Xenophysa pseudopoecila Varga

Varga, Zoltán, 2011, Revision of the genus Xenophysa Boursin, 1969 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3094, pp. 1-29 : 27-28

Xenophysa pseudopoecila Varga sp. n.

Type material. Holotype: male, [ Kirghizistan], Karagai-tau, [ex coll. Staudinger–Bang-Haas] (coll. Varga). Paratypes: 8 3, Kirghizistan, Naryn range, Ala Myshik, 2100 m, 4–7. 07. 1994, leg Toropov & Sinjaev (coll. Gyulai); 1 3, Kirghizistan, Susamyr Mts. Komeren river, 2000 m, 9–13. 06. 1994, leg. Toropov & Sinjaev (coll. Gyulai); 1 3, 3 Ƥ, Kirghizistan, Naryn range, 2000 m, 1-5- 07. 1993, leg. Toropov (coll. Gyulai); 1 3, Kirghizistan, Naryn range, Kizil Bel, 2200 m, 10–13. 07. 1993, leg. Toropov (coll. Gyulai); 1 Ƥ, Kirghizistan, Naryn range, Maly Naryn, Oruktau, 2700 m, 23. 06. 1996, leg. Toropov (coll. Gyulai); 2 3, 4 Ƥ, Kirghizistan, Naryn range, 15 km W of Naryn, 2300 m, 23. 06. 1995, leg. Lukhtanov (coll. Gyulai); 7 3, 6 Ƥ, Kirghizistan, Alai Mts, Tengisbai pass, 10 km N of Daraut Kurgan, 3000–3800 m, 11– 25. 07.1995, leg. V. & A. Lukhtanov (coll. Gyulai, G. Ronkay, Z. Varga); 12 3, 4 Ƥ, Kirghizistan, Transalai Mts., Aram-Kungei, 2800 and 3100 m, 12–15. 07. 1993. leg. V. & A. Lukhtanov (coll. Gyulai, G. Ronkay); 1 3, Kazakhstan, Taldy Kurgan region, Ili river, Borokhudsin, 450 m, 7–12. 06. 1993, leg. V. & A. Lukhtanov (coll. Gyulai); 8 3, 7 Ƥ, Tadjikistan, Gorno-Badakhshan, Rushan, 3400 m, 21– 30. 07. 1997; 21–31. 07. 1998 and 1–10. 08. 1998. leg. Gurko (coll. Gyulai, G. Ronkay); 2 3, 11 Ƥ, Tadjikistan, Chorog, Botanical garden, 2300 m, 23. VII. 1959 and 02. 08. 1989, leg. Tsvetaev (coll. Tsvetaev, ZMUM, coll. Varga); 1 3, 1 Ƥ, Tadjikistan, Chorog, 2300 and 4200 m, 2. 06. 1965 and 31. 05. 1965, leg. Stshetkin (coll. Gyulai); 3 Ƥ, Tadjikistan, Turkestan Mts, Shakhristan Mts, Khushikat, 2000 m, 5–8. 06. 1994 and 45 km E Obburdon pass, 2800–3000 m, 13–15. 07. 1994, leg. V. & A. Lukhtanov (coll. Gyulai); 2 Ƥ, Tadjikistan, E. Pamir, Sarykol Mts, Dunkeldyk, 4100–4300 m, 21–25. 07. 1996, leg. V. & A. Lukhtanov (coll. Gyulai); 1 3, 1 Ƥ, Tadjikistan, E. Pamir, Vakhanski Mts 4200 m, 24. 07. 1996, leg. V. & A. Lukhtanov (coll. Gyulai); 2 3, Tadjikistan, E. Pamir, Pshart Mts 4200 m, 20–21. 07. 1996, leg. V. & A. Lukhtanov (coll. Gyulai); 4 Ƥ, Afghanistan, N Salang, 2500 m, 5– 6.07.1976, leg Reshöft (coll. G. Ronkay, Varga); 3 Ƥ, 6 Ƥ, Afghanistan, Salang pass, 3000 m, 15. 06. 1971, leg. Reshöft (coll. G. Ronkay, Varga); 3 3 13 Ƥ Pakistan N, Hindukush Mts, E of Shandur pass, 3750 m, 72o 38’ E, 36o 07’ N, 24–26. 06. 2000, leg. G. Ronkay & Z. Varga (coll. Gyulai, G. Ronkay and Varga). Genital slides: 3 Va rga 5129, Holotype; 3 Varga 2686 (figured as X. junctimacula in Varga 1985), 3349, 7415, 7518, 7790, 9807, 7917, 7950, 8061, 8062; Gyulai 781, 957, 2322; Ronkay 9807; Ƥ Varga 6064, 7798, 7927, 7929

Description. Xenophysa pseudopoecila belongs to the larger species of the genus. Length of forewing 14–17 mm, expanse 30–36 mm, sexes similar. Head dark brownish grey, frons and apex of palpi with whitish-grey hairs. Antennae long, extending the 4/5 of length of forewings, bipectinate and ciliate (male), filiform and ciliate (female). Collar and tegulae dark brownish grey with whitish grey margin, abdomen dark grey, with ochreous and whitish grey hairs. Forewings elongate triangular, acute apically; ground colour brownish grey without reddish or chestnut brown hue, irrorated with whitish-grey scales, mostly at costa. Maculation whitish grey with darker grey filling, orbicular spot elliptic, often slightly curved; reniform bilobate; orbicular and reniform spots interconnected. Claviform spot short, elliptic. Transverse lines faint, submarginal stripe whitish, with dark blackish-grey arrowheads on the inner side. Inner part of cilia nearly whitish, with broad dark medial stripe. Hindwings basally lighter, marginally darker grey but with a lighter “wash” subterminally. Forewing apically more acute and also the colouration of X. pseudopoecila is much more greyish, contrasting and irrorated than of the other two species of this species group. Thus, it resembles much more to the not closely related X. poecilogramma , but it can be clearly distinguished by the darker grey filling and more elliptic form of the orbicular spot, by the less oblique and quadrangular reniform spot and by the light grey “wash” at the subterminal field of the hind wings. Male antenna also somewhat shorter and more bipectinate than in X. poecilogramma (Plate 5, Figs. 23–24). Male genitalia: Uncus strong, anchor-shaped with acute bilateral hooks apically, and with cross-like, rounded (not quadrangular) extensions basally. Juxta pentagonal, apically more sclerotised than in closely related species. Valva more elongate with large triangular, with a single, acute costal extension and with elongate elliptic digitus. Aedeagus with a strong ventral knot. Vesica without subbasal bladder but with a very large, extended and recurved diverticulum (Plate 10, Figs. 43a, b; 44a, b; 45a, b). Female genitalia: Papillae anales triangular with fine and long hairs. Antrum with broad and not very deep U-shaped incision and with moderately sclerotised bilateral arms (less sclerotised than in both closely related species). Ductus bursae short and broad, corpus bursae globular, without signa. Appendix bursae recurved, broad (Plate 14, Figs 60–61).

Taxonomic notes. X. pseudopoecila shows typical differences compared to the closely related species also in both sexes. Males can be mostly differentiated by the acute costal extension and females by the very broad Ushaped incision of antrum. The new species was already figured by Kozhantshikov (1937: 225, Fig. 81, male genitalia, Naryn) and Boursin ( Entomops 15: 222, male genitalia, Samarkand) and also by Varga (1985: 30, Fig.4c and Plate 1, Fig. 1) as X. junctimacula Christoph.

Biological notes. This species has a relatively large range of distribution from Uzbekistan (“Samarkand”, probably the mountains near the town) through Kirghisia (parts of W Tien-Shan, Alai Mts) and Tadjikistan (Pamirs) to NE Afghanistan and Pakistan (Hindukush Mts.). It often co-occurs with X. agnostica (e.g., Alai Mts, Pamirs), with X. naumanni and X. poecilogramma (E. part of Hindukush).