Bellulia bibella Fibiger

Fibiger, Michael, Han, Hui-Lin & Kononenko, Vladimir S., 2011, Five new species and one new subspecies of Micronoctuidae from China, with a checklist of Chinese species, including Taiwan (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea, Micronoctuidae), Zootaxa 2777, pp. 41-53 : 42

Bellulia bibella Fibiger , new species

( Figs. 1, 2 , 14 , 22 )

Type material. Holotype. Male, China, Yunnan, Mojiang, 18–19.ix.2008, leg. Han, H.L. & Wang, Y., genit. prep. 6237 M. Fibiger, coll. NEFU. Paratypes (2 males, 2 females). 1 male and 1 female with same data as holotype, genit. prep. 6235 and 6236 M. Fibiger, respectively; 1 male, China, Yunnan, Lincang, 6–7.ix.2008, leg. Han, H.L. & Wang, Y., coll. & genit. prep. 6239 M. Fibiger; 1 female, China, Yunnan, Lancang, 8–9.ix.2008, leg. Han, H.L. & Liu, E., coll. & genit. prep. 6238 M. Fibiger.

Diagnosis. B. bibella belong among the 19 species of the genus Bellulia Fibiger 2008 , in the B. bella Fibiger 2008 species-group, which comprises now 5 species with violet forewing tint (Fibiger 2008, 2010). B. bibella differs from these by the much shorter and narrower processes from tegument arms; the less broad valvae; the very narrow left ampulla; the slightly narrower right ampulla; the broad, absent plates of sacculus; and the apically narrower phallus.

Description. Adult ( Figs. 1, 2 ). Wingspan 11–13 mm, forewing broad. Head, thorax, and the forewing with brownish-grey ground colour; antemedial, postmedial, and subterminal lines prominently broad, black; terminal line narrow, marked by black intervenal dots; reniform stigma yellow, outlined with black. Hindwing unicolorous black-brown, with discal spot; fringes on both wings dark grey. Underside unicolorous brown on both wings.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 14 ). Male genitalia with narrow, club-like extensions from fusion of fultura superior and tegumen. Upper 3/5 of tegumen narrow, thread-like; lower part log-like, similar to vinculum and the V-shaped saccus. Processes from fultura superior free, club-like, left one longer, right one apically spatulate, mushroom-like; juxta-anellus plate ring-like, heavily sclerotised; valva broadest subbasally, tapering apically, with prominent heavily sclerotised costa; ampullae asymmetrical, left ampulla narrower than right, relatively narrow, S-shaped; phallus long, narrow, S-shaped, with subapical hump-like process on ventral side; coecum short and broad.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 22 ). Ovipositor short, apically smoothly rounded, setose; posterior apophyses as long as ovipositor; 8th abdominal segment laterally and dorsally very short, ring-like, ventrally completely fused to 7th segment; ostium positioned anteriorly at 7th segment; antrum left-projecting, prominent and thumb-like; ductus bursae with coiled; corpus bursae ovoid, with cross-shaped signum.

Bionomics. The biotope inhabited by B. bibella is dominated by many herbaceous plants and bushes, close to a brook. All specimens were captured at light in the middle of September. The early stages are unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 30 ). Bellulia bibella is recorded from three localities in Yunnan prov., China.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Micronoctuidae spp., adults. 1. Bellulia bibella, male, holotype, China, Yunnan (NEFU); 2. B. bibella, female, paratype, China (NEFU); 3. Mimachrostia fasciata, male, China, Yunnan (NEFU); 4. Micronoctua occi, female, China, Liaoning (NEFU); 5. Parachrostia pura, male, holotype, China, Yunnan (NEFU); 6. Parachrostia pura, male, paratype, China, Yunnan (NEFU); 7. Tactusa virga, male, holotype, China, Yunnan (NEFU); 8. Tactusa flexus, male, holotype, China, Yunnan (NEFU).

FIGURES 14 – 18. Micronoctuidae spp., male genitalia. 14. Bellulia bibella, holotype, China, Yunnan (NEFU); 15. Mimachrostia fasciata, China, Yunnan (NEFU); 16. Parachrostia pura, holotype, China, Yunnan (NEFU); 17. Tactusa virga, holotype, China, Yunnan (NEFU); 18. Tactusa flexus, holotype, China, Yunnan (NEFU).

FIGURES 19 – 25. Micronoctuidae spp., male and female genitalia. 19. Tactusa discrepans yunnanensis, male, holotype (NEFU); 20. T. pars, male (NEFU); 21. T. brevis, male, holotype (NEFU); 22. Belulla bibela,. female, paratype (NEFU); 23. Tactusa discrepans yunnanensis, female, paratype (NEFU); 24. T. pars, female (NEFU); 25. T. brevis, female paratype (NEFU).

FIGURES 26 – 30. Collecting sites and distribution map. 26. Broad-leaved and mixed forest, Huangguoshu, Prov. Guizhou. 27. Broad-leaved forest and banana plantations, Huangguoshu, Prov. Guizhou; 28. Broadleaved forest, Jiangcheng, Prov. Yunnan; 29. Mixed forest with Pinus yunnana, Lancang, Prov. Yunnan 30. Distribution map. Collecting localities: 1. Huangguoshu (Prov. Guizhou) 2. Guanling (Prov. Guizhou); 3. Lincang (Prov. Yunnan); 4. Mojiang (Prov. Yunnan); 5. Jiangcheng (Prov. Yunnan); 6. Lancang (Prov. Yunnan); 7. Jinghong (Prov. Yunnan).