Phlogophora butvili, Gyulai & Saldaitis, 2019

Gyulai, Peter & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2019, A new species of Phlogophora Treitschke (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from China, Zootaxa 4646 (2), pp. 322-330 : 323-329

Phlogophora butvili sp. nov.

( Figs 1–4 , 15, 16 , 23 )

Type material. Holotype: male ( Fig. 1 ), China, NW Yunnan, Nu Yiang valley, road Lushui – Gulang , 2000 m, 25°58’15”N, 98°47’40”E, 19.V.2018, leg. Butvila & Saldaitis; slide No. PGY5001 (coll. PGM, later to be deposited in the HNHM).

Paratypes: 2 males the same locality as holotypus, but 13.V.2018 ; 5 males, 1 female ( Figs 2–4 , 16 ) China, NW Yunnan, Nu Yiang valley, S from Gongshan , 2100–2400 m, 27°43’42”N, 98°45’15”E, 15–16.V.2018, leg. Butvila & Saldaitis; slide Nos PGY 4951m, PGY4993f (colls AFM & ASV) .

Diagnosis The new species ( Figs 1–4 ) is the northern sibling species to Phlogophora gustafssoni ( Berio, 1972) described from Myanmar ( Figs 5 , 17 ). Both species and their closest relatives are similar in wing pattern, which is apparently almost the same. They have dark brownish–grey to somewhere purple forewings which are darkest in the middle area with variable conspicuous white or whitish, drop–like suborbicular stigma, being confluent with orbicular and reniform stigmata (this white marking can be reduced however, in certain females) and with grey shaded with green and purple fading to yellow–green or pale ochre orbicular and reniform stigmata, costal field, lower edge of the medial field and diffusely striped inner sides of the antemedial line and outer sides of the postmedial line; furthermore in the lower edge of the medial field. The hindwing is pale brown to greyish without a medial line, with a poorly-defined faint discal spot and with a broad, diffuse, much darker marginal field. The distinctive diagnostic external features compared to P. gustafssoni include: a much darker brown forewing with extended greyish-purple suffusion (particularly in the costal area) with very slight greenish forewing and thoracic vesture shade compared to the old, faded type of P. gustafssoni which originally may have been rather greenish and much lighter (as the majority of the relative species); apically less pointed forewings with a straighter postmedial line and more zigzag antemedial line compared to finely wavy lines in P. gustafssoni .

These two species with relatively similar male genitalia form a distinct lineage from the rest of the externally homogeneous costalis species group. They are more remote regarding the male genitalia structure. The majority of the similar species belong to or are close to the costalis species group, comprising the following eight species: Phlogophora costalis ( Moore, 1882) , Phlogophora olivacea ( Leech, 1900) , Phlogophora malaisei ( Berio, 1972) , Phlogophora burmana ( Berio, 1972) , Phlogophora violacea ( Berio, 1972) , Phlogophora humilis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998 , Phlogophora nobilis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998 and Phlogophora olivascens Gyulai et al. 2013 . Images of the closest species are shown in Figs 6–14 and the genitalia structure in Figs 18–22 (males) and 24–27 (females). It is worth noting that the separate identity of P. olivacea is debatable, since Hreblay & Ronkay (1998) considered this species synonymous with P. costalis .

The collecting locality helps in identification as the known distribution of the two sibling species appears to be allopatric with recent separation. Sympatry can occur in the group in some localities in Nepal ( P. costalis and P. humilis ) or Myanmar ( P. malaisei , P. burmana , P. violacea and P. gustafssoni ). The flight period of the new species is rather early in comparison to its related species and is one month earlier than that of its sister species at the same altitude. Finally, some salient differences in the male genitalia between the two species can clearly confirm their identity.

Male genitalia. Phlogophora butvili ( Figs 15, 16 ) can be easily separated from its sibling species by the genitalia configuration, indicating some conspicuous differences. Key unique genitalic features include the much larger, distally broadly spatulate uncus; the shape and configuration of the harpe–digitus complex, in which the harpe is much smaller, shorter straight or hardly falciform and the digitus much smaller; whereas in P. gustafssoni the former one is longer, falciform, and the latter one is a much larger huge plate. It is easily discernible in the male genitalia from P. gustafssoni , that layout and coverage were not technically perfect; the left valva and the digitus were not flattened therefore it folded–ribbed and the vesica was not everted. In the vesica of the new species, the subtermi-nal–terminal strongly sclerotized, scobinate area is conspicuously more extended, while in the P. gustafssoni it is defined by an almost evenly slender, long, pointed wedge. A somewhat similar harpe–digitus construction can also be observed in Phlogophora conservuloides Hampson, 1898 and Phlogophora lushana Gyulai et al. 2013 , however the forewing ground colour in the former is reddish–brown, while it is whitish in the much smaller latter species.

Female genitalia. The main characters of P. butvili ( Fig. 23 ) are the large, broad, setose papillae anales and longer apophyses anteriores; a strongly sclerotized, rather shortly tubular antrum with broad oval ostium; broad, mostly sclerotized ductus bursae, ample appendix bursae with slight distal sclerotization, folded ribs, and much more ample globular corpus bursae. The female of the closely related P. gustafssoni is not known. In comparison to the other, more remote relatives, the keys for separation are the construction of the antrum–ostium complex, the shorter ductus bursae and the globular corpus bursae ( Figs 23 –27 ).

Description. P. butvili sp. nov. ( Figs 1–4 ), with a wingspan of 34–39 mm, is averaged-sized for the group and the single known female is slightly larger than the males. The female antennae are fine, those of the males densely ciliated. The thoracic vesture and the forewings are dark brownish – grey, the darkest in the middle area. The orbicular and reniform stigmata, the costal field, the lower edge of the medial field and diffusely striped inner sides of the antemedial line and outer sides of the postmedial line, furthermore the lower edge of the medial field are grey shaded with green and purple fading to pale ochre. The most conspicuous are the variable white or whitish, drop–like suborbicular stigma, being confluent with orbicular and reniform stigmata The hindwing is pale brown to greyish with a poorly-defined faint discal spot and with a broad, diffuse, much darker marginal field.

Male genitalia. P. butvili ( Figs 15, 16 ) can be characterised by the distally broadened, spatulate uncus, terminally somewhat curved harpe, short but strong digitus, broadly v–shaped vinculum, elongate, medio–ventrally broadened valva with somewhat detached, apically slender cucullus, long corona, ample vesica with a large conical subterminal diverticulum and almost oppositely with a large subterminal–terminal strongly sclerotized, scobinate area.

Female genitalia. The main characters of P. butvili ( Fig. 23 ) are the large, broad, setose papillae anales and longer apophyses anteriores; a strongly sclerotized, rather shortly tubular antrum with broad oval ostium; broad, mostly sclerotized ductus bursae, ample appendix bursae with slight distal sclerotization, folded ribs, and much more ample globular corpus bursae.

Biology and distribution. Eight males and a single female were collected at ultraviolet light during four nights on mid May, 2018 in a Nu Jiang (Salween) river valley in the northwestern part of China’s Yunnan Province bordering North Myanmar (Kachin State). The new species was collected at altitudes of approximately 2000–2400 m in a primary mountainous mixed forest, dominated by various deciduous trees, bamboo and bushes.

Etymology. The new species is named after our colleague, the prominent Lithuanian collector Rimantas Butvila (Joniškis, Lithuania).

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Phlogophora ssp. adults. 1. P.butvili sp. nov., male, holotype, China, NW Yunnan, Nu Yiang valley, PGY5001m (HNHM); 2. P. butvili sp. nov., male, paratype, China, NW Yunnan, Nu Yiang valley, PGY4951m (ASV); 3. P. butvili sp. nov., male, paratype, China, NW Yunnan, Nu Yiang valley (ASV); 4. P. butvili sp. nov., female, paratype, China, NW Yunnan, Nu Yiang valley, PGY4993f (ASV); 5. P. gustafssoni, male, holotype, N. E. Myanmar (Burma), Kambalti, Berio4733m (NHRS); 6. P. humilis, male, Nepal, Ganesh Himal, PGY4970m (PGM); 7. P. humilis, male, holotype, Nepal, Taplejung, Lal Kharka, Hreblay7298m (Hreblay/HNHM); 8. P. humilis, female, paratype Nepal, Koshi, Terhathum, PGY5016f (PGM).

FIGURES 15–18. Phlogophora ssp. male genitalia. 15. P. butvili sp. nov., holotype, China, NW Yunnan, prep. PGY5001m (HNHM); 16. P. butvili sp. nov., paratype, China, NW Yunnan, prep. PGY4951m (ASV); 17. P. gustafssoni, holotype, N. E. Myanmar, prep. Berio4733m (NHRS); 18. P. humilis, Nepal, prep. PGY4970m (PGM).

FIGURES 23–27. Phlogophora ssp. female genitalia. 23. P. butvili sp. nov., paratype, China, NW Yunnan, prep. PGY4993f (ASV); 24. P. humilis, paratype, Nepal, prep. PGY5016f (PGM); 25. P. nobilis, paratype, Nepal, prep. Hreblay 10574f; 26. P. olivascens, paratype, China, Sichuan, prep. PGY3446f (PGM); 27. P. costalis, Nepal, prep. PGY3444f (PGM).