Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) anatine Pekarsky

Pekarsky, Oleg, 2012, Two new species of Pseudohadena Alpheraky, 1889 from Kazakhstan (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Xyleninae), ZooKeys 187, pp. 9-34 : 10-13

Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) anatine Pekarsky sp. n. Figs 1-4

Holotype.

Male, S.W. KAZAKHSTAN, Ustyurt Res., Kendyrli (spring), 128 m, 42°57'N, 54°41'E, 3.x.2010, leg. P. Gorbunov; slide No.: OP1055m (coll. O. Pekarsky, deposited in the HNHM Budapest).

Paratypes.

4 males, with same data as holotype, slide No: OP1155m (male) (coll. O. Pekarsky); 1 male, with same data as holotype (coll. P. Gorbunov); 2 males, S.-W. KAZAKHSTAN, Ustyurt Nature Reserve, Kendyrli (spring), 128 m, 42°57'N, 54°41'E, 11.10.09 (coll. P. Gorbunov); 1 male & 1 female S.-W. KAZAKHSTAN, Ustyurt Nature Reserve, Oneri (cordon & spring), 42°36'N, 54°08'E, 12.10.09 (coll. P. Gorbunov); 2 males, S.-W. KAZAKHSTAN, Ustyurt Nature Reserve, Kendyrli (spring), 128 m, 42°57'N, 54°41'E, 28.09.10 (coll. P. Gorbunov); 1 male, Kazakhstan, Mangistauskaya, Karakiyanskyi, Ustyurt Plat., 9-15.10.2009, leg. V. Zurilina (coll. M. Dvořák), 1 female (coll. O. pekarsky); 2 males, SW Kazakhstan, Mangistau prov., Karakiya distr., Sand Tynyshtyk, 43°06'53"N, 054°11'39"E, 5.x.2010, leg. V. Zurilina (coll. O. Pekarsky); 1 female SW Kazakhstan, Ustyurt Res., Karynzharyk Sands, Saksorka, 42°42'N, 54°06'E, 7.v.2010 leg. P. Gorbunov, slide No: OP1193f (female) (coll. O. Pekarsky).

Diagnosis.

Pseudohadena anatine is placed in the subgenus Jaxartia due to its widely bipectinate male antenna and the digging armature of the foreleg consisting of 4 large, curved spine-like setae outside on the basitarsus and an additional spinose seta inside at its distal end (Figs 53, 54). In addition, the vestiture of the head and the thorax is bifurcated hair-like scales (Fig. 52), which is a conspicuous apomorphic character of the subgenus. It is a member of the evanida species-group, having a rather broad, less lanceolate fore wing with an indistinct noctuid pattern, strong valvae with subapical dilatation, large costal plate and semiglobular-ovoid corpus bursae.

The new species resembles Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) evanida evanida , Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) evanida psammoxantha , Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) pseudamoena and Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) deserticola by the beige-grey coloration of the fore wing with indistinct wing pattern; Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) magnitudinis and Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) cymatodes differ from Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) anatine by their well-developed characteristic wing pattern; Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) leucochlora can be distinguished from all mentioned congeners by its characteristic greenish fore wing ground colour. The broadly bipectinate male antenna of the new species is similar to those of Pseudohadena magnitudinis , Pseudohadena cymatodes and Pseudohadena evanida . Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) anatine can be distinguished externally from the closely related Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) evanida and Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) magnitudinis by the shorter and broader fore wing with an almost straight costal margin and less acutely pointed apex. The wing pattern of the new species is regularly more obsolescent than in the two closest relatives; however, rather unicolorous, less distinctly-marked specimens can be found in both Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) evanida and Pseudohadena (Jaxartia) magnitudinis . The male genitalia of the new species differ from those of the above-mentioned two species in the shape of the clasper, the size and shape of the digitus, and the structure of the vesica. Also, all related species have clearly recognisable differences in the microstructure of the walls of vesica. The new species is distinguishable from its closest relatives, Pseudohadena evanida and Pseudohadena magnitudinis , by its fairly curved, medially thicker clasper, small, spiculiform distal process of the digitus, and small, conical distal diverticulum of the vesica, whereas Pseudohadena evanida and Pseudohadena magnitudinis have a shorter, evenly wide, ribbon-like, less curved clasper, a much larger tooth-like distal process of the digitus, and a larger, much longer distal diverticulum of the vesica. The distal diverticulum of Pseudohadena anatine is covered by push-pin-like spinules with broad bases (Fig. 24), whereas the surface of the distal diverticulum is armed with elongated spinules with narrow bases in related species (Figs 35, 39).

The female genitalia of the new species differ from those of its relatives by the size of the entire organ, the shape and length of the ductus bursae, the shape of the corpus bursae and the shape of subgenital plate (8th abdominal segment). Pseudohadena anatine is easily separable from its closest relatives by the smaller size of the genitalia (total length 8 mm), the shorter and wider ductus bursae, and the acute edges of the subgenital plate. Pseudohadena evanida has larger genitalia (total length 8.5-9 mm), longer and narrower ductus bursae, a narrower subgenital plate with quadrangular edges. Pseudohadena magnitudinis is characterized by the even larger size of the female genitalia (total length 10 mm), longer ductus bursae and rather quadrangular edges of subgenital plate. In addition, the apophyses of the new species are as long as the ductus bursae, whereas the apophyses of related species are shorter than the ductus bursae.

Description.

Male (Figs 1-3). Wingspan 39-40 mm, length of fore wing 17 mm. Head, thorax, abdomen and fore wing beige grey; latter irrorated by black scales. Thorax and head covered with bifurcated hair-like scales (Fig. 52) some of which have black tip. Usual hair-like scales on metathorax long, thin, directed across abdomen. Black hair-like scales around eyes long and dense. Palpi short, covered with black hair-like scales on outer side and light-beige scales on inner side. Forewing broad and short with obtuse apex; costa straight; outer margin has almost straight termen. Wing pattern very indistinct, basal and subbasal lines marked as costal spots only; antemedial line represented by a few diffuse darker spots; medial line consists of a dark costal patch and shadow-like fascia; postmedial crossline traceable by black scales on veins; subterminal line variably strong, sinuous, marked by smaller or larger brown-grey arrowheads. Orbicular and reniform stigmata also less discernible, relatively large, roundish with light margins; claviform stigma diffuse or obsolete. Terminal line fine, continuous, grey brown; cilia long, narrow, variably strongly striated with dark brown. Hindwing pale, shining beige grey, transverse line present, discal spot pale but usually recognisable. Female (Fig. 4). As male but remarkably larger in size (wingspan 47 mm), with more obtuse apex of forewing.

Male genitalia (Figs 9-14, 21-29). Genital armature well sclerotized; uncus strong, hairy, with flattened and pointed tip; tegumen slender, moderately wide, 1.4 times shorter than vinculum; penicular lobes narrow, bearing long setae; juxta subdeltoidal with wide basal (ventral) plate and long triangular dorsal extension; vinculum sclerotized, rather V-shaped. Valvae symmetrical, massive, with widely parallel margins; cucullus triangular with pointed apex, corona weak; sacculus small with rounded, dorsal margin setose (clavus reduced); costa almost straight with small subapical salience; editum conspicuous, setose; clasper long, medially curved, thicker in middle and thinner at end, resembling head of a duck; costal plate large, digitus subapical, surpassing ventral margin of valva, small and spiculiform, very wide at base; ventral margin of valva and central area between sacculus and clasper weakly sclerotized. Aedeagus cylindrical, curved ventrally in distal part; carina with spinose field (Fig. 28). Vesica tubular, wider basally, everted forward, recurved laterally, scobinate with fine spinules (Fig. 22) except an area at base of proximal part (Fig. 29); partly membranous in proximal and medial parts; terminal end without scobination; medial diverticulum ratherlarge, scobinate, scobinations granular (Fig. 23); membranous clear space at border between spinules on main corpus of vesica and granules on medial diverticulum (Fig. 25), whereas opposite side of vesica and medial diverticulum with same granulose character of scobination (Fig. 27); distal diverticulum conical with broad base and narrower upper part, with scobination consisting of push-pin-like spinules with broad bases (Fig. 24). Terminal cornutus straight, long, strong and narrow, with rounded tip; folded area near cornutus covered by fine spinules (Fig. 26). Eight abdominal segment with characteristic sclerotized structures on both sides (Fig. 46); tergite with two symmetrical, well-sclerotized curved bars, connected by a cross-section bar in the anterior and weakly-sclerotized band in posterior part; posterior margin slightly concave; middle section of the tergite unsclerotized and looks like a rectangular window with rounded lateral margins, straight anterior margin and convex posterior margin; sternite tapering with sclerotized curved anterior and straight posterior margins with unsclerotized narrow ”window” anteriorly.

Female genitalia (Fig. 61). Ovipositor short, broad, papillae anales densely hairy, setae on apical edges short, sparse. Apophyses anteriores slender, apophyses posteriores thin with acute tips, as long as ductus bursae. Ostium bursae broad, short, ventral plate narrow. Ductus bursae short, broad, membranous with coarse wrinkles, its lateral sclerotization extending to appendix bursae and continuing ventrad. Appendix bursae small, rounded, well sclerotized, area near ductus bursae wrinkled and with large lateral sclerotized plate. Corpus bursae small, beveled ovoid, with three broad, short signa. Seventh abdominal segment heavily sclerotized; tergite a fully sclerotized pentagonal plate with parallel lateral sides and straight posterior margin; sternite narrow, strongly sclerotized with diffuse, almost straight anterior and concave posterior margins (Fig. 47).

Note.

The study of a large number of Pseudohadena moths belonging to different subgenera and species groups showed a lot of variability of some parts in their genital structure. For instance, the terminal cornutus is sometimes doubled (Figs 13, 14), occurring rarely in larger series of moths with ordinary structure.

Etymology.

The species name refers to the duck-like shape of the clasper.

Distribution.

The species is known only from its type-locality, South-west Kazakhstan, Ustyurt plateau.