Polia hofer, Saldaitis, Aidas, Benedek, Balázs & Behounek, Gottfried, 2016

Saldaitis, Aidas, Benedek, Balázs & Behounek, Gottfried, 2016, A new Polia Ochsenheimer, 1816 species from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Hadenini), Zootaxa 4093 (4), pp. 577-582 : 577-581

Polia hofer sp. n.

( Figs 1–4 , 9, 10 , 13–15 , 19 )

Holotype: male ( Fig. 1 ), China, N. Sichuan, 20 km N. Maoxian, H- 1820 m, N31°46.310′, E103°42.898′, 22.iv. 2015, Floriani & Saldaitis, slide No.OP 3246m; (coll. GBG/ZSM).

Paratypes: 73 males, 11 females ( Figs 2–4 ) with the same data as the holotype, slide Nos GB8687f, GB8689f, GB 8690m, OP3247f, (colls AFM, ASV, GBG/ZSM, F. Hofer , OPB, A. Rau and WSO).

Diagnosis. The new species ( Figs 1–4 ) can be separated from the closely related P. costirufa ( Figs 5–8 ) by it’s somewhat smaller size (wingspan 43-48 mm, those of P. costirufa 46-50 mm) and lighter, more greyish forewing colouration without the reddish-brown tint characteristic of P. costirufa . The reniform stigma on P. hofer is less whitish and distinct and P. costirufa has a remarkable, light creamy costal band on the upper half of the forewings. The male genitalia of P. hofer ( Figs 9, 10 ) differs in the shorter uncus, the shorter but broader harpe, the narrower coecum, the broader carinal bar on the ventral side and the configuration and the shape of the vesica, complimented with a long medial diverticulum tipped with a cornutus. The female genitalia ( Figs 13-15 ) differs in the configuration of the cervix bursae with smaller sclerotisation.

Description. Wingspan 43–48 mm, antennae filiform; thorax robust; forewings elongated, triangular in shape with apex rounded; ground colouration of forewings and thorax shiny ash-grey; all noctuid elements of the forewing pattern well presented but all diffusely contoured. Reniform stigma large, whitish with dirty-grey filling; orbicular stigma small, same colour as the ground colour, encircled with darker scaling; claviform stigma large, darker, blackish; ante- and posmedian fascia remarkable, gently waved, lighter, dirty-white; subterminal fascia less distinct, diffuse, forming a large “W” between the veins M3-Cu2; cilia same colour as ground colour; hindwings light ash-grey.

Male genitalia ( Figs 9, 10 ). Uncus long, elongated, hook-like strongly curved, apically acute; subapical hairs long, forming a ridge; tegumen low-positioned, rather weak and narrow; penicular lobes small, apically covered with long hairs; fultura small, somewhat sand clock-shaped, but apically narrower and less sclerotised; vinculum small but strong, U-shaped; sacculus large, ventral process strong, blade-shaped and fused with the valva; harpe strong, but short, daggerlike; valva elongated, apically broadly rounded and covered with long setae of the well developed corona. Aedeagus of medium length and broad, straight, tubular; ventral carinal bar strong and long; vesica broadly sack-like, dorsally everted, armed with a large and long, thorn-like terminal cornutus, terminal half of vesica strongly tapering, tubular, subbasal diverticulum small, medial diverticulum long, finger-shaped and basally ventrally turned, tipped with a terminal cornutus.

Female genitalia ( Figs 13-15 ). Papillae anales small, rectangular in shape, moderately hairy; apophyses anteriores short but strong; apophyses posteriores very short, but strong; ostium bursae widely calyculate; antrum large, elliptical in shape with small, conical lateral processes on both sides; cervix bursae large, left side with a large, flat, heavily sclerotised “pocket” with rather smooth surface, other parts strongly ribbed, corpus bursae moderately large, membranous, more-or less elliptical in shape.

Biology and distribution. Very large numbers of males and females were collected at ultraviolet light during a single cold night on 22 April, 2015 in a remote part of west China’s Sichuan Province near the Maoxian. Polia hofer was collected at an altitude of 1800 meters in a mountain river dry valley sparsely covered by mixed forests dominated by various deciduous trees and bushes ( Fig. 19 ) where it was the most common noctuid.

Etymology. The new species is named in the honour of the Hofer family (Rosa, Franz and Thomas) (Baden, Austria), for their merits in entomology.

Figures

FIGURE 19. China, N. Sichuan, 20 km N. Maoxian, H- 1820 m, N 31 ° 46.310 ’, E 103 ° 42.898 ’, type locality of P. h o f e r sp. n.

FIGURES 1 – 8. Polia ssp. adults. 1. P. hofer sp. n., male, holotype, China, N. Sichuan (GBG / ZSM); 2. P. h o f e r sp. n., male, paratype, China, N. Sichuan (GBG / ZSM); 3. P. h o f e r sp. n., female, paratype, China, N. Sichuan (OPB); 4. P. h o f e r sp. n., female, paratype, China, N. Sichuan (GBG / ZSM); 5. P. c o s t ir u f a, male, China, W. Sichuan, Batang (AFM); 6. P. c o s t ir u f a, male, China, W. Sichuan, Batang (OPB); 7. P. c o s ti r u f a, female, holotype, China Batang [Tibet], W. Sichuan (ZFMK); 8. P. costirufa, female, China, W. Sichuan, Litang (AFM).

FIGURES 9 – 12. Polia ssp. male genitalia. 9. P. hofer sp. n., male, holotype, China, N. Sichuan, prep. OP 3246 m, (GBG / ZSM); 10. P. hofer sp. n., male, paratype, China, N. Sichuan, prep. GB 8690 m, (GBG / ZSM); 11. P. costirufa, male, China, W. Sichuan, prep. OP 3244 m (OPB); 12. P. costirufa, male, China, W. Sichuan, prep. GB 8703 m (GBG / ZSM).

FIGURES 13 – 18. Polia ssp. female genitalia. 13. P. h o f e r sp. n., female, paratype, China, N. Sichuan, prep. OP 3247 f, (OPB); 14. P. hofer sp. n., female, paratype, China, N. Sichuan, prep. GB 8687 f, (GBG / ZSM); 15. P. h o f e r sp. n., female, paratype, China, N. Sichuan, prep. GB 8689 f, (GBG / ZSM); 16. P. costirufa, female, holotype, China Batang [Tibet], W. Sichuan, GB 4497 f, (ZFMK); 17. P. c o s ti r u f a, female, China, W. Sichuan, Shaluli Shan, OP 3245 f, (OPB); 18. P. costirufa, female, China, W. Sichuan, Litang, GB 8705 f, (GBG / ZSM).