Palaeagrotis adrienneae Volynkin, Gyulai & Behounek

Volynkin, Anton V., Gyulai, Péter & Behounek, Gottfried, 2015, A review of the genus Palaeagrotis with description of a new species from South Mongolia (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3956 (1), pp. 113-120 : 115-119

Palaeagrotis adrienneae Volynkin, Gyulai & Behounek , sp. n.

( Figs 5–8 , 14–16 , 20, 21 )

Type material examined. Holotype: male, Mongolia, Ömnögobi [Ömnögovi] aimak, 32 km S of Mandal Ovoo sum, Khain Khyar Bayan Khoshuuni Mts, 21–22.viii.1997, leg. P. Gyulai & A. Garai (coll. PGM, later in HNHM). Slide 4066 Gyulai.

Paratypes: 5 males, 2 females, with the same data (coll. PGM); 1 male, 1 female, with the same data (coll. GRB); 9 males, 6 females, Mongolia, Bayankhongor aimak, Tsagaan Bogd Uul, 59 km S of Ekhiin-Gol oase, 28– 30.viii.1997, leg. P. Gyulai & A. Garai (coll. PGM); 1 male, with the same data (coll. ZSM); 1 male, 1 female, Mongolia, Bayankhongor aimak, Zhinst Uul, Boomin sair 36 km SO of Shinezhinst sum 26–27.viii.1997, leg. P. Gyulai & A. Garai (coll. PGM).

Slides 943, 4077 Gyulai, ZSM 4401 Volynkin (males), 4073, 4076, 4078, 4079 Gyulai (females).

Diagnosis. P. adrienneae is closely related to wider distributed P. inops , however is on average somewhat smaller (32–41 mm, while 34–44 mm those of inops ). Externally, it can be separated by the somewhat narrower forewing and much reddish forewing ground colour and the body colouration. In the male genitalia, P. adrienneae differs from P. inops by the somewhat smaller cucullus, the somewhat larger sacculus, and the aedeagus structure: in P. adrienneae , the carina has two fields of spinules (in P. inops , the carina has three well separated fields of spinules), the vesica has a large subbasal plate-like cornutus with dentate margin, a large bulbous dorsal diverticulum and a large conical ventral diverticulum (in P. i n op s, the vesica has no subbasal cornutus but has a bulbous latero-ventral medial diverticulum, latero-ventral distal small diverticulum with small spine-like cornutus, and sclerotised ventral band). In the female genitalia, P. adrienneae differs from P. i n op s by the much broader and longer sclerotised part of ductus bursae and the much smaller conical appendix bursae.

Description. External morphology of adults. Wingspan 32–41 mm. Male antennae serrate and fasciculate, female antennae filiform. Head, thorax and abdomen reddish brown. Ground colour of forewing reddish brown. Pattern diffuse. Crosslines dark brown, thin; subbasal and antemedial lines wavy; postmedial line irregularly dentate; subterminal line diffuse, dentate, with dark brown shadow inwardly; terminal line as row of blackish brown trigonal spots. Orbicular and reniform stigmata reddish brown with diffuse dark brown border. Claviform spot short, broad, diffuse, dark brown. Medial shadow diffuse, dark reddish brown. Cilia reddish brown. Hindwing reddish brown, paler than forewing; medial line narrow, diffuse, brownish; discal spot semilunar, diffuse, brownish; cilia pale brown. Male genitalia. Uncus long, narrow, apically pointed. Tegumen moderately long, broad, penicular lobes broad, trapezoidal with rounded angles; vinculum short, V-shaped; juxta shield-like with broad and long apical extension. Valva elongated, moderately broad, distally narrowed; cucullus relatively small, poorly separated, trigonal; corona presented; costa well sclerotised, costal extension short, trigonal; sacculus short and broad; clasper strongly sclerotised, almost straight; harpe strong, curved, distally narrowed, apically rounded. Aedeagus large, cylindrical, slightly curved; carina with two fields of strong spinules; vesica membranous, with large subbasal plate-like cornutus with dentate margin, large bulbous dorsal diverticulum and large conical ventral diverticulum. Female genitalia. Ovipositor broad, short, quadrangular; with ring of long hair-like setae. Gonapophyses long and thin. Ostium bursae broad, weakly sclerotised. Ductus bursae long, broad, broadened posteriorly, its posterior three-quarter strongly sclerotised, with sclerotised folds, anterior quarter membranous, wrinkly. Corpus bursae relatively small, ovoid; appendix bursae small, conical, rounded, laterally positioned.

Distribution and bionomics. The species is known from mountains of southern part of Mongolia, having a more restricted distribution than of its sister species P. inops , occurring locally only in the Ömnögovi and Bayankhongor aimaks (= provinces). In Ömnögovi aimak both species were found; however their sympatric occurrence has not been observed yet. The habitats of P. adrienneae are dry stony slopes with typical South Mongolian steppe vegetation in the island-like mountains of the southern Gobi desert. Flight period is partly overlapping but later and shorter than that of the P. inops . Adult of P. adrienneae is flying in the second half of August and in the beginning of September. The best habitat of the new species in the Tsagaan Bogd Uul Mts have been figured by Gyulai & Ronkay (1999: 773), where P. adrienneae occurs sympatrically with certain faunistically important Central Asian Noctuidae species ( Dichagyris clara gobialtaica Varg a, Eremohadena clementissima Ronkay & Varga , Caradrina monssacralis Varga & Ronkay , Autophila vespertalis Staudinger , Autophila glebicolor Ershov , Autophila eremocharis Boursin , Autophila tetrastigma Boursin , etc.).

Etymology. The species name is dedicated to Mrs. Adrienne Gyulai-Garai (Miskolc, Hungary), the second author's wife, one of the collectors of the type-series of a new species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Palaeagrotis spp., adults. 1, P. inops, lectotype male, East Kazakhstan, Altai Mts (NKMB); 2, P. inops, female, NW China, Aksu (ZSM); 3, P. inops, female, SW Mongolia (AVB); 4, P. inops, female, Russian Altai Mts (AVB); 5, P. adrienneae, holotype male, S Mongolia (PGM); 6, P. adrienneae, paratype male, S Mongolia (ZSM); 7, P. adrienneae, paratype female, S Mongolia (PGM); 8, P. adrienneae, paratype female, S Mongolia (PGM); 9, P. sibirica, lectotype male, N Mongolia (NKMB); 10, P. sibirica, male, S Mongolia (ZSM).

FIGURES 11 – 16. Palaeagrotis spp., male genitalia. 11, P. inops, lectotype, slide 12193 NKMB Behounek; 12, P. inops, NW China, slide ZSM 4402 Volynkin; 13, P. inops, Russia, Altai Mts, slide AV 1353 Volynkin; 14, P. adrienneae, holotype, S Mongolia, slide 4066 Gyulai; 15, P. adrienneae, paratype, S Mongolia, slide ZSM 4401 Volynkin; 16, P. adrienneae, paratype, S Mongolia, slide 943 Gyulai.

FIGURES 17 – 22. Palaeagrotis spp., male (17, 18) and female (19 – 22) genitalia. 17, P. sibirica, lectotype, N Mongolia, slide 12191 NKMB Behounek; 18, P. sibirica, S Mongolia, slide ZSM 4421 Volynkin; 19, P. inops, NW China, slide ZSM 4417 Volynkin; 20, P. adrienneae, paratype, S Mongolia, slide 4073 Gyulai; 21, P. adrienneae, paratype, S Mongolia, slide 4079 Gyulai; 22, P. sibirica, S Mongolia, slide ZSM 4422 Volynkin.