Athetis flavicolor Han & Kononeko, 2011

Han, H. L. & Kononenko, V. S., 2011, Twelve new species of Athetis Hübner, [1821] 1816 from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3068 (1), pp. 49-68 : 56

Athetis flavicolor Han & Kononeko , sp. n.

( Figs. 9, 10 , 24 , 35 )

Type material. Holotype: China: male, [Prov. Guangdong] " Linping Sued China ”, 5.xi.1923 (H. Höne), genit. prep. ZFMK 1712 . Paratypes: 2 males, same locality, 13, 15.x.1923 (H. Höne), genit. prep. ZFMK 1713 . 1 male, Thailand, Chiang Mai Prov. Doi Inhanon. South Ringe , 1650 m, 16–21.x.1983 (M. Owada leg.) . 3 males, 1 female, with same locality and data [ NSM, Tokyo] ; 1 male, Thailand, Chiang Mai Prov., Doi Inhanon. Nat. Park , 1600 m, Karlshold, Lomholdt & Nielsen leg. (Zool. Mus. Copenhagen) . 21 males, 1 female, Thailand, Prov. Chiang Mai, 1800 m, 5 km S of Kop Dong, 19˚52'N, 99˚03'E, 29–0. x.2002, leg. B.Herczig & G. Ronkay ; 1 male, 1 female, same locality and collectors, 11.xi.2002 (coll. A. Becher, Germany), genit. prep. male 3-090311VK, female 4- 090311VK ; 12 males and 17 females, North Thailand, Prov. Chiang Mai, 4 km S of Kop Dong, 1800 m, 19°52'N, 99°03'E, 29–30.x.2002, B. Herczig & G. Ronkay leg. (coll. G. Ronkay, Budapest). The holotype and two paratypes are deposited in the collection of ZFMK ; four paratypes in NSMT , one paratype in ZMCU , 24 paratypes in the collection AB and 29 paratypes - in the collection GR.

Diagnosis. Athetis flavicolor can be separated from other Athetis by the ground color of body and the forewing, which is pale-yellow or yellow with little orange tint; and by wing pattern with well expressed reniform, separated on two spots, brownish grey hindwing, contrasting with coloration of forewing and body. In male genitalia it shows affinity with A. fasciata , and A. suffusa , but differs by the shape of valva, juxta, and harpe and by the arming of the vesica.

Description. External appearance ( Fig. 9, 10 ). Wingspan 30–34 mm. Male antennae filiform, ciliated; eyes bordered with brown scales and lashes; palps pressed, with 2nd segment yellowish, brownish laterally, 3rd segment short, less than half length of 2nd; head and thorax covered with yellowish hair-like scales with mixture of browns scales. Forewing pale yellow; basal line as two brown dots in basal field; subbasal line weak, as thin well expressed line; orbicular visible, as small dark dot; medial shade brownish, stronger in costal field; reniform relatively large, brown, separated into two 8-shaped spots, with traceable nucleus inside each spot; postmedial line thin row of dark spots; subterminal line weak, diffused; terminal field brownish, terminal line as row of brown spots; outer margin of wing waved; cilia yellowish with brown. Hindwing uniformly greyish-brown. cilia yellowish-brown, with yellowish borderline. Underside pale-brownish with yellowish suffusion around margins of forewing and in central part of hindwing; forewing with dark spot at costal area, hindwing with dark discal spot. Male genitalia. ( Fig. 24 ). Abdominal hair brushes present; uncus vestigial, minute, tegumen high, vinculum V-shaped; juxta more or less rectangular, with long, strongly sclerotised “handle”; valva large, relatively wide, elongated, extending apically, distal part curved dorsally; cucullus rounded, covered by dense thin hairs; harpe situated at distal third of valva, strong, rather long and thin, its apical part bifurcated with apices acute, dorsal apex longer than ventral one, somewhat curved; digitus rather long and thin, slightly extended beyond valva. Aedeagus large, straigth, distally stronger sclerotised, carina with long, still stronger sclerotised band. Vesica tubular, medially recurred, with dorsal row of strong cornuti, 7–8 of them in central part very strong and long, basal and apical cornuti rather short; lateral field of cornuti consisting of setae small spines. Female genitalia. ( Fig. 35 ). Ovipositor moderate long, papillae moderate, weak, apophyses anteriores long, apopyses posteriores in 1.3 shorter than anteriores ones; ostium split-like, antrum formed by large antevaginal plate, which is wide and high, distally gradually constricted, with small triangular central cut at apex; ductus bursa wide, sclerotised, folded in join with antrum, extended and strongly sclerotised in join with bursa, divided for two branches, enveloped corpus bursae; ventrally long, curved, sharply defined, dorsally shorter but wider; corpus bursae membranous, with sclerotised extended appendix bursa and strong sclerotised lateral band with spines on right side and signum formed by patch of small spines.

Etymology. The species name flavicolor indicates the characteristic yellowish coloration of body and forewing of the species.

Distribution. South East China (Prov. Guangdong), mountains of North Thailand. The moths were collected in late September to October–November.

Figures

FIGURES 9–16. Athetis spp., adults. 9. A. flavicolor sp. n., male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 10. A. flavicolor sp. n., male, paratype, Thailand (AB); 11. A. biserrata sp. n., male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 12. A. minivalva sp. n., male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 13. A. longiharpe sp.n., male, holotype, China (NEFU); 14. A. bicornuta sp. n., male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 15. A. furcatula sp. n., male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 16. A. furcatula sp. n., male, paratype, China (NEFU).

FIGURES 21–24. Athetis spp., male genitalia. 21. A. eupsilioides sp. n., holotype, China, ZFMK1717; 22. A. tridentata sp. n., holotype, China, ZFMK1795; 23. A. linzhi sp. n., holotype, China, HHL-1977-1; 24. A. flavicolor sp. n., paratype, Thailand 3- 090311VK.

FIGURES 35–41. Athetis spp., female genitalia. 35. A. flavicolor sp. n., paratype, Thailand, 4-090311VK; 36. A. biserrata sp. n., paratype, China, 1729ZFMK; 37. A. minivalva sp. n., paratype, China, 1726VK; 38. A. longiharpe sp.n., paratype, China, HHL-1975-2; 39. A. bicornuta sp. n., paratype, China, 1734ZFMK; 40. A. furcatula sp. n., paratype, China, 1726VK; 41. A. furcatula sp. n., paratype, China, HHL-1973-2.