Victrix (Poliobrya) akbet Volynkin, Titov & Černila, 2019

Volynkin, Anton V., Titov, Sergey V., Černila, Matjaž, Truuverk, Andro & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2019, A new species of Victrix Staudinger, 1879 from Kazakhstan (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 4563 (2), pp. 325-336 : 326-328

Victrix (Poliobrya) akbet Volynkin, Titov & Černila , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–4 , 17, 18 , 25, 28–30 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B5A1BA4F-9D55-4735-B797-B82ED29BD602

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 , 17 ): ♂, 12.VI.2013, NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar Region , Bayanaul district , Bayanaul Mts., vic. of Kempirtas Mt., steppe near rocks, 420 m, 50°51’24.65” N 75°34’37.21” E, A.V.Volynkin, S.V. Titov & M. Černila leg., slide AV1256 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. NHMUK, ex coll. CAV).

Paratypes: 118 specimens of both sexes, with the same data as the holotype, slides AV0940 ♂, AV1257 ♂, AV1271 ♀ Volynkin (Colls STP, CAV, MČK, MDS, ASV, NHMUK) ; 41 specimens of both sexes, 12–14. VI .2014, NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar Region , Bayanaul district , Bayanaul Mts. , eastern coast of Toraygyr lake, Obet Bulak gorge, N50°52.113', E75°40.286', 380 m, steppe near rocks, Volynkin A.V. & Titov S.V. leg. (Colls STP and CAV) ; 10 ♂, 8 ♀, 16. VI .2017, same locality, Titov S.V. leg. (Coll. STP) ; 8 ♂, 4 ♀, 16. VI.2018, same locality and collector (Coll. STP) ; 3 ♂, 27.V.2015, NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar area , Bayanaul district , Bayanaul Mts., vic. of Nayzatas Mt., 50°51'7.81"N 75°34'1.44"E, M. Černila, S.V. Titov & M. Kučinić leg. (Coll. STP) ; 3 ♂, 2–3. VI .2015, Central Kazakhstan, Karaganda region , Aktogay district, Bektau Ata Mts., 47°25'57.0"N 74°48'00.0"E, S. V.Titov & M. Černila leg. (Colls STP & CAV) ; 1 ♂, 07. VI.2012, E Kazakhstan, Zaisan district , south of Zaisan Lake, Manrak Mts., h= 1400 m, 47°18’ N, 84°36’ E, Yakovlev R.V. leg., slide AV1305 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. CAV) .

Etymology. Akbet is a highest mountain in the Bayanaul mountain massif.

Diagnosis. Externally, V. akbet resembles dark specimens of V. fabiani ( Figs 5–8 ), but differs by its shorter forewing with a less elongated apex and darker forewing ground color. The male genitalia of V. akbet ( Figs 17, 18 ) are more similar to those of V. frigidalis ( Figs 9, 10 , 19, 20 ) but differ by their somewhat slender uncus, basally broader and distally narrower valva, smaller subapical valva process and basally narrower vesica. Compared to those of V. fabiani ( Figs 21, 22 ), the male genitalia of V. akbet have a relatively shorter uncus, a much broader basally valva, a longer and narrower setose valva apex field, and a shorter and broader valva subapical process. The male genitalia of V. akbet differ from those of V. umovii ( Fig. 23 ) as their uncus is more strongly curved medially and they have a narrower valva apex, broader vesica and slightly larger cornutus. Compared to those of V. patula , the male genitalia of V. akbet have a slightly longer uncus, a significantly broader basally valva, a slightly more prominent valva apex, a more massive subapical process of valva and a larger cornutus in the vesica. The female genitalia, V. akbet ( Fig. 25 ) differs from V. frigidalis ( Fig. 26 ) by its shorter apophyses posteriores, somewhat longer lateral processes of the antrum, and broader and longer sclerotized anterior part of the ductus bursae. Compared to those of V. umovii ( Fig. 27 ), the female genitalia, V. akbet have a significantly broader antrum and larger appendix bursae. The females of V. fabiani and V. patula are unknown.

Molecular data. As the male genitalia of Poliobrya species are very similar, COI 5’ sequences of four specimens of V. akbet from two localities (Bayanaul Mts. and Bektau-Ata Mts.) were compared with COI 5’ sequences of one V. frigidalis specimen from SW Mongolia, two V. fabiani specimens from two localities in West Mongolia and six V. umovii specimens from three localities in Russia and West Mongolia (see Table 1). The distance between the specimens of V. akbet and the specimen of V. frigidalis is 2.32–2.48% ( Fig. 34 ). The distance between the specimens of V. akbet and the specimens of V. fabiani is 2.02–2.34%. The distance between the specimens of V. akbet and the specimens of V. umovii is 1.54–1.85% ( Fig. 34 ). COI 5' sequences of Victrix akbet can be diagnosed from those of sequenced V. frigidalis , V. fabiani and V. umovii specimens by the following unique combination of six character states: 102(G), 133(T), 241(T), 400(T), 407(T) and 553(C), while V. fabiani is characterized by a unique combination of the following six character states: 16(A), 142(C), 368(A), 389(A), 499(G) and 562(G); V. frigidalis is characterized by a unique combination of seven character states: 69(T), 169(C), 220(C), 229(G), 370(G), 474(G) and 574(T); Victrix umovii is widespread, and COI 5' sequences of its different populations have five variable states, while three character states are unique for the species in comparison with other sequenced Poliobrya species: 364(C), 379(C) and 646(C) (see Table 2).

Description. Adult ( Figs 1–4 , 28–30 ). Forewing length 11–14 mm in males (12 mm in holotype) and 13–14 mm in females. Antennae ciliate. Head and thorax dark, blackish brown with admixture of olive-green scales; abdomen pale brown with a mixture of blackish brown scales. Forewing moderately broad, trigonal, with rounded apex. Forewing ground color dark greenish brown, often with light brown suffusion in the medial area. Orbicular and reniform stigmata dark, blackish-brown; subbasal line blackish, wavy; antemedial line irregularly wavy, double, whitish proximally and blackish distally; postmedial line wavy-dentate, double, blackish proximally and whitish distally; subterminal line diffuse, irregularly wavy, pale brown; terminal line blackish, present as a row of blackish dots between the veins; cilia greenish brown. Hindwing pale greyish brown, subterminal and medial lines present, both diffused, dark brownish grey. Discal spot large, semilunar, diffused, dark brownish grey. Cilia brownish grey. Male genitalia ( Figs 17, 18 ). Uncus long, narrow, curved, apically pointed. Tegumen short, moderately broad. Juxta broad, shield-shaped. Vinculum short, V-shaped. Valva massive, lobe-like, basally broad, distally slightly narrowed, its apical part with setose field; subapical process moderately long, trigonal, apically pointed. Aedeagus long, narrow, almost straight; vesica moderately long, curved, with long plate-like cornutus on short subapical diverticulum. Female genitalia ( Fig. 25 ). Ovipositor short, conical. Apophyses posteriores and anteriores elongated, thin. Antrum large, sclerotized, funnel-like, with short trigonal postero-lateral processes. Ductus bursae long, its posterior part short, membranous; anterior part long, sclerotized, dorso-ventrally flattened, curved posteriorly. Appendix bursae short, C-shaped; corpus bursae short, saccate.

Distribution and bionomics. The new species is known from the Kazakh Upland (Bayanaul mountain massif in the Pavlodar Region and Bektau-Ata mountain massif in the Karaganda Region) and the Saur-Tarbagatai mountain massif (Manrak Ridge in the East Kazakhstan Region). In both, Bayanaul and Bektau Ata Mts., V. akbet inhabits rocky buttes at medium altitudes ( Figs 28–33 ). Moths fly from late May until late June. Preimaginal stages are unknown.

10 16 69 102 133 142 169 220 229 241 265 274 287 364 368 370 379 389 400 407 412 433 474 499 548 553 562 574 586 622 646 Voucher No. V. akbet PT

T T C G T T T T A T A C T T G A A G T T A T A T C C A C T A T MH986009 Bektau-Ata

V. akbet PT

T T C G T T T T A T A C T T G A A G T T A T A T C C A C T A T MH986010 Bektau-Ata

V. akbet PT

C T C G T T T T A T A C T T G A A G T T A T A T C C A C T A T MH986011 Bayanaul

V. akbet PT

T T C G T T T T A T G C T T G A A G T T A T A T C C A C T A T MH986012 Bayanaul

V. frigidalis

T T T A C T C C G A A C T T G G A G C C A T G T T T A T T G T MH 986005 SW Mongolia

V. fabiani BC ZSM

T A C A C C T T A A A C T T A A A A C C A T A G C T G C G G T

W Mongolia Lep 90260 V. fabiani

T A C A C C T T A A A C T T A A A A C C A T A G C T G C T G T MH 986004 W Mongolia

V. umovii

Mongolian T T C A C T T T A A A C C C G A C G C C A C A T C T A C T A C MH986006 Altai

V. umovii

T T C A C T T T A A A C T C G A C G C C G T A T T T A C T A C MH 986007 Russian Altai

V. umovii

T T C A C T T T A A A C T C G A C G C C G T A T C T A C T A C MH 986008 Russian Altai

V. umovii

T T C A C T T T A A A T T C G A C G C C A T A T C T A C T A C MM19106

S Ural

V. umovii

T T C A C T T T A A A T T C G A C G C C A T A T C T A C T A C MM19107

S Ural

V. umovii

T T C A C T T T A A A T T C G A C G C C A T A T C T A C T A C MM19108

S Ural

Figures

FIGURE 34. Neighbor-joining tree of COI (658bp) partial gene sequences of Uictrix spp.

FIGURES 1–8. Uictrix spp.: adults. 1, U. akbet, holotype ♂, Bayanaul Mts. (NHMUK); 2, U. akbet, paratype ♂, Bayanaul Mts. (CAV); 3, U. akbet, paratype ♂, Bayanaul Mts. (CAV); 4, U. akbet, paratype ♀, Bayanaul Mts. (CAV); 5, U. fabiani, holotype ♂, Mongolia (HNHM, photo by G& L. Ronkay); 6, U. fabiani, holotype ♂ of reservata, Russia (SZMN); 7, U. fabiani, ♂, SW Mongolia (CAV); 8, U. fabiani, ♂, W Mongolia (CAV).

FIGURES 17–20. Uictrix spp.: male genitalia. 17, U. akbet, holotype, NE Kazakhstan, slide AV1256 Volynkin; 18, U. akbet, paratype, E Kazakhstan, slide AV1306 Volynkin; 19, U. frigidalis, holotype, S Mongolia (photo by V.S. Kononenko); 20, U. frigidalis, paratype, S Mongolia, slide 1075 Volynkin.

FIGURES 25–30. Uictrix spp.: female genitalia (25–27) and adults in nature (28–30). 25, U. akbet, paratype, NE Kazakhstan, slide AV1271 Volynkin; 26, U. frigidalis, SW Mongolia, slide AV1258 Volynkin; 27, U. umovii, holotype, “Simbirsk”, slide AV1077 Volynkin; 28, U. akbet, NE Kazakhstan, Bayanul Mts, Toraygyr Lake, 13.VI.2014 (photo by A.V. Volynkin); 29, U. akbet, NE Kazakhstan, Bayanul Mts, vic. of Nayzatas Mt., 27.V.2015 (photo by S.V. Titov); 30, U. akbet, C Kazakhstan, Bektau Ata Mts, 03.VI.2015 (photo by S.V. Titov).

FIGURES 9–16. Uictrix spp.: adults. 9, U. frigidalis, paratype ♂, S Mongolia (HNHM, photo by G & L. Ronkay); 10, U. frigidalis, ♀, SW Mongolia (CAV); 11, U. umovii, holotype ♀, “Simbirsk” (ZISP); 12, U. umovii, ♂, Russia, W Siberia, Tyumen Reg. (ZISP); 13, U. umovii, ♂, Russia, Altai Mts (CAV); 14, U. umovii, ♂, W Mongolia, Altai Mts (CAV); 15, U. patula, syntype ♂, China, Xinjiang, Korla (ZMB); 16, U. patula, syntype ♂, China, Xinjiang, Korla (ZMB).

FIGURES 21–24. Uictrix spp.: male genitalia. 21, U. fabiani, paratype of reservata, Russia, slide AV1076 Volynkin; 22, U. fabiani, SW Mongolia, slide AV1254 Volynkin; 23, U. umovii, Russia, slide AV1260 Volynkin; 24, U. patula, syntype, China, Xinjiang, slide MB280 Boursin.