Apha chloralis Zolotuhin & Tran Thieu, 2020

Zolotuhin, Vadim V., Pugaev, Sergey N. & Du, Tran Thieu, 2020, A review of Apha floralis species group (Lepidoptera: Eupterotidae), Acta Biologica Sibirica 6, pp. 611-635 : 611

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/abs.6.e59529
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:482EFF14-668B-4A2F-94C2-900541A2821E
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F5413289-7E47-4A68-9197-B207F8623DA7
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:F5413289-7E47-4A68-9197-B207F8623DA7
treatment provided by	Acta Biologica Sibirica by Pensoft
scientific name	Apha chloralis Zolotuhin & Tran Thieu
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Apha chloralis Zolotuhin & Tran Thieu sp. nov.

Figs 13 View Figures 9–14 , 14 View Figures 9–14

Material examined.

Holotype, ♂, Vietnam, | Cha Val , Nam Giang , Quang | Nam, 15°35'21.9"N, | 107°29'01.9"E, RTS, 546 m, VD, | 28.V.2009, Tran Thieu Du leg. (coll. S. Pugaev) | [RTS means "secondary forest" and VD means " come to light trap "] (MWM, GU 35.635) GoogleMaps . Paratypes, ♂, Vietnam, Cha Val vill., Nam Giang , Quang Nam, 15°35'21.9"N, 107°29'01.9"E, RTS, 546 m, VD, 28.V.2009, Tran Thieu Du leg (IEBR) GoogleMaps ; ♂, Vietnam, S. Vietnam, Quang Nam Prov., Nam Giang Distr., Cha Val vill., secondary forest, 400 m [15°35'21.9"N, 107°29'01.9"E], 24.VI.2009, Tran Thieu Du leg (MWM, GU 17.744) GoogleMaps ; ♂, Central Vietnam, Quang Nam Prov., Phuoc Son Distr., Phuos My Comm. , Deo Lo Xo , 17.VII 2009, Du Thieu Tran leg. (coll. S. Pugaev) ; ♂, N. Vietnam, Cao Bang Prov., Phi Oak Mts., Nguyen Binh Distr., Thanh Cang comm., Phia Den vill., 22°34'N, 105°52'E, 1030 m, pupa 10.XI.2009, ex pupa 22.XII.2009, leg. S. Pugaev GoogleMaps (MWM, GU 35.634).

Eggs: C. Vietnam, Prov. Da Nang, comm. Hoa Vang, Ba Na Mts , Da Nang, 15°59.5'N, 107°59'E, 1.500 m, 08.XII 2009, leg. Tran Thieu. GoogleMaps

Description.

Male (Figs 13 View Figures 9–14 , 14 View Figures 9–14 ). Fore wing slightly rounded at apex. Brown to blackish basal fascia broad, distinct and prominent; the outer margin of the basal fascia is light coloured and blurred. Discal dot distinct, round, dark brown. Antemedial fascia crenulate. Postmedial fascia is yellow, not well expressed, straight, and with contrastingly dark brown basal shadow. Apical patch in the fore wings is yellow, sometimes enclosing a brown, large, semi-ovoid spot. Submarginal fascia dentate, weakly expressed. At the apex, the outer margin of the submarginal fascia is densely irrorated with dark brown scales. On the hind wing, the postmedial fascia is yellow, not clearly visible, with narrow, light brown inner shadow; submarginal fascia almost absent and only noticeable as dots on veins.

Male genitalia (Figs 26 View Figures 24–27 , 27 View Figures 24–27 ). Uncus lobes pointed, boomerang-shaped; their bases separated. Valvae wide at the base and narrowed distally, apically terminating with hook-shaped spurs. Saccus not developed. Aedeagus short and thick; its coecum is not longer than the width. Vesica slightly curved, with a ring lacking scobination in the medial zone where cornuti change their direction. The cornuti are of equal length.

Diagnosis.

The paler yellow ground colour distinguishes the species clearly from all other congeners except the externally similar A. kantonensis . Both species are found flying allopatrically and can only be reliably separated genitalically. The apex of the uncus lobes is tapered whereas it is spatulate in A. kantonensis , the distance between two first spurs on the valvae apex is much greater than in A. kantonensis has. The apical lobes of the uncus of A. kantonensis are more slender with apex expanded and round while in A. chloralis they are stouter, with medial widening and pointed apex; the valve of A. kantonensis has 3 spines of the same size while in A. chloralis the ventral spine is much larger than the dorsal and medial spines.

Etymology.

In Greek mythology, Chloris (or Flora in Roman mythology) was one of the wives of the god of the West Wind Zephyrus. “Chloris” also means a greenish yellow colour typical of the ground colour of the moth.

Preimaginal stages.

Eggs (Figs 35 View Figures 35–49 , 55 View Figures 50–57 ). The eggs are semispherical of the upright type, approximately 2.8 mm in diameter and height 1,2 mm, dark yellow without distinct pattern, with flattened base, and a micropyle lying in a small depression at the dorsal pole. Before hatching eggs turn darker brown.

L1 (Figs 37 View Figures 35–49 , 38 View Figures 35–49 ): Head, dorsum and ventral surface dark black; lateral surface of body pale yellowish blue with two thin, dark lines; thoracic legs, abdominal prolegs and anal prolegs reddish brown. Every body segment with 4 scoli, 2 on dorsum and 2 on lateral surfaces, with yellow spots under dorsal verrucae. Each scoli with many brownish white spine-like bristles and very long white hairs.

L2 (Figs 39 View Figures 35–49 , 40 View Figures 35–49 ): The colour, bristles and hairs in this instar are similar to those of L1, but spiracles now visible as small dark dots.

L3 (Figs 41 View Figures 35–49 , 42 View Figures 35–49 ): In general, this instar is not very different from L2, with only minor changes in the colour of the dorsolateral scoli and the spine-like bristles on them which now become reddish brown. The head is black. Legs and prolegs pale to orange.

L4 (Fig. 43 View Figures 35–49 ): The colouration, bristles and hairs now exhibit major changes to prior instars. Almost all the lateral surface becomes dark black with two brownish, interrupted longitudinal lines and spiracles now easily visible as yellowish white oval spots. All legs and prolegs become dark brown. The bristles and hairs completely change colour to reddish brown. There is a brown border on the head.

L5-L7 (Figs 44-48 View Figures 35–49 ): The same coloration and pattern as in L4, only with longer and more dense bristles and hairs after each moult; at the end of each instar, before moulting, the caterpillars lost many of their hairs. Caterpillar's body becomes completely dark brown, chaetae and setae hairs become light brown. The brown border on the head becomes more obvious, suture and labrum become light. Appendicular organs remain brown (lighter than body).

Pupa (Figs 31 View Figures 31–34 , 49 View Figures 35–49 ). The pupa is fusiform, with opaque surface, ca. 25 mm long, sclerites are partially covered with short golden setae. The maxillar palpus case reaches wing cases. Fore leg and mid leg cases as well as antennal case reaching that of maxillar palpus. The mandible cases are weakly visible. The cremaster is pointed, conical, with 8 - 10 hook-shaped chaetae arranged in a row, their bases surrounded by thick, short hairs (Figs 33 View Figures 31–34 , 34 View Figures 31–34 ). Antennae and mid legs are of equal length.

Rearing experience.

Rearing from eggs was carried out in this study (Figs 35-49 View Figures 35–49 ). The eggs found were laid in clusters of 10-30 on the lower surface on a leaf of an arboreal species of Fagaceae on 7.XII.2009 in the Ba Na Mountains, Da Nang province (Central Vietnam) at an altitude of about 1500 m. The larvae hatched on 23 to 24.XII.2009. The freshly hatched caterpillars were vigorously active and started to feed after one day. The caterpillars of this species are polyphagous and accept a number of different plants - they were reared on Dracontomelum duperreanum , Allospondias lakonensis ( Anacardiaceae); Hibiscus rosa-sinensis , H. mutabilis ( Malvaceae); Gardenia spp. ( Rubiaceae); Rosa spp. ( Rosaceae); Acacia mangium , A. auriculiformis ( Fabaceae); Salix babylonica ( Salicaceae); Cananga odorata ( Annonaceae); Dimocarpus longan ( Sapindaceae). In Hanoi, where the ambient ranges from about 15-20o C, the duration of each instar lasted about 14-19 days. The caterpillars all died at L7. The cause of death is unknown.