Udea altaica (Zerny, 1914) Zerny, 1914

Mally, Richard, Huemer, Peter & Nuss, Matthias, 2018, Deep intraspecific DNA barcode splits and hybridisation in the Udeaalpinalis group (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Crambidae) - an integrative revision, ZooKeys 746, pp. 51-90 : 68-70

Udea altaica (Zerny, 1914) stat. n. Figs 6, 15-18, 36-37, 47

Pyrausta austriacalis v. altaica Zerny, 1914: 334-335.

Type locality.

Mongolia, central Altai mountains.

Material examined.

Type specimens. Lectotype ♀ "Altai centr. | mont.", "Stgr. | [handwritten] 1914", “667.”, [handwritten] "P. austriacalis | v. altaica | Zerny ♀ [in red] Type", Mally prep. no. 1084 (NMW); Paralectotype ♂ (abdomen lost) "Altai centr. | mont.", "Stgr. | [handwritten] 1914", “666.”, [handwritten] "P. austriacalis | v. altaica | Zerny ♂ [in red] Type" (NMW). - Additional material. MONGOLIA. 3♂ 2♀ “Altai”, one of the ♂ also with [handwritten] "Alticolalis | BH i L", Mally prep. no. 1099 (♀), 1100 (♀), 1117-1119 (♂) (ZMHB); 1♂ 1♀ [handwritten] "Pyrausta | Alticolalis | Altai BH", Mally prep. no. 1090 (♂) & 1098 (♀) (ZMHB).

Diagnosis.

Proximal outer spur of hindleg minute (as in U. alpinalis , U. juldusalis and U. plumbalis ), whereas in U. austriacalis , U. cretacea , U. donzelalis and U. uliginosalis it is ca. half to two thirds the length of the proximal inner spur. The wing maculation of U. altaica can be confused with that of U. austriacalis , U. cretacea , U. donzelalis , U. juldusalis , U. plumbalis , U. uliginosalis and untypically maculated specimens of U. alpinalis (see Fig. 4 in Panigaj and Kulfan 2012), but it can be distinguished from all those species by the more or less distinct proximal brown section of the postmedial line on the ventral side of the forewing in both sexes (Figs 16, 18); in males, the proximal subterminal area of the ventral forewing side is as light brown as the central area (Fig. 16), whereas in the other species it is darker than the central area; on the hindwing ventral side, the subterminal area is only faintly darker than the central wing area in both sexes (Figs 16, 18), whereas the other species have a darker subterminal area, at least in the apex. In male genitalia only distinguishable from U. cretacea and U. uliginosalis by the small dentate ridge-like process on the posterior phallus apodeme, whereas in U. cretacea the sclerotisation at posterior phallus apodeme is a slim, elongate, apically dentate process emerging from the posteriormost end (Fig. 35), in U. uliginosalis a large hooked spine. In the female genitalia, the main signum is 3.1- to 3.4-times as long as broad, whereas in U. austriacalis the main signum is 3.4- to 4.4-times longer and in U. donzelalis 4.1- to 5.1-times longer than its maximum width (Tab. 1). The antrum is conical, widening posteriorly and is about twice as long as broad (Fig. 47), whereas in U. austriacalis and U. donzelalis the sclerotised antrum is predominantly tubular and 1- to 1.5-times as long as broad (Figs 45-46).

Redescription.

Head. As for U. austriacalis , part from: frons and vertex with cream-white scales; distal half of labial palps brown on the outside, basal half and inner sides cream white; maxillary palps cream-white with some brown scales mixed in; antennal length approx. 60 % of forewing length in males, approx. 70 % in females.

Thorax. As for U. austriacalis , apart from: legs cream-white on inner and outer sides; proximal pair of metatarsal spurs with outer spur minute and inner spur long, distal pair ca. half the length of the proximal inner spur, distal inner spur a bit longer than distal outer spur.

Wings. Forewing length 14 mm in males, 11 mm in females. Males and females with one frenulum bristle. Female forewing with more acute apex due to the straight costa (distally curved in males), and with outer wing margin (termen) of hindwing cut straight. Forewing upper side cream white with brown scales interspersed, giving it a dirty appearance; brownish subcostal line along the basal two third of the forewing; cell margin facing the forewing centre demarcated by a thin brown line, less prominent in females; outer medial area with a transverse cream white band lacking the interspersed brown scales; outer margin of cream white band delimited by diffuse grey postmedial line which leaves the costa in a right angle, bends inward at vein M1 and parallels the termen until the line reaches the dorsum; postmedial area homogenous greyish white, apex with more or less darker streak; termen with a slim brown margin and long, cream-white fringes. Hindwing upper side in males pale yellowish brown with diffuse light brown apex, in females light brown with a faint, slightly brighter medial band. Forewing underside in females vivid brown, with a darker, diffuse outer cellular spot and a darker postmedial area, demarcated by the postmedial line, maculation paler in males; slim whitish subcostal line along the basal two third of the forewing; fringes cream-white. Hindwing underside cream white with the subcostal and terminal areas tinted slightly brownish, the postmedial line more or less prominent.

Abdomen. Pale grey dorsally, slightly darker grey ventrally; distal segment margins greyish white, scales on terminal segment pale yellowish. Tympanum without broad short lobulus.

Male genitalia. (Figs 36-37) As for U. austriacalis , apart from: juxta nearly rhombical to broad drop-shaped, with small indention on each side dorsal of its greatest width, apex sharply bifid with narrow V-shaped medial incision ca. 1/4 of juxta length; ventral valva edge convex, with a slight bulge in the area to which the fibula is pointing; valva apex evenly rounded. An elongate triangular, apically tapering, strongly sclerotised fibula directed towards the distal sacculus, apical half narrowed to pointed, ventrad curved claw, ventral side of claw with flat ‘blade’; fibula emerging from an oval sclerotised lobe near base of costa which is very sparsely studded with thin long simple setae; posterior phallus apodeme dorsally and ventrally with elongate unsclerotised strip, right posterior phallus apodeme forming a sclerotised spatulate lobe with a medially protruding ridge containing at the posterior end two equal-sized teeth and a third tiny posterior-most tooth.

Female genitalia. (Fig. 47) As for U. austriacalis , apart from: signum 3.1- to 3.4-times as long as broad (n = 4); auxillary signum 52-67 % length of main signum (n=4); antrum conical, widening posteriorly, sclerotised section about twice as long as its diameter, with or without a narrowly V-shaped unsclerotised longitudinal indentation in the antrum’s dorsodistal sclerotisation; apophyses posteriores slender, approx. 60-80 % the length of the apophyses anteriores.

Immature stages.

Unknown.

Distribution.

The species is known from the central Altai mountains in NW Mongolia, the Küngöy Ala-Too (Kungey Alatau) Range in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and the Yulduz mountains in NW China (see Fig. 6); the Küngöy Ala-Too and Yulduz mountain ranges are part of the Tian Shan mountains.

Food plants.

Unknown.

DNA data.

Unavailable.