Pseudidonauton sinensis, Wu & Solovyev & Han, 2021

Wu, Jun, Solovyev, Alexey V. & Han, Hui-Lin, 2021, Two new species of the genus Pseudidonauton Hering, 1931 from China (Lepidoptera, Limacodidae), ZooKeys 1059, pp. 173-181 : 173

Pseudidonauton sinensis sp. nov.

Figures 1 , 2 , 3 , 10 , 11 , 18

Holotype.

♂, China, Chongqing Municipality, Mt. Simian, 29.VII-2.VIII.2020, leg. HL. Han and J. Wu, genit. prep. WuJ-388-1 (NEFU).

Paratypes.

15♂, 1♀, same data as for holotype, genit. prep. for four dissected paratypes WuJ-288-1, 289-1, 387-1 and 389-2 (NEFU); 3♂, 1♀, China, Prov. Guizhou, Zunyi City, Shierbeihou scenic spots, Shuanghe village, 3-5.VIII.2020, leg. HL. Han and J. Wu, genit. prep. for three dissected paratypes WuJ-382-1, 383-1 and 384-2 (NEFU); 4♂, China, Prov. Guizhou, Zunyi City, Xishui County, Sanchahe Town, 1.VII.2019, leg. MR. Xing, BX. Zhao, and H. Sun (NEFU); 4♂, China, Prov. Jiangxi, Guanshan Nature Reserve, 21-27.VIII.2017, leg. GX. Wang and WJ. Li, genit. prep. for two dissected paratypes WuJ-342-1, 343-1 (NEFU); 1♂, China, Prov. Jiangxi, Guanshan Nature Reserve, 21-23.VIII.2017, leg. HL. Han, genit. prep. WuJ-379-1 (NEFU); 41♂, China, Prov. Zhejiang, Pan’an County, Mt. Dapan, 25.VI-6.VII.2019, leg. J. Wu and JJ. Fan, genit. prep. for four dissected paratypes WuJ-390-1, 440-1, 441-1, 442-1 (NEFU); 3♂, China, Prov. Zhejiang, Jiangshan City, Laofoyan Village, 3.VII.2017, leg. ZG. Zhang, YY. Jia and J. Li (NEFU); 1♂, China, Prov. Zhejiang, Jiangshan City, Xiayangping Village, 4.VII.2017, leg. ZG. Zhang, YY. Jia and J. Li (NEFU); 2♂, China, Prov. Fujian, Mt. Wuyi, Taohuayu, 6.VIII.2020, leg. MJ. Qi and XY. Jin (NEFU); 3♂, China, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Lulang station, 15.VII.2017, leg. HL. Han, genit. prep. for three dissected paratypes WuJ-379-1, 380-1, 381-1 (NEFU).

Diagnosis.

The new species is very similar to its congeners in appearance, especially to P. bhaga (Fig. 4 ), P. chihpyh (Fig. 5 ) and P. vexa (Fig. 6 ), but it can be distinguished from these species by having no distinct borderline between the apical patch and the ground colour in the forewing. Moreover, the whole outer margin area in the new species is covered by a conspicuous dark brown smudge.

The male genitalia are clearly different from those of the other congeners: in P. sinensis sp. nov. (Figs 10 , 11 ), the uncus is shallowly divided into two parts; the transtilla is narrow apically and bearing a pair of long slender spine-like process at the base; the saccular process is straight. The vesica lacks cornuti. However, in P. bhaga (Fig. 12 ), P. chihpyh (Fig. 16 ) and P. vexa (Fig. 17 ), the uncus is deeply divided into two parts; the apical plate of the transtilla is broad, without a slender spine-like process at the base; the sacculus process is strongly curved. The vesica bears a row of small cornuti.

In the female genitalia, the diagnostic difference between P. sinensis sp. nov. (Fig. 18 ) and P. vexa (Fig. 19 ) is that the former has a thick ductus bursae, and the surface of the 1/2 near the ostium bursae is rough; a leaf-shaped signum is located at the upper part of the corpus bursae.

Description.

Adult (Figs 1 , 2 , 3 ). Wingspan 14-16 mm in male, 18-20 mm in female. Head brown; labial palpus up-curved; antenna filiform in both sexes, brown. Thorax and tegula brown. Scales on legs brown mixed with a little yellow. Forewing ground colour pale brown to reddish brown, basal 1/3 with unique dark brown area. Apical patch dark brown, no visible borderline with the ground colour. Whole outer margin area covered by a conspicuous dark brown smudge. Median line slightly visible, arched, dark brown, runs from costal at ca. 3/5 distance from wing base to tornus. In some individuals, median line barely visible. Fringe long, brown. Hindwing ground colour slightly darker than forewing, reddish brown; apex dark brown; fringe long, brown. On abdomen, hair covering each abdominal segment golden yellow mixed with pale brown, with long pale brown hairs in terminal area.

Male genitalia (Figs 10 , 11 ). Uncus broad, flattened, weakly divided into two parts, each covered with dense hairs on surface. Gnathos reduced. Tegumen broad, slightly trapezoidal. Transtilla well developed and strongly sclerotized, with small, apically bifid medial plate; basal part of transtilla bearing pair of long, slender, spine-like process slightly enlarged at base. Valva strongly modified and clearly divided into upper and lower parts: upper part finger-shaped, with ear-like process at base and nearly membranous triangular structure behind it; in lower part, sacculus slightly inflated, with swollen base and straight spine-like sacculus process ca. 1/2 length of phallus. Juxta flattened, slightly concave in middle of apex. Saccus not obvious. Phallus slender, tube-shaped, slightly sclerotized terminally; vesica without cornuti.

Female genitalia (Fig. 18 ). Ovipositor lobes ear-shaped, covered with dense hairs on surface. Postvaginal plate strongly sclerotized. Apophysis anterioris very short, with only a small spine; apophysis posterioris long, ca. 2/3 length of ovipositor lobes, inflated at base and blunt at apex. There is a distinct, nearly square incision on the ostium bursae. Ductus bursae thick, not spiral-shaped, with rough sclerotized surface on upper half, membranous on lower half. Corpus bursae pear-shaped, with tiny hairs on surface and a strongly sclerotized, leaf-shaped signum on upper 1/3.

Distribution.

China (Chongqing, Zhejiang, Guizhou, Fujian, Jiangxi, Xizang) (Fig. 20 ).

Etymology.

The species is named Pseudidonauton sinensis because of its wide distribution in China.

Bionomics.

The specimens were collected from June t o August at altitudes of 560-2,800 m.

Figures

Figure 20. Distribution map of two new species of Pseudidonauton: circle: P. sinensis sp. nov. (China: Chongqing, Zhejiang, Guizhou, Fujian, Jiangxi, Xizang); triangle: P. puera sp. nov. (China: Yunnan; Vietnam: Dong Nai).

Figures 1 - 9. Adults of Pseudidonauton spp. 1 P. sinensis sp. nov., male, holotype 2 ditto, male, paratype 3 ditto, female, paratype 4 P. bhaga Swinhoe, 1901, male, Borneo, Malaysia (in NEFU) 5 P. chihpyh Solovyev, 2009, male, holotype (in MWM / ZSM) 6 P. vexa Solovyev, 2009, male, holotype (in MWM / ZSM) 7 P. puera sp. nov., male, holotype 8 ditto, male, paratype 9 ditto, male, paratype (in CASU). Scale bar: 5 mm.

Figures 10 - 19. Genitalia of Pseudidonauton spp. 10 P. sinensis sp. nov., male, holotype 11 ditto, male, paratype 12 P. bhaga Swinhoe, 1901, male, Borneo, Malaysia, genitalia No. WuJ- 392 - 1 (in NEFU) 13 P. puera sp. nov., male, holotype 14 ditto, male, paratype 15 ditto, male, paratype (in CASU) 16 P. chihpyh Solovyev, 2009, male, holotype (in MWM / ZSM) 17 P. vexa Solovyev, 2009, male, holotype (in MWM / ZSM) 18 P. sinensis sp. nov., female, paratype; 19 P. vexa Solovyev, 2009, female, paratype (in MWM / ZSM). Scale bars: 0.5 mm.