Barsine pulchra (Butler, 1877)

Volynkin, Anton V., Černý, Karel, Huang, Si-Yao & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2022, On the taxonomy of Barsine striata (Bremer & Grey) and Barsine pulchra (Butler) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) with descriptions of three new species from Indochina, Zootaxa 5175 (2), pp. 253-274 : 262-267

The Barsine pulchra species group

Diagnosis. Species of the group are characterised by the broad, orange-scarlet or scarlet stripes between veins occupying most part of the forewing area, and the transverse lines consisting of rows of black spots on veins. The male genital capsule is typical of the most species groups of the genus, but the basal saccular process is relatively short (in proportion to the valva length), and the ventral lobe of the distal saccular process is long (in proportion to the length of the distal lobe). However, the vesica configuration of the species group is characteristic: the 1 st medial diverticulum is strongly elongate and weakly scobinated, the 2 nd medial diverticulum is long and very broad (in proportion to the phallus size), and the 3 rd medial diverticulum is short (whereas it is extremely elongate in most of other congeners).

Description. External morphology of adults. Head yellow or orange with black dot on frons. Thorax orangescarlet or deep scarlet with two black dots postero-medially. Tegula and patagia orange with black dot medially, edged with orange-scarlet or deep scarlet scales. Forewing ground colour deep yellow with orange-scarlet or scarlet stripes between veins. Pattern elements dark greyish-brown. Subbasal spot small, dot-like.Antemedial line smoothly curved medially, interrupted into small spots on veins. Medial line nearly straight, only slightly curved medially and at costa, interrupted into spots on veins. Postmedial line smoothly curved medially and anteriorly, interrupted into short dash-like spots on veins. Postmedial area with elongate thin lengthwise stripes of various lengths on veins, which may be fused with spots of postmedial line. Cilia monotonous deep yellow. Hindwing deep pink with yellow suffusion. Abdomen pink with yellow suffusion. Male genitalia. Uncus elongate and slender, slightly down curved postmedially, tapered subapically, with tiny claw-shaped tip. Tuba analis with thin and weakly sclerotised scaphium and subscaphium represented as setose area. Tegumen moderately broad. Vinculum slightly shorter than tegumen, more or less V-shaped but apically rounded. Valva lobular, somewhat dilated medially with triangular and apically rounded distal membranous lobe. Medial costal process asymmetrically triangular with elongate base and narrow and apically rounded tip. Distal costal process short, crest-like, triangular or trapezoid. Basal saccular process moderately elongate, slender, distally tapered and apically rounded, with smoothly up curved distal section. Juxta short but broad, X-shaped with shorter posterior lobes, consisting of two sclerotised plates connected by medial thin lengthwise membranous commissure. Phallus cylindrical, nearly straight, slightly dilated distally. Vesica broad (in proportion to phallus size). 1 st medial diverticulum strongly elongate and apically rounded or rectangular, membranous with granulation distally and postero-laterally. 2 nd medial diverticulum long and broad, sack-like, granulose, bearing cluster of large short but broad triangular cornuti of different sizes latero-basally and similar but much smaller cornuti latero-distally. 3 rd medial diverticulum narrow and very short, apically rounded, covered with small short triangular cornuti. 4 th medial diverticulum semiglobular, more or less equal in length to 3 rd one, covered with short triangular cornuti laterally. 5 th medial diverticulum short but broad, semiglobular, bearing broad cluster of numerous small triangular cornuti of various sizes apically and medially, and scobination basally. Basal plate of vesica ejaculatorius long, broadly triangular, heavily sclerotised. Female genitalia. Papilla analis trapezoid with rounded corners, weakly setose. Apophyses long and thin, more or less equal in length. Ductus bursae short (more or less equal in length to ovipositor) and broad, dorso-ventrally flattened, sclerotised with membranous margins and anterior end, its posterior section with several lengthwise subostial folds. Corpus bursae broad, globular, membranous at junction with ductus bursae. Medial section of corpus bursae with broad rugose elongate medial sclerotised plate. Anterior section of corpus bursae thin gelatinous with elliptical serrulate signum with medial lengthwise groove. Appendix bursae positioned postero-laterally on right side, scobinated with broadly conical proximal and narrowly conical distal sections.

Distribution. Japan, southern Russian Far East, Korean Peninsula, continental China, and northern Indochina.