Gandhara typica Volynkin & Černý, 2023

Volynkin, Anton V., Černý, Karel, Huang, Si-Yao & Hu, Hua-Lin, 2023, Taxonomic review of the Oriental genus Gandhara Moore with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Zootaxa 5374 (3), pp. 390-408 : 393

Gandhara typica Volynkin & Černý , sp. n.

( Figs 2–6 , 25, 26 , 39 )

= Gandhara serva : Moore (1878: 15, pl. 1: fig. 7)

= Gandhara serva : Dubatolov & Zolotuhin (2011: 368, fig. 11)

= Gandhara serva : Kirti & Singh (2015: 133)

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 3 , 25 ): male, “ Myanmar (Burma) | 21 km E Putao | Nan Sa Bon village | 550m, 1– 5.V.1998 | leg. Murzin & Sinjaev [recte: Sinyaev] | Museum Witt” / “Slide | ZSM Arct. | 2019-1094♁ | A. Volynkin ” (MWM/ ZSM).

Paratypes. MYANMAR: 94 specimens of both sexes, same data as holotype (MWM/ ZSM) ; 78 specimens of both sexes, 25 km E Putao, env. Nan Sa Bon vill., 800m, 6–9. V .1998, Murzin & Sinyaev leg., gen. prep. Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2019-1128 (male), ZSM Arct. 2019-1112 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) (MWM/ ZSM); NEPAL: 7 males, 6 females, Annapurna Himal , 1700m, 1 km N of Tal, 28°28’N 84°23’E, 08. VI .1996, Hreblay & Szaboky leg., gen. prep. Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2019-1123 (male), ZSM Arct. 2019-1111 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) (MWM/ ZSM); 1 male, Annapurna Himal , 1000m, 1 km S of Bahundanda, 28°20’N 84°25’E, 06. VI .1996, Hreblay & Szaboky leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2019-1084 (prepared by Volynkin) (MWM/ ZSM); 1 male, Annapurna Himal , 850m, 1 km N of Besisahar, 28°14’N 84°23’E, 05. VI .1996, Hreblay & Szaboky leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2019-1122 (prepared by Volynkin) (MWM/ ZSM); INDIA: 27 specimens of both sexes, Arunachal Pradesh, near Etalin , 700m, 12–15. V .1997, local collector leg., gen. prep. Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2019-1085 (male), ZSM Arct. 2019-1127 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) (MWM/ ZSM); THAILAND: 1 male, Changwat Nan, 30 km E Pua , 1700m, 22–23.IX.1999, A. Szabó & Z. Czere leg., gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2019-1093 (prepared by Volynkin) (MWM/ ZSM).

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 13.0–14.0 mm in males and 15.0–16.0 mm in females. The male genital capsules of the four species are very similar but in G. typica sp. n. and G. clava sp. n., the lobes of the anellus are more heavily serrulate than in the other two congeners. The reliable differences between the species are found in the vesica configuration: in G. typica sp. n., the vesica is the longest in the species-group (ca. twice longer than the phallus tube). Compared to the aforementioned congeners, the female genitalia of G. typica sp. n. have a longer ductus bursae and a narrower posterior section of the corpus bursae. Additionally, the antrum of the new species is markedly narrower than in G. emgai sp. n. and G. interrogativa sp. n.

Distribution. The species is widespread from Nepal and North and Northeast India (Himachal Pradesh, north of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh) through northern Myanmar (Kachin State) to Northern Thailand (Nan Province).

Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the fact that the new species is fixed as the generotype. The name is an adjective in apposition to the generic name.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Gandhara spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1: an original painting from Moore (1878); 2 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 3–8 in MWM/ZSM.

FIGURES 25–27. Gandhara spp.: male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in MWM/ZSM.

FIGURES 39–42. Gandhara spp.: female genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in MWM/ZSM.