Hermonassa nigricans Gao, Han & Kononenko, 2023

Gao, Biao, Han, Hui-Lin, Kononenko, Vladimir S. & Pan, Zhao-Hui, 2023, Five new species of the genus Hermonassa Walker, 1865 from Xizang Autonomous Region, China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae), ZooKeys 1179, pp. 35-61 : 35

Hermonassa nigricans Gao, Han & Kononenko sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2 , 11 , 12 , 23

Hermonassa anthracina : Sugi 1995: 90, pl. 117, fig. 3, genit. fig. 696 (♂), 732 (♀) (misidentification).

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, China, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Mt. Sejila, Cordyceps base, 4121 m, 9 Nov. 2016, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-101-1. Paratypes: China: 2 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Lulang town, Layue village, 2200 m, 14-15 Aug. 2014, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-20-2, GB-202-2; 1 ♂, 6 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Lulang town, Mt. Sejila, Yaguo, 3650 m, 22 Aug. 2014, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-19-2, GB-26-2, GB-28-1, GB-197-2, GB-200-2, GB-201-2, GB-204-2; 1 ♂, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Lulang town, Military depot, 3121 m, 3 Aug. 2015, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-119-1; 1 ♂, Aut. Reg. Xizanzhi City, Lulang town, 3506 m, 5 Aug. 2015, HL Han leg., genit. prep. GB-199-1; 1 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Lulang town, Mt. Sejila, Yaguo, 3150 m, 24 Aug. 2015, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-25-2; 1 ♂, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Mt. Sejila, Cordyceps base, 4121 m, 9 Nov. 2016, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-101-1; 1 ♂, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Zhangmai village, 13 Aug. 2017, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-120-1; 1 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Mt. Sejila, Cordyceps base, 17 Aug. 2017, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-108-2.

Diagnosis.

The new species is superficially very similar to H. anthracina (Figs 3 , 4 , 13-15 , 24 ), and H. kalamantra (Figs 5 , 6 , 16-18 , 25 ) and can barely be distinguished from these species by external characters. The new species is blackish-brown, somewhat darker than both other species; the antemedial line is somewhat broader than in both species, the postmedial line is doubled and more distinct than in both species. The hindwing is somewhat more whitish than in the related species. The main specific differences are in the genitalia of both sexes. In the male genitalia of H. nigricans sp. nov. the uncus is more massive and gradually expands from the base to the top (in H. anthracina and Hermonassa kalamantra it is suddenly expands from 2/3 of the base); the tegumen is broader than in both species; the harpe is more massive and the club-like top of harpe is more swollen compared with H. anthracina and Hermonassa kalamantra ; the sclerotised flattened extension of sacculus is rounded and directed upward (in H. anthracina it is directed straight, in H. kalamantra downward). The aedeagus of H. nigricans sp. nov. is larger than in related species, the carina is broader than in H. anthracina and H. kalamantra . In the female genitalia: the apophyses posteriores are broader and stronger (in H. anthracina and H. kalamantra they are slender); the antrum is more massive than in both species, the ductus bursae has two strong sclerotised bands (in H. anthracina they are broader and longer, not strongly sclerotised; in H. kalamantra they are 2 × shorter than in H. nigricans ).

Description.

Adult (Figs 1 , 2 ). Wingspan 30-32 mm. Head dark brown to black; labial palps brown; thorax black to brownish black; abdomen dark brown. Forewing ground colour blackish brown to smoky black; basal line black, double; antemedial line wavy, double, black, distinctly excurved at inner margin; median line very indistinct; postmedial line double, brownish black, excurved; subterminal line wavy and slightly black; terminal line black, dotted line; orbicular spot irregular and deep black; reniform spot crescent-shaped. Hindwing pale greyish white; discal spot arc-shaped, indistinct; vein brown; terminal line same as in forewing; fringe grey. Male genitalia (Figs 11 , 12 ). Uncus flat, from 1/3 of shovel-shaped base apically. Tegumen broad, ~ 2 × the length of uncus. Juxta tongue-shaped anteriorly, large and duck palm-shaped posteriorly. Valva bifurcated, basally broad; sacculus strongly sclerotised, sacculus process flat, tongue-shaped, rounded, with fold; harpe club-shaped, strongly sclerotised, exceed costal margin; cucullus densely setose. Saccus long U-shaped, sclerotised. Aedeagus narrow from caecum to carina and strongly sclerotised; caecum curved, with knife-shaped process at dorsal part. Vesica membranous, multiple median diverticula extending with a small cornutus. Female genitalia (Fig. 23 ). Papillae anales broad, slightly sclerotised. Apophyses anteriores ~ 1/4 × the length of apophyses posteriores. Ostium bursae broad, flat, antevaginal plate concave, strongly sclerotised. Ductus bursae flat, moderately sclerotised, with two strongly sclerotised irregular bands. Appendix bursae slightly sclerotised, wrinkled. Corpus bursae long, ~ 4 × length of ductus bursae, with longitudinal wrinkles, and two slender longitudinal signa bands.

Etymology.

The name of the new species is derived from the Latin word Hermonassa nigricans that means black.

Distribution and biology.

Hermonassa nigricans is distributed in southwest China (Aut. Reg. Xizang) and Nepal. The species is rather common in the grassland and shrubby areas in eastern spurs of the Tibet plateau (Aut. Reg. Xizang) at altitude 2200-4100 m. It occurs sympatrically with its related species H. anthracina and H. kalamantra. Collecting period range from early August to beginning of November.

Remark.

The species was reported from Nepal due to a misidentification; the adult and its male genitalia were illustrated by Sugi (1995) as H. anthracina (reproduced in Fig. 12 ).

Figures

Figures 1 - 10. Hermonassa spp., adults 1 H. nigricans sp. nov., ♂, holotype, China 2 Ditto, ♀, paratype 3 H. anthracina, ♂, holotype, China (ZFMK) 4 H. anthracina, ♀, China 5 H. kalamantra, ♂, holotype, Nepal (after Kovacs et al. 2018) 6 H. kalamantra, ♂, China 7 H. conusa sp. nov., ♂, holotype, China 8 Ditto, ♀, paratype, China 9 H. renifera, ♂, holotype, China (NACR) 10 H. shizukoae, ♂, holotype, India (NIAES).

Figures 11 - 18. Hermonassa spp., male genitalia 11 H. nigricans sp. nov., holotype, China, genit. prep. GB- 101 - 1 12 H. nigricans sp. nov., Nepal (referred as H. anthracina, after Sugi, 1995) 13 H. anthracina, paratype, China (ZFMK); 14 H. anthracina, China (after Kovacs et al. 2018) 15 H. anthracina, China, genit. prep. hhl- 3490 - 1 16 H. kalamantra, paratype, Nepal (after Kovacs et al. 2018) 17 H. kalamantra, China, genit. prep. hhl- 3489 - 1 18 H. kalamantra, China, genit. prep. hhl- 3488 - 1.

Figures 19 - 27. Hermonassa spp., male (19 - 22) and female (23 - 27) genitalia 19 H. conusa sp. nov., holotype, genit. prep. hhl- 3492 - 1 20 H. renifera, paratype (after Chen 1991) 21 H. shizukoae, holotype, India (after Sugi 1995) 22 H. shizukoae, Nepal (after Kovacs et al. 2018) 23 H. nigricans, paratype, genit. prep. hhl- 3493 - 2 24 H. anthracina, China, (after Kovacs et al. 2018) 25 H. kalamantra, Nepal (after Kovacs et al. 2018) 26 H. conusa sp. nov., paratype, China, genit. prep. hhl- 3491 - 2 27 H. shizukoae, paratype, India (after Sugi 1995).