the weather was dry and warm followed by misty and cloudy conditions with light rain and an evening temperature of about 15°C on the day of collection (May, 11 th) which took place just a few days before a typhoon hit Taiwan (the principal typhoon season usually lasting from about June through October).

Figures

FIGURE 12. Male FW venation, discal shading (blue outline) and anterior recess (green outline): 12a, E. meifenga sp. n. HT); 12b, E. chalybeatus (India, Meghalaya, NHMUK); 12c, E. davidi (holotype, China, MNHN), 12d, E. kosemponis (LT); 12e, E. magnus (Shenbaganur, India, NHMUK); 12f, E. malabaricus (Ooty, India, NHMUK); 12g, E. signifer (LT, Meghalaya, India, NHMUK); 12h, E. sinensis (NMNS); ad—anterior discal cell, md—medial discal cell, pd—posterior discal cell, pdbpostdiscal band, premarginal band, smb—submarginal band, mb—marginal band.

FIGURE 13. Distribution of E. meifenga sp. n. 13a, forest habitat of the type locality at the Meifeng Experimental Farm (Photo Ulf Buchsbaum); 13b, type locality in Taiwan.

FIGURES 1–2. Voucher specimens: Endoclita meifenga sp. n., male HT (NMNS). 1a, dorsal; 1b, ventral; 1c, habitus at light sheet (reoriented from original vertical positon with head uppermost). 2, E. kosemponis types (ZMHB). 2a, dorsal male LT; 2b, ventral; 2c dorsal female. Photos by Ulf Buchsbaum.

FIGURES 4–5. Thoracic. appendages: 4, wing venation. 4a, Endoclita meifenga sp. n (HT); 4b, E. kosemponis (LT). 5, Endoclita male legs. 5a E. meifenga sp. n; 5b, E. kosemponis LT. 5c, E. sinensis (NMNS)

FIGURES 6–8. Abdomen of Endoclita species (male unless otherwise specified): 6, second tergite and sternite. 6a, E. meifenga sp. n. (HT); 6b, E. kosemponis (LT); 6c, E. kosemponis female (ST), missing anterior margin of sternum II; 6d, E. sinensis (NMNS). 7, tergosternal connection. 7a, E. meifenga sp. n. (HT); 7b, E. kosemponis (LT). 8, tergites and sternite VIII. 8a, E. meifenga sp. n. (LT); 8b, E. kosemponis (LT); 8c, E. sinensis (vm—detached saccular margin of the genitalia) (NMNS); 8d, E. kosemponis female (ST).

FIGURES 9–11. Genitalia: 9a, E. meifenga sp. n (HT); 9b, E. kosemponis (LT): dpp—dorsal posterior projection, pvfposterio-ventral flange, mpp—medial posterior projection, mt—medial tooth, avn—anterio-ventral nexus, va—valva; 9c, E. sinensis (vincular margin with medial spine detached with abdomen—ref. Fig. 8c); 9d, E. davidi (HT). 10, external female genitlaia: 10a, E. kosemponis; 10b, E. sinensis. 11, internal female genitalia: 11a, E. kosemponis; 11b, E. sinensis.