Athetis biserrata Han & Kononenko, 2011

Han, H. L. & Kononenko, V. S., 2011, Twelve new species of Athetis Hübner, [1821] 1816 from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3068 (1), pp. 49-68 : 64-65

Athetis biserrata Han & Kononenko , sp. n.

( Figs. 11 , 25 , 36 )

Type material. Holotype: China: male, [Prov. Yunnan], " Likiang, ( China) provinz Nord Yuennan " 23.iv.1935 (H. Höne) (not dissected) . Paratypes: 67 specimens, same locality and collector, 17.iii.– 28.v.1935 (3 females dated 11.vi, 21.vii and 5.vii.1935), genit. prep. ZFMK 1729 f, 1730m, 1731m, 1732f, 1733m, 1734m, 1735m, Hö 58, Hö 58, Hö 119. The holotype and paratypes are deposited in the collection of ZFMK .

Diagnosis. Externally the new taxon differs from A. cinerascens and other Athetis species by the serrate antennae of the male and the slightly reddish tint of forewing ground color. Abdominal hair brushes missing. In the male genitalia it differs by the massive valva, the thin but strong, curved harpe, the broad digitus, and the rather thin aedeagus with long ribbon-like carina. The female differs by the long antrum, the short, folded ductus bursa and the relatively small and rounded corpus bursae.

Description. External appearance ( Fig. 11 ). Wingspan 32–34 mm. Antennae of male serrate, fasciculate; palps pressed, short, with 2nd segment wide, 3rd segment less than half length of 2nd, laterally dark brown; eyes surrounded with dark brown lashes; head and thorax covered with brown hair-like scales; head with erected hairs. Forewing brown with slightly reddish tint suffused with grayish; costal area darker; wing pattern weakly expressed; basal line indistinct, basal field with somewhat dark suffusion; subbasal line thin, darker than background, diffused, bordered outside with pale diffused line; veins with light grey suffusion; orbicular and reniform small, somewhat darker than background, bordered outside with thin pale line; ante- and postmedial lines thin, diffused, bordered outside with pale; subterminal pale line, contrasting with background; cilia brownish grey, with pale borderline. Hindwing greyish, somewhat lighter in inner part; discal spot traceable; cilia yellowish grey, with pale borderline. Male genitalia. ( Fig. 25 ). Abdominal hair brushes missing. Uncus missing; tegumen high, with relatively wide lobes, sclerotised; vinculum strong, U-shaped; juxta elongate, apically tapered, with fold in medial part; valva rather massive, elongated, with parallel margins, in distal fourth somewhat extended and curved dorsally; cucullus rounded, covered by thin hairs; sacculus with elongate broad lobe; harpe deposited at distal fourth of valva, curved inwardly, thin, but strong, pointed apically; costa strong, with wide pate-like acute extension under harpe. Aedeagus straigth, relatively thin, distally stronger sclerotised, carina with two thin sclerotised bands; vesica tubular, medially recurved, armed medially with moderate thin cornuti, apically scobinated. Female genitalia. ( Fig. 36 ). Ovipositor long, distally tapering, papillae anales elongated, apophyses posteriores and anteriores very long, slender, almost equal in length; ostium bursae split-like; antrum extremely large, long, sclerotised, with almost even apical margin laterally rounded, proximaly tapered; ductus bursae short, sclerotised, flattened, twice folded; corpus bursae relatively short, rounded, appendix bursa small, membranous, bursa membranous, somewhat stronger, with fine scobination in bottom half.

Etymology. The species name biserrata indicates the characteristic serrate structure of the male antennae of the species.

Distribution. South West China (Prov. Yunnan). The moths were collected mainly from March to May, few specimens collected in June and early July.

Figures

FIGURES 9–16. Athetis spp., adults. 9. A. flavicolor sp. n., male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 10. A. flavicolor sp. n., male, paratype, Thailand (AB); 11. A. biserrata sp. n., male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 12. A. minivalva sp. n., male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 13. A. longiharpe sp.n., male, holotype, China (NEFU); 14. A. bicornuta sp. n., male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 15. A. furcatula sp. n., male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 16. A. furcatula sp. n., male, paratype, China (NEFU).

FIGURES 25–29. Athetis spp., male genitalia. 25. A. biserrata sp. n., paratype, China, 1731ZFMK; 26. A. minivalva sp. n. Holotype, China, 1736ZFMK; 27. A. longiharpe sp.n., holotype, China, HHL-1976-1; 28. A. bicornuta sp. n., holotype, Hö1(Varga) ZFMK; 29. A. furcatula sp. n., paratype, China, HHL-1972-1.

FIGURES 35–41. Athetis spp., female genitalia. 35. A. flavicolor sp. n., paratype, Thailand, 4-090311VK; 36. A. biserrata sp. n., paratype, China, 1729ZFMK; 37. A. minivalva sp. n., paratype, China, 1726VK; 38. A. longiharpe sp.n., paratype, China, HHL-1975-2; 39. A. bicornuta sp. n., paratype, China, 1734ZFMK; 40. A. furcatula sp. n., paratype, China, 1726VK; 41. A. furcatula sp. n., paratype, China, HHL-1973-2.