Bombyciella antra Saldaitis, Benedek, Behounek & Stüning, 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 : 555-556

Bombyciella antra Saldaitis, Benedek, Behounek & Stüning sp. n.

( Figs. 5, 6 , 15, 16 , 22 )

Type material. Holotype: male ( Fig. 5 ), China, W. Sichuan, near Moxi, H- 3100 m, 0 7. X. 2012, N29°84.350”, E102°04.170”, A. Floriani leg., in GBG / ZSM collection; (Slide No. BJ 2160m).

Paratypes: 1 male and 5 females, with the same labels as holotype, 1 female ( Fig. 6 ), China, W. Sichuan, road Dawe/Lushan, Xiling Xue Shan Mt, H- 2500 m, 19. IX. 2011, N30°04.256”, E101°25.156”, A. Floriani leg., slide No. BJ2030f, 1 female, China, W. Sichuan, near Xinbuqiao, H- 3611 m, 0 8. X. 2012, N30°50.620”, E102°45.221”, A. Floriani leg., 1 female, China, W. Sichuan, S from Kangding, near Menchugang H- 2800 m, 15. X. 2009, A. Floriani leg., slide No. GB 7122f in the collections of AFM, BBT, PGY and NRCV.

Diagnosis. The new species differs externally from the related B. talpa by its greater wingspan, more robust body, broader, apically less acute forewing shape and purplish ground colour shading. The new species male genitalia differ from B. talpa in the shape of the uncus, the more rounded peniculus lobes, more flattened nonspatulate juxta, wider, u-shaped vinculum and saccus, more elongated valvae, the configuration of the claspers and the completely reduced dorsal process. The aedeagus of B. antra sp. n. is less curved and the carinal process present by a long bar on the dorsal side lacks the ridge of strong spiculae present in B. talpa . The vesica of the new species is somewhat broader with a less coarse surface than found in the spined B. talpa and the medial group of cornuti is larger and longer. The female genitalia differ in the shorter ovipositor, the more strongly curved ductus and the much longer corpus bursae.

Description. Wingspan 33–35 mm, length of forewing 15–17 mm. Male antennae bipectinate until 4/5 of their length, those of the female simple; front collar light whitish grey-brow; thorax bluish-black mixed with silverywhite hair-scales; forewings triangular with apex rounded, ground colour dark greyish-black with a purple tinge; female’s orange scaling along the fasciae and at the reniform and orbicular stigma more distinct; reniform stigma diffusely contoured, large, distinct, coloured light grey with some orange decoration along the anterior side; orbicular stigma large, elliptical, light grey, incompletely rounded with black scales; claviform stigma small, black, more or less triangular with some orange scales inside; basal streak black, basal field orange and grey, bold antemedial fascia sinuous, in female followed by orange anterior scaling; postmedial fascia strongly sinuous, strong, light grey, anterior side black, opposite with the claviform stigma broader; terminal side in females with orange scaling, subterminal and terminal field lighter grey, subterminal fascia discursive to black dots between veins; tornal streak a conspicuous black patch,; cilia mixed with black, grey and yellowish hairs; hindwings yellowish with pale grey scaling of medial and terminal band; discal spot not visible; cilia yellowish mixed with some fine grey. Male genitalia. ( Figs 15, 16 ). Uncus broad, dome- or onion-shaped with acute apex and scarce subapical hairs; tegumen low positioned; peniculus lobes large, rounded, vinculum and saccus U-shaped, juxta weak, flattened, with two small, conical anterior processes, valvae elongated, forefinger-shaped, apically tapering, cucullus conical, corona well developed, harpe thick, single curved squarely with broad, conical basal segment. Aedeagus long, slightly arched and contracted at middle, carina present by a long, arched bar on dorsal side, vesica ventrally everted, tubular, basal segment broader, its surface gently coarse until middle, terminal part straight and slim. The large medial cornutus is composed of a group of long and strong, basally fused cornuti. Female genitalia. ( Fig. 22 ) Papillae anales elongated, conical, apopysis posterioris straight, long and narrow, apopysis anterioris short, thicker, ostium gently arched with small medial incision, antrum strongly sclerotized, rather long and funnel-shaped, ductus bursae crescent-like curved, anteriorly tapering, corpus bursae very long and narrow, almost tubular.

Molecular analysis. In addition to the morphological evidence, DNA barcoding corroborates the existence of a new species of Bombyciella . Full length 658 base pair 'barcodes' of the Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit 5' Region (CO1-5P) gene were prepared by the University of Guelph's barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) by methods described in Hebert et al. (2003). Molecular variation based on the Kimura two-parameter distance model for COI DNA barcodes between a single specimen of B. antra sp.n. and three specimens of B. talpa are 4.77% while divergence rates between three specimens of B. talpa are only 0.15%.

Bionomics and distribution. Known only from a few localities of China’s Sichuan Province on the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau. All specimens were collected in September–October at altitudes ranging from 2500 to 3600 m; both males and females were attracted to light even during cold rainy nights and appear to have a local distribution, as they were discovered in only three valleys near Moxi, Dawe and Xinbuqiao. The new species was collected in virgin mixed mountain forests, dominated by various broad-leaved trees, rhododendron and bamboo. It flies together with other autumn moths such as Altipolia plantei Hacker & Peks , Catocala armandi Poujade , Charierges brunneomedia Draudt, 1950 , C. nigralba Draudt, 1950 , and many others (all Noctuidae ).

Etymology. ” antra ” in Lithuanian means “second”, as B. antra sp. n. is the second species known in the genus Bombyciella .

Taxonomical remarks. The male and female genitalia of Bombyciella suggest that this genus is related to the Holarctic genus Brachylomia and the Himalayan genus Dasyerges Draudt, 1950 . The male genitalia of these three genera share similar characters of the uncus, aedeagus and vesica structures, while females share the long ovipositor, long, narrow apophyses posteriors, shorter, thicker apophyses anteriores, the ostium structure and the elongated corpus bursae. All three genera also share male pectinated antennae, thus, Bombyciella is placed into the subfamily Xyleninae , tribus Xylenini .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Bombyciella spp., adults. 1. B. talpa, male, lectotype, China, Shaanxi (coll. ZFMK); 2. B. talpa, female, paralectotype, China, Shaanxi (coll. ZFMK); 3. B. talpa, male, China, Sichuan (coll. AFM); 4. B. talpa, female, China, Sichuan (coll. NRCV); 7. B. antra sp. n., male, holotype, China, Sichuan (GBG / ZSM); 8. B. antra sp. n., female, paratype, China, Sichuan (AFM).

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.