Naarda hsuhonglini, Wu & Owada, 2022

Wu, Shipher & Owada, Mamoru, 2022, Further notes on the genu Naarda Walker, 1866 of Taiwan with description of a new species (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Hypeninae), Zootaxa 5138 (5), pp. 591-596 : 593-594

Naarda hsuhonglini sp. nov.

(Figs 1, 2, 5, 8)

Type material. Holotype. ♂, Taiwan, Nantou Co., Meifeng , 2,100 m, 29.VI.2012, leg. S. Wu & W. C. Chang, slide TFRI174249 ( TFRI) . Paratypes. Taiwan. 1♂, Hsinchu Co., Guanwu , 2,000 m, 29.VI.2011, leg. S. Wu & W. C. Chang, slide TFRI128533 ( TFRI) ; 1♂, same collecting locality, 17.VI.2015, leg. S. Wu & M. Owada ( TFRI) ; 1♂, same collecting locality, 25.VI.2015, H. Y. Huang & P. H. Chen, slide G20150625-931 ( TFRI) ; 1♂, same collecting locality, 25.VI.2015, H. Y. Huang & P. H. Chen, slide G20150707-341 ( TFRI) ; 1♀, Hualien Co., Tayuling , 2,560 m, 28.VI.2011, S. Wu & W. C. Chang, slide TFRI167407 ( TFRI) .

Diagnosis. The new species represents the largest species of Naarda in Taiwan, the fresh individuals have pale brown coloration and rather broad, rounded forewing reniform stigma than other Taiwanese species. According to the similarity of male genitalia, i.e., the well-separated, digitiform saccular process, the new species is potentially closely related to the Taiwanese endemic N. digitata Tóth & Ronkay, 2014 (Figs 3, 4, 6, 7) and can be separated well to other congeneric species. Besides, these two species can be more clearly distinguished by the gradually tapering uncus towards apex in the former rather than slightly dilated at medial part in the latter; by the cucullus slightly down-curved in the former rather than up-curved in the latter; by the apex of saccus acute in the former rather than V-shaped in the latter; by the sclerotized carina with dense spinules in the former rather than without spinules in the latter. In female genitalia, the new species is distinct to the paratype of N. digitata by the presence of two rounded lobes at the posterior part of lamella antevaginalis rather than the absence of the pair of lobes but the presence of deep incision at medial part of lamella antevaginalis.

Description. Adult (Figs 1, 2)—Length of forewing 10.0- 11.9 mm in males (n= 5), 13.4 mm in female (n=1). Male antenna filiform with fine, crest-like, ventral thickenings of each joint being broader than the diameter of flagellum, and with one pair of stout setae. Female antenna filiform, with one seta on each segment. Labial palps long, in male 4.5X, and in female 5.5X as long as the diameter of eyes; third segment long, covering with dense pale brown scales locating at dorsal side. Head, thorax, wings and abdomen pale brown. Forewing fasciae usually indistinct except postmedial line, postmedial line irregular, incised at outside of reniform stigma, reniform stigma large, broad, rounded with one small black dot locating near inner margin; hindwing paler than forewing, medial and postmedial lines present, slightly serrate.

Male genitalia (Fig. 5). Uncus curved at base, slightly tapering towards apex, tip with a hook-like structure. Scaphium slightly shorter than uncus, straight. Tegumen slightly longer than vinculum. Saccus long and sharp. Valva with base quite narrow, and bifurcated—a long costal section with distally slightly widening cucullus having rounded apex, and a narrow and short sacculus with a elongate, digitiform saccular process, apex of this process rounded. Costal section with cucullus 1.5X longer than sacculus. Aedeagus thick, straight, carinal process 1.5X longer than rest of aedeagus with dense covering of sclerotized spinules. Vesica globular with a small diverticulum.

Female genitalia (Fig. 8). Ovipositor lobes broad and rounded. Apophyses anteriores 0.67X shorter than apophyses posteriores. Lamella antevaginalis posteriorly dividing into two rounded, broad lobes. Ductus bursae as long as apophyses anteriores, sclerotized with longitudinal wrinkles. Corpus bursae membranous, pear-shaped with a small anterior diverticulum, slightly longer than apophyses posteriors in total.

Distribution and bionomics. Endemic to Taiwan. This species is distributed in mid-elevation primary broad-leaved forests (2,000 to 2,560 m) of Taiwan and occupies the highest elevation in the congeneric Taiwanese species.

Etymology. The name dedicates to Mr. Hsu-Hong Lin ( Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute, Nantou), who has been exploring the alpine fauna of Taiwan since 2006, and has been well placed to promote citizen science of moths in Taiwan for the past decade.