Asuridia inouei Wu & Fu, 2013

Wu, Shipher & Fu, Chien-Ming, 2013, The genus Asuridia Hampson, 1900 in Taiwan, with descriptions of two new species (Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini), Zootaxa 3737 (5), pp. 595-599 : 596

Asuridia inouei Wu & Fu , sp. nov.

( Figs 5, 6 , 9, 10 )

Asuridia rubripennis: Inoue, 1988: 102 , fig. 7, nec Inoue, 1988.

Asuridia camipicta: Kishida, 1978: 27 , fig. 3. (misspelling of carnipicta ), nec Butler, 1877.

Type material. Holotype. Male, TAIWAN, Taipei County, Xindian , 8-VIII-2013, leg. Y. J. Chang , Paratypes: TAIWAN, 1 male, Taipei City, Neihu, Zhongyingshan , 250 m, 7-X-2009, leg. S. Wu ; 1 male, Taipei City, Muzha, Changshanzi , 15- X-2013, leg. S. H. Huang ; 1 male, Pintung County, Shouka , 450 m, 22-XII-2011, leg. Y. C. Lin ; 1 male, from the same locality, 26-IV-2012, leg. Y. C. Lin (all types are preserved in coll. TFRI).

Diagnosis. This species is closely related to the Taiwanese A. kishidai sp. nov. and can be distinguished by its smaller wingspan (less than 21 mm, cf. greater than 23 mm); by the postmedial line laced in its median part, rather than obtuse as in A. kishidai ; by the absence of ventro-basal spinose tufts of the valval sacculus; and by the subapical costal extension (digitus) being elongate and prominent with scattered spinose tufts, rather than rounded with dense spinose tufts at the apex of the digitus.

Description. Adult ( Figs 5, 6 ). Wingspan 20–21 in males (n= 5). Antenna ciliate, male with a pair of long bristles on each segment, bristles as long as the diameter of shaft in median region. Head, thorax pale rosy-red, abdomen pinkishochreous. Forewing apex pointed; outer margin smoothly excurved; ground coloration pale rose red, costal margin dark grey; transversal lines prominent, dark grey, antemedial line double-peaked, medial line stout, nearly straight, postmedial line curved outward from costal margin to CuA 1, then crenellate-laced towards tornus; submarginal striae short; marginal scales dark grey. Hindwing pale reddish-ochreous; medial and postmedial lines indistinct, light grey; discal spot small, light grey; marginal scales dark ochreous. Male genitalia ( Figs 9, 10 ). Uncus sclerotized, slightly curved downward at medial part, apex tapering; tegumen long and narrow; vinculum short; saccus U-shaped; juxta slightly sclerotized, weak; valva sclerotized, apical section rounded, supapical costal extension (digitus) arising from ¾ part of costal margin and projecting towards distal end of sacculus; digitus elongated and prominent with scattered spinose tufts; sacculus stout, apex not protruded. Aedeagus stout, spinose patches arising from two lateral sides of manica; dorsal part of vesica scobinate, basal part expanded, gradually tapering distally, two moderate spinose patches arising from dorsal part of vesica; a weak sclerotized plate present between the two spinose patches.

Etymology. Dedicated to the late Hiroshi Inoue, a great pioneer researcher of Taiwanese moths.

Notes. This new species is endemic to Taiwan. It ranges across the entire island in lower mountain ranges (below 800 m). The adults occasionally occur in April , August , October and December , possibly with more than two generations per year. The immature stages remain unknown. This species had previously been misidentified, as noted earlier, one male specimen being designated as paratype of A. rubripennis .

Figures

FIGURE 1–8. Dorsal views of the Asuridia species in Taiwan. 1. A. rubripennis Inoue, 1988, male, holotype, Chihtuan (= Mingchih), N. Taiwan; 2. Labels of holotype; 3. A. rubripennis, male, Chintuan; 4. ditto, female, Chihtuan; 5. A. inouei sp. nov., male, holotype, Xindian, N. Taiwan; 6. ditto, male, paratype, Shouka, S. Taiwan; 7. A. kishidai sp. nov., male, holotype, Jinma Tunnel, C. Taiwan; 8. ditto, female, paratype, Jinma Tunnel. Bar scale= 10 mm. Specimens courtesy of: BMNH (1, 2); NMNS (3, 4, 7); TFRI (5,6); ESRI (8). Photos by Shipher Wu.

FIGURE 9–16. Male and female genitalia of Asuridia species in Taiwan. 9, 10. A. inouei sp. nov.; 11, 12, 15. A. rubripennis Inoue, 1988; 13,14, 16. A. kishidai sp. nov.; 9, 11, 13. Male genitalia without aedeagus; 10, 12, 14. Aedeagi; 15,16. Female genitalia. Bar scale= 1 mm. Specimens courtesy of: TFRI (9, 10); NMNS (11, 12, 13, 14, 15); ESRI (16). Photos by Shipher Wu.