Dasypolia maria Volynkin

Volynkin, Anton V., 2012, A review of the genus Dasypolia Guenée, 1852 from the Russian part of the Altai Mountain Country, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3478, pp. 416-428 : 419

Dasypolia maria Volynkin sp. n.

( Figs. 5, 6 , 32, 33 , 54, 55 )

Type Material. Holotype: male, 19–20.ix.2010, Altai Republic, Ulagan district, Aktash village, bottom of southern steppe stony slope, h = 1350 m. 50°19' N, 87°35' E. On light. Volynkin A.V. & Černila M. leg. [Coll. ZISP]. Paratypes: 2 males, Russian Fed., S Siberia, Altaj Rep., Ulagan distr., Aktash vil., 1400 m a.s.l., 23.ix.2010, 50°19'18" N, 87°35'48" E, Černila M. [Coll. MČK].

Diagnosis. The new species belongs to Dasypolia akbar species group which includes two species – Afghanistanian-Himalayan D. akbar Boursin, 1968 ( Fig. 7, 8 ) and Himalayan D. melancholica Hacker & Peks, 1992 ( Fig. 9 ) ( Hacker & Peks 1992). D. maria is externally similar to both species, and differ by smaller size, more rounded tornus of forewing and more diffused submarginal line. The male genitalia of D. maria ( Figs. 32, 33 ) differ from D. akbar ( Fig. 34 ) by shorter and basally wider uncus, wider juxta, slightly narrower valva, more massive digitus, longer harpe with medial loop strongly extending beyond the costa; from D. melancholica it differs ( Fig. 35 ) by shorter and basally wider uncus, wider juxta, narrower valva, more massive digitus, slightly shorter harpe with anterior loop strongly extending beyond the costa and distal part not extending over the lateral margin of valva.

Description. External morphology ( Figs. 5, 6 ). Wingspan 33–40 mm, length of forewing 15–18 mm. Male antennae serrate and fasciculate. Labial palps short, porrect. Head, thorax and abdomen olive brown. Ground colour of forewing olive brown. Antemedial and postmedial lines thin, dark; antemedial line strongly dentate; postmedial line repandodentate. Subterminal line wavy, dentate, pale, diffused. Terminal line dark, thin, poorly defined. Medial area strongly darkened. Terminal area slightly paler than subterminal. Orbicular pale, very small; reniform small, pale, oval, with dark reniform nucleus. Cilia brownish grey. Hindwing brownish grey. Medial line broad, strongly diffused, grey. Discal spot dark, semilunar, thin. Male genitalia ( Figs. 32, 33 ). Uncus short, moderately long, obtuse apically. Tegumen short, rather broad, with small penicular lobes. Juxta strongly sclerotized, broad, subdeltoidal, apically with deep incision; lateral lobes with long and slender apical processes; medial apical process moderately long, rather broad. Vinculum rather short, massive, V-shaped. Valva broad, rather short; cucculus large, broad, apically rounded, dorsally curved. Costal process long, broad, massive, apically narrowed. Clavus small, rounded, setose. Harpe very long, narrow, basally slightly broadened, apically rounded, Sshaped, with proximal loop strongly extending beyond the costa. Aedeagus tubular, rather narrow, almost straight; carina with strongly sclerotized finely dentate dorsal plate. Vesica narrow, tubular, membranous, dorsally curved, with short and broad ventral diverticulum and two very small dorsal diverticuli. Female unknown.

Bionomics & Distribuition. The species has been collected in dry habitats on steppe rocky slopes with bushes at medium altitudes ( Fig. 55 ). The species is known only from the type locality, the southern macroslope of the Aigulaksky Ridge near the Aktash village in the Central Altai.

Etymology. The species name is dedicated to Maria S. Ivanova, botanist and the author’s wife.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Dasypolia and Tholera spp., adults. 1, Dasypolia templi, male, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB]; 2, D. templi, male, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB]; 3, D. templi, female, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB]; 4, D. templi, female, Russia, Altai Mts., Tigireksky Ridge [AVB]; 5, D. maria, male, holotype, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [ZISP]; 6, D. maria, male, paratype, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [MČK]; 7, D. akbar, male, holotype, Afghanistan (photo by U. Buchsbaum) [ZSM]; 8, ditto, labels (Photo by U. Buchsbaum); 9, D. melancholica, female, paratype, N India, Himachal Pradesh, after Hacker & Peks, 1992; 10, Tholera cespitis, male, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB].

FIGURES 30 – 35. Dasypolia spp., male genitalia. 30, D. templi, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0428 Volynkin; 31, D. templi, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0392 Volynkin; 32, D. maria, holotype, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0407 Volynkin; 33, D. maria, paratype, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0587 Volynkin; 34, D. akbar, holotype, Afghanistan, ZSM Genitalprp. 960 Boursin (photo by U. Buchsbaum); 35, D. melancholica, paratype, N India, Himachal Pradesh, Pr. 5382 Hacker, after Hacker & Peks, 1992.

FIGURES 54 – 55. 54, Map of type localities of Dasypolia: orange point— D. tuektiensis, green point— D. bubnovae, blue point — D. maria; 55, Collecting site: vicinity of Aktash, Aigulaksky Ridge. Type locality of D. maria and locality of D. templi, D. lama and D. tuektiensis.