Maxiana Stüning, Behounek, Benedek & Saldaitis, 2014

Saldaitis, Aidas, Benedek, Balázs, Behounek, Gottfried & Stüning, Dieter, 2014, A revision of the genus Bombyciella Draudt, 1950, with description of a new species and a new genus (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae: Xyleninae), Zootaxa 3893 (4), pp. 551-561 : 556-560

Maxiana Stüning, Behounek, Benedek & Saldaitis gen. n.

Type-species: Bombyciella sericea Draudt, 1950: 63 , pl. 4, fig. 20, by present designation.

Diagnosis. This new genus primarily differs from Bombyciella in its unpectinated male antennae, palps, frons scaling ( Figs 9, 11 ) and male genitalia characters. These characters including the configuration of the carinal process and the presence of large, strong sbubasal cornuti on the aedeagus more closely resemble those of the genus Chandata . M. sericea does not have Chandata’s characteristic, black and white wing pattern but instead resembles Euplexia chlorerythra Swinhoe and Euplexia picturata Leech , differing from both by its smaller size, less robust thorax, absence of the reddish-brown colouration on the forewing terminal area and lighter hindwings. The male genitalia differ from those of E. chlorerythra in having larger penicular lobes, much smaller fultura, broader but shorter valvae and a characteristic harpe-ampulla complex. A close relationship, however, is suggested by the position and the configuration of the carinal “ridge” and the large cornuti. Based only on male external and genital characters, Maxiana is placed into the subfamily Xyleninae , tribus Phlogophorini.

Description. Male ( Figs 7, 8 ). Small moths, wingspan 20–28mm, forewing length 10–13mm. Ground colour greyish-green, with dark green pattern elements in fresh specimens; antennae fasciculate, segments short, slightly flattened laterally in the medial third; palps elongate, porrect, with a long, distally pointed terminal joint, smoothly scaled dark brown second joint, predominantly white with a few black scales ventrally third joint; proboscis well developed; frons densely covered with thin, upright, greyish-white scales (with green tinge in fresh specimens), vertex similar ( Fig. 10 ); thorax dorsally covered with greyish-white, elongate scales; patagia bordered with black posteriorly; metathorax with two black scale-tufts laterally; thorax ventrally densely covered with long, fine grey and white hair-scales; tibiae of all legs densely beset with elongate scales of the same colour, index of spurs 0-2-4; tarsomeres dark grey, with white apices; abdomen ( Fig. 12 ) greyish-white (probably light greenish in fresh specimens), with 3–4 dorsal scale-tufts, mainly on tergites 3–5 (the largest on T 4), a very small one may be on T 6. Tufts are composed of elongate, distally broadening scales, basally greyish-white, distally black, with a dentate, whitish edge. Tergite 1 with narrow, elongate scales, sternite with long white hair-scales. Remaining segments covered with lamellar, distally dentate scales, mixed with less dense hair-scales.

Male genitalia. ( Figs 17–20 ) Uncus long, narrow, stick-like, strongly curved ventrally near base, dorsally setose, becoming broader towards apex, the latter inserting ventrally and acutely pointed. Gnathus reduced; tegumen ventro-caudally with large, rounded peniculus lobes; vinculum strong; saccus rounded; valvae broad at base and again at two thirds of its length; costa concave in middle, apical one third of valvae gradually tapering towards apex, evenly rounded on ventral side, with distinct corona; cucullus weak; bases of valvae with strongly sclerotized, oval sacculus; two-thirds of costa strongly sclerotized, sclerotization narrow at base, getting broader distally, extending triangularly towards ventral margin, with a large rounded process dorsally reaching beyond costa; narrow sclerotized band longitudinally connecting the sacculus with the costal sclerotization; juxta a small plate, constricted at middle, broadening anteriorly, with two lateral processes posteriorly; aedeagus short and stout, rather straight; carina with a row of two or four fused, stout cornuti different in size; aedeagus is armed subbasally with a very large, claw-like cornutus and medially with an elongated-oval field of very small, tooth-like cornuti.

Female unknown; a specimen from West-tien-mu-shan, labelled by Draudt as “allotype”, also turned out to be a male.

Etymology. This genus is named in honour of Max Draudt.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 12. Maxiana gen. n., Euplexia spp., Bombyciella spp., adults, head and abdomen. 7. M. sericea, male, lectotype, China, Zhejiang (coll. ZFMK); 7 a. E. chloerythra, male, N. Vietnam, Lang Son (coll. NRCV); 8. M. sericea, males, lectotype and paralectotypes, China, Chekiang (coll. ZFMK); 9. B. talpa, male, lectotype, China, Shaanxi (coll. ZFMK); 10. M. sericea, male, China, Hunan (coll. ZFMK); 11. B. talpa, male, lectotype, China, Shaanxi (coll. ZFMK); 12. M. sericea, male, China, Hunan (coll. ZFMK).

FIGURES 13 – 18. Bombyciella spp. and Maxiana gen. n., male genitalia. 13. B. talpa, lectotype, gen. capsule, prep. 2269 - DS; 14. B. talpa, lectotype, aedeagus, prep. 2269 - DS; 15. B. antra sp. n., holotype, gen. capsule, prep. BJ 2160 m; 16. B. antra sp. n., holotype, aedeagus, prep. BJ 2160 m; 17. M. sericea, lectotype, gen. capsule, prep. 2270 - DS; 18. M. sericea, lectotype, aedeagus, prep. 2270 - DS;

FIGURES 19 – 22. Maxiana gen. n., Bombyciella spp. and Euplexia spp. male and female genitalia. 19. M. sericea, paralectotype, gen. capsule, prep. 2272 - DS; 20. M. sericea, paralectotype, aedeagus, prep. 2272 - DS; 21. B. talpa, female, genitalia prep. BJ 2029 f; 22. B. antra sp. n., paratype female, genitalia prep. BJ 2030 f; 23. E. chloerythra, male, gen. capsule, prep. PGy 3913 m; 24. E. chloerythra, male, aedeagus, prep. PGy 3913 m.