Araeopteron amoena Inoue, 1958

Fibiger, Michael & Kononenko, Vladimir, 2008, A revision of the subfamily Araeopteroninae Fibiger, 2005 in the Russian Far East and neighbouring countries with a description of four new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 1891, pp. 39-54 : 41-42

Araeopteron amoena Inoue, 1958

( Figs. 1, 2 , 13 , 21 , 26)

Araeopteron amoena Inoue, 1958 , Tinea 4: 230, Pl. 32, fig. 2 (imago), fig. 4 (male genitalia), fig. 6 (wing venation). TL: Japan: Kanagawa Pref., Chigasaki [BMNH, London].

Inoue, 1965: 81, Pl. 15, figs 3A, 3B (imago), text fig. 4 (male genitalia); Sugi, 1982, I: 806, II: 381, pl. 196, fig. 69 (imago); Viidalepp & Remm, 1982: 139; Poole, 1989: 115; Kononenko, 1990: 9; 2003: 245, figs 5–8 (male genitalia); 2005: 63; Dubatolov et al., 1995: 141; Kononenko et al., 1998: 152, fig. 385 (imago); Kononenko & Han, 2007: 31, Pl. 3, fig. 5 (male genitalia), Pl. 178, fig. 6 (female genitalia).

Material examined. RUSSIA: 3 males, Primorye terr., Nadezhdinsky reg. Gorny (Gusevsky rudnik) 7 km N Zanadvorovka 30.vii–7.viii.1984 (V. Kononenko); 1 female, same locality, 8.viii.1984 (S. Sinev); 1male, Primorye terr. Kedrovaya Pad reservation, 12.viii.1988 (A. Lvovsky); Primorye territory, 3 males, 1 female, Gornotaezhnoe 18–19.viii.1994 (E. Beljaev); 4 males, same locality, 19–20.viii 1994 (V. Kononenko), genital preps 5865, 5858, 5857 M. Fibiger; 1 male, 1 female, same locality, 23, 27.vii.1999 (M. Omelko); 1 female, same locality, 6.viii.1999 (V. Mironov); 2 males 1 female, same locality, 250 m 17–20.vii.2002 (D. Nilsson & K. Larsen); 1 male, Primorye terr., Ussuriisky nature reservation, 28.viii.1963; 1 male, Primorye terr., De-Friz Peninsula, near Vladivostok, vii.1957 (M.A. Omelko); 1 male, Primorye terr., Pozharsky reg., Verkhny pereval 26.vii.1990 (O. Nikiforova); 1 male, Primorye terr., 32 km W Ussurijsk, Krounovka, 200 m, 15– 16.vii.2002 (D. Nilsson & K. Larsen), coll. D. Nilsson; 1 female, Khabarovsk terr., Bolshe-Khekhtsirsky nature reservation, 2–3.ix 2007. (V. Dubatolov); 1 male, Sakhalin reg., Kuriles Isl., Kunashir I., Tretjakovo, 5 km W Mendeleev volcano, 19.viii.1984 (A. Lvovsky); Colls. IBBS, ZISP, SZM ZMASE, Novosibirsk, D. Nilsson, and M. Fibiger.

SOUTH KOREA: 1 male, Gwangneung, GG 9. vi.1977 (Y.Y. Ha); 1 male, same locality, 10.vi.1990 (K.T. Park) genit. prep. 5180, coll. KNU; 1 male, Mt. Jiri, JN 19.vi.1981 (K.T. Park) genit. prep. 5119 NIAST; 1 male, Mt. Odae, GW 19.vi.1989 (K.T. Park); 1 male, 1 female, Yangyang (Seomyun), GW 30.v., 30. vi.1987 (K.T. Park) genit. prep. 5182 m, 5181 NIAST; 1 female, 2 male, Chuncheon, GW 18.vii.1989 (K.T. Park); 1 female, Chuncheon (Mt. Yaksu) 9.vii.1989 (K.T. Park) genit. prep. 5179 NIAST; 1 male, Mt. Dodram, GG 19.v.1990 (K.T. Park); 1 male, Soyo-san, GG 3.ix.1992 (K.T. Park); 1 female, Yang gu, 15.viii.1985 (K.T Park); 1 male, Monsari, Yongweol CW 25.vii.1996 (K.T. Park); 1 male, Gadok Re., Forest Samcheok, GW. 23.vii.2000 (Bang Nam-Sin), coll. CIS.

CHINA: 11 males and females, Prov. Chekiang, West Tien-mu-shan 27.iv–29.ix.1932 (H. Höne); 1 male, Prov. Hunnan, Hoengshan 27.iv.1933 (H. Höne); 17 males and females, China, Prov. Henan, Tongbai 300 m, 11–13.ix.2000 (O. Karsholt & Nankai Univ. Tianjin). Colls. ZFMK, ZMUC, and M. Fibiger.

JAPAN: 1 male, Honshu, Nara Pref., Kozjidake 1200 m, 2.viii.1971 (L.R.W. Kobes). Coll. ZSM.

Diagnosis. Adult easily distinguishable from other East Asiatic species by the dark-grey colour of the forewing and broad reddish-brown basal area on the hindwing. The male genitalia differ from other species by having large spine-like extensions of the ampulla and armature of the vesica, with a patch of 10–15 small, thin spines. Females differ by the large, plate-like signum, with long, mostly anteriorly directed spines in the posterior part of the corpus bursae.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1, 2 ). Wingspan 9–13 mm. Antennae of both sexes without lamellae, with scales. Labial palps strongly upturned, 3rd segment 2.5 times as long as 2nd. Head small, eyes large. Head, patagia, first two segments of thorax, and ground colour of forewing and hindwing white or white-grey; forewing suffused with many dark grey or blackish patches; hindwing suffused with blackish scales, with broad reddish-brown basal area, and with black patches; both wings with prominent discal spot. All crosslines are present, often irregularly interrupted; terminal line prominently indicated by black intervein spots. Underside, unicolorous grey, with indistinct discal spot on hindwing. Colour of abdomen light brown anteriorly, then dark brown, with white brown tip. These patterns reflect the colour of the hindwing lines in resting position, where the forewings are slightly spread, showing half of the hindwing. Male genitalia ( Fig. 13 ). Uncus short and thin. Membranous part of valva broadest medially, relatively sharply angeled; sacculus regularly tapered, broadest and rounded apically; clasper fused to saccus, with three pointed ampullae triangulars, but anterior one large, spine-like. Aedeagus relatively long and narrow; vesica with small patch of 10–15 very small, thin spines. Female genitalia ( Figs. 21, 26 ). Antrum large, cup-like, laterally extended posteriorly; ductus bursae relatively short and narrow, membranous, broadest and coiled anteriorly; posterior part of the ovoid corpus bursae dominated by large, plate-like signum, with long, mostly anteriorly directed, spines.

Distribution. Russian Far East, Primorye terr. (Fig. 34), south of Khabarovsk terr.; south Sakhalin; and south Kuriles, Kunashir I.; South Korea; Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Tsushima I., Yakushima I., Okinawa I. and Honto I.); China (Prov. Chekiang, Hunnan and Henan). In the Far East most common and widely distributed species. First reported for the continental Asia from Russia, Khabarovsk and Primorye territories and Sakhalin by Viidalepp & Remm (1982); reported for South Kuriles (Kunashir I) by Dubatolov et al. (1995).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 12. Araeopteron spp., adults. 1, 2: A. amoena, males, Russia, Primorye terr., Gornotayezhnoe; 3, 4: A. fragmenta, Russia, Primorye terr. (3, male, Krounovka; 4, female, Andreevka); 5, 6: A. nebulosa, Russia, Primorye terr., Gornotayezhnoe, males; 7, 8: A. makikoae, Russia, Primorye terr., Gornotayezhnoe (7, male, holotype; 8, male, paratype); 9, 10: A. ussurica, Russia, Primorye terr. (7, male, holotype, Gornotayezhnoe; 8, male, paratype, Zavetnoe); 11: A. koreana, male, holotype, South Korea, Pyoungchanng GW; 12: A. patella, female, holotype, Russia, Primorye terr., Krounovka.

FIGURES 13 – 19. Araeopteron spp., male genitalia. 13: A. amoena, S. Korea, prep. 5119 NIAST, Suwon; 14: A. fragmenta, Japan, prep. 4842 O. Karsholt; 15: A. nebulosa, Russia, Primorye, prep. 5745 M. Fibiger; 16: A. makikoae, paratype, Russia, Primorye, prep. 5750 M. Fibiger; 17: A. ussurica Russia, Primorye, prep. 5747 M. Fibiger; 18: A. koreana, South Korea, prep. 5864 M. Fibiger; 19: A. flaccida, South Korea, prep. SJC- 244 - 1 Sohn.

FIGURES 20 – 29. Araeopteron spp., female genitalia. 20: A. fragmenta, Japan, prep. 4843 O. Karsholt; 21: A. amoena, South Korea, prep. 5179 NIAST, Suwon; 22: A. patella, paratype, South Korea prep. 5121 NIAST, Suwon; 23: A. nebulosa, Russia, Primorye, prep. 5746 M. Fibiger; 24: A. makikoae, paratype, Russia, Primorye, prep. 5753 M. Fibiger. 25 – 29: Araeopteron spp., structure of signum. 25: A. fragmenta; 26: A. amoena; 27: A. patella; 28: A. nebulosa; 29: A. makikoae.