Flavala secunda Behounek, Han & Kononenko, 2012

Behounek, G., Han, H. L. & V. S. Kononenko, 2012, Two new genera and three new species of the Pantheinae from East Asia and China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Contribution to revision of Pantheinae VIII, Zootaxa 3587, pp. 78-88 : 81-82

Flavala secunda Behounek, Han & Kononenko , sp. n.

( Figs. 7, 8, 16)

Material examined. Holotype: male, North Vietnam, Prov. Lao Cai / Sa Pa, Mt. Fan Si Pan , 2400 m, viii.2008 (leg. local coll., ex coll Becher), coll. Behounek, ZSM München; genit. prep. 7419, BC ZSM Lep 48680 . Paratypes, 2 males, same locality and collector, viii. 2008, coll. Becher ; 1 male, N Vietnam, Mt Fan-si-pan, West side, Cha Pa , 22˚20’N 103˚40’E, 1600 – 1800 m, iv.1995, leg. Sinyaev & Simonov, ex coll. A.Schintlmeister, Museum Witt / genit. prep. 7331GB (coll. GB) ; 1 male, North Vietnam, Prov. Lao Cai / Sa Pa, Mt. Fan Si Pan , 2300 m, iii.2010 (leg. T. Ihle) Coll. Becher ( AB) .

Diagnosis. The new species is the second hidden species in the F. flavala group. Externally it looks intermediate between F. flavala and F. crypta , but more similar to the latter. Ground colour of forewing darker and somewhat more yellowish than in F. crypta (ash-grey in F. crypta , dark yellowish-grey in F. flavala ); wing pattern more coarse. Antemedial line incurved inwardly (in F. crypta straight); postmedial line more diffused, less distinct than in F. crypta , subterminal line more distinct than in F. crypta , but less than in F. flavala . Abdomen yellowishgrey (ach-grey in F. crypta ). Hindwing ground colour more yellowish than in F. crypta , but less yellowish than in F. flavala ; less suffused with grey compared with both species; terminal band lies somewhat remote from the wing margin separated by a pale greyish suffusion (in F. crypta it is almost adjacent to the wing margin, in F. flavala clearly separated from wing margin by a distinct yellow field. Underside of wings more yellowish than in F.crypta , with less developed dark elements of pattern: forewing with narrower terminal band and less expressed discal spot in comparison to F. flavala and F. crypta ; hindwing with weak diffused terminal band and small discal spot.,Male genitalia almost identical with F. flavala , and F. crypta , however, in F. crypta , the cucullus is longer and narrow, in F. secunda it is shorter and broader, but not as broad as in F. flavala . Distal end of valva, after saccular extension in F. crypta narrow, have more or less tapered, pointed ending. In F. secunda the end of valva is more blunt, but in F. flavala it is more blunt.

Description. Adult ( Figs. 7, 8). Wingspan 38 – 41 mm. Head and thorax covered with short whitish scales; vestiture of thorax formed by hair-like scales; patagia and tegulae whitish; ground colour of forewing yellowishbrown-grey, wing pattern formed by blackish lines; basal field, costal area and space behind reniform with whitish suffusion; subbasal field brownish-grey, with whitish suffusion; antemedial line black, distinct, slightly incurved outwardly; medial field yellowish brown-grey, with indistinct diffused medial shadow, darker in costal area; orbicular very small, as whitish spot; reniform distinct, formed by two whitish spots and black spot between, with dark surrounding line; postmedial line blackish, thin, dentate, diffused, costal area behind reniform and around postmedial line with whitish suffusion; subterminal field brownish-grey; subterminal line dark, diffused, surrounded with thin outer whitish line; terminal field brownish grey; terminal line as row of dark diffused streaks; cilia greyish-brown. Hindwing pale yellowish-grey, with weak greyish suffusion along inner margin, indistinct discal spot and diffused terminal band along outer margin, separated from margin by yellowish-grey field; cilia pale, yellowish-grey, dark opposite veins. Underside pale yellowish, with brownish-grey terminal band and blackish suffusion around distal part of discal cell on forewing and wide greyish-brown terminal band distantly along outer margin and discal mark on hindwing. Male genitalia ( Fig. 16) as described for the genus and in the paragraph “Diagnosis”. Female unknown.

Distribution. (Map 22). North Vietnam, probably Southwest China.

Etymology. The species name secunda means the second “hidden species” in the genus Flavala .

TREE. Diagram of DNA barcoding tree for Flavala spp.