Dasypolia tuektiensis Zolotarenko, 1993

Volynkin, Anton V., 2012, A review of the genus Dasypolia Guenée, 1852 from the Russian part of the Altai Mountain Country, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3478, pp. 416-428 : 421-426

Dasypolia tuektiensis Zolotarenko, 1993

( Figs. 23–25 , 48 , 54, 55 )

Dasypolia tuektiensis Zolotarenko, 1993 , Siberian Biological Journal 3: 42 (Type-locality: Russia, Altai, Tuekta depression, valley of the Ursul river).

Material Examined. Holotype: male, 2.ix. [19]62, G[orny]. Altai, Tuekta depression, Ursul riv., meadow, GZ [G. Zolotarenko leg.] (in Russian) Genitalia prep. by G. Zolotarenko, vesica everted by V. Dubatolov [Coll. SZMN]. 1 female, 03.v.2010, Altai Republic, Ulagan district, 3 km W of Aktash village, shrubby stony steppe, h = 1350 m. 50°19' N, 87°35' E. On light. Volynkin A.V. leg. (AVB); 1 female, 24.iv.2009, Altai Republic, Ulagan district, Aktash village, bottom of southern steppe stony slope, h = 1350 m. 50°19' N, 87°35' E. On light. Nakonechny A.N. leg. (AVB).

Diagnosis. Externally the female of D. tuektiensis ( Figs. 24, 25 ) differs from D. fraterna ( Fig. 27 ) by apically less elongate forewing, prevailing of grey tints in the forewing colour, wing pattern formed by antemedial and postmedial lines almost converging near to the anal margin. The female genitalia of D. tuektiensis ( Fig. 48 ) differs from D. fraterna ( Fig. 47 ) by narrower sclerotised part of ostium bursae having longer sclerotised postero-caudal processes, larger lateral flap of ductus, anteriorly less sclerotised ductus bursae. Distinguishing features of D. tuektensis from D. bubnovae sp. n.: are described in the diagnosis of D. bubnovae .

Redescription. External morphology ( Figs. 23–25 ). Externally variable species. Wingspan 34–42 mm, length of forewing 15–18 mm. Male antennae serrate and fasciculate. Female antennae filiform. Labial palps short, porrect. Female much darker than the male. Head, thorax, abdomen and ground colour of forewing olive brown in males and blackish grey in females. Antemedial and postmedial lines thin, dark, almost converging near anal margin; antemedial line strongly dentate; postmedial line repandodentate. Subterminal line wavy, dentate, generally obscure. Terminal line dark, thin, interrupted. Medial area shadowed. Terminal area slightly paler than subterminal. Orbicular pale, very small; reniform narrow, pale, with dark semilunar nucleus. Cilia pale, brown or grey brown. Hindwing brown in male and grey with brownish suffusion in female. Medial line thin, grey, obscure. Discal spot dark, semilunar, weak. Cilia pale, ochreous in male and grey brown in female. Male genitalia unknown. Female genitalia ( Fig. 48 ). Ovipositor short, broad; papillae anales rectangular. Gonapophyses moderately long. Ostium bursae trapezoidal, anteriorly slightly broadened, with short sclerotized postero-caudal margins and ventro-lateral sclerotisation. Ductus bursae long, sclerotized, flattened, anteriorly conically narrowed along left margin after the lateral flap of ductus; anterior end of ductus bursae membranous. Lateral flap of ductus rather long, broad, strongly sclerotised, left-positioned. Appendix bursae broad, rounded, membranous; corpus bursae broad, sack-like, membranous.

Bionomics & Distribution. The species inhabits dry mountain stony steppe biotopes with shrubs on southern slopes and river valleys. D. tuektiensis is known only from the Central part of Russian Altai.

Notes. The species belongs to D. fraterna species group which includes more than 9 species, distributed in mountainous regions of Asia from Iran to Mongolia (L. Ronkay, pers. comm.); only two of these are described – D. fraterna and D. tuektiensis . Unfortunately, upon investigation, the type specimen of D. tuektiensis has a gluedon abdomen that belongs to Tholera cespitis ([Denis et Schiffermüller], 1775) ( Noctuidae , Hadeninae ) ( Figs. 10 , 44, 45 ). Hence, it is described and illustrated with the genitalia of Th. cespitis ( Fig. 44 ). The diagnosis in the original description ( Zolotarenko 1993) says: “The new species is related to Dasypolia fani Stgr. and the recently described D. dichroa Ronkay et Varga , and differs from them by the wing shape and coloration, genitalia morphology”. However, the male genitalia of D. tuektiensis is still unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 29. Dasypolia spp., adults and fragment of the CO 1 three. 21, D. fani, male, Russian Far East, Nikolo-Lvovsk (photo by V. Kononenko) [IBSS]; 22, D. fani, male, Russian Far East, Evreiskaya Autonomous Region, Bastak Reserve [SZMN]; 23, D. tuektiensis, male, holotype, Russia, Altai Mts., Tuekta depression [SZMN]; 24, D. tuektiensis, female, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB]; 25, D. tuektiensis, female, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB]; 26, D. bubnovae, female, holotype, Russia, Altai Mts., Kucherla [SZMN]; 27, D. fraterna, female, holotype, [NW China, Xinjiang, Tien-Shan Mts.], Karagai tau (photo by L. Ronkay) [MNHU]; 28, ditto, labels (photo by L. Ronkay); 29, CO 1 three of D. fani and D. fraterna species groups from Altai.

FIGURES 46 – 53. Dasypolia spp., female genitalia. 46, D. templi, West Siberia, Altai terr., Lugovskoe, slide AV 0475 Volynkin; 47, D. fraterna, holotype, [NW China, Xinjiang, Tien-Shan Mts.], Karagai tau (photo by L. Ronkay); 48, D. tuektiensis, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0389 Volynkin; 49, D. bubnovae, holotype, Russia, Altai Mts., Kucherla; 50, D. lama, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0390 Volynkin; 51, D. fani, holotype, Russian Far East, Bikin (photo by L. Ronkay); 52, D. fani, Russian Far East, Nikolsk-Ussurijsky, slide 3240 LR Ronkay (photo by V. S. Kononenko); D. fani, Russian Far East, Blagoveschensk, prep. Volynkin.

FIGURES 54 – 55. 54, Map of type localities of Dasypolia: orange point— D. tuektiensis, green point— D. bubnovae, blue point — D. maria; 55, Collecting site: vicinity of Aktash, Aigulaksky Ridge. Type locality of D. maria and locality of D. templi, D. lama and D. tuektiensis.

FIGURES 1 – 10. Dasypolia and Tholera spp., adults. 1, Dasypolia templi, male, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB]; 2, D. templi, male, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB]; 3, D. templi, female, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB]; 4, D. templi, female, Russia, Altai Mts., Tigireksky Ridge [AVB]; 5, D. maria, male, holotype, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [ZISP]; 6, D. maria, male, paratype, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [MČK]; 7, D. akbar, male, holotype, Afghanistan (photo by U. Buchsbaum) [ZSM]; 8, ditto, labels (Photo by U. Buchsbaum); 9, D. melancholica, female, paratype, N India, Himachal Pradesh, after Hacker & Peks, 1992; 10, Tholera cespitis, male, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB].

FIGURES 40 – 45. Dasypolia and Tholera spp., male genitalia. 40, Dasypolia fani, Russian Far East, Blagoveschensk, prep. Volynkin; 41, D. fani, Russian Far East, Evreiskaya Autonomous region, prep. Volynkin; 42, D. fani, Russian Far East, N Ussuri, Bikin, slide 912 LR Ronkay (photo by V. S. Kononenko); 43, D. fani, Russian Far East, Nikolsk-Ussurijsky, slide LR 911 Ronkay (photo by V. S. Kononenko); 44, Tholera cespitis, genitalia of the holotype of Dasypolia tuektiensis, Russia, Altai Mts., Tuekta depression, prep. G. S. Zolotarenko, vesica everted V. V. Dubatolov; 45. Th. cespitis, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0477 Volynkin.