Lemyra (Thyrgorina) persephone Saldaitis, Volynkin & Dubatolov, 2020

Saldaitis, Aidas, Volynkin, Anton V. & Dubatolov, Vladimir V., 2020, Lemyra persephone, a new autumnal species from Yunnan, southwestern China (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae), Zootaxa 4768 (3), pp. 446-450 : 447-449

Lemyra (Thyrgorina) persephone Saldaitis, Volynkin & Dubatolov , sp. nov. ( Figs 1, 2 , 5, 6 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 , 5 ): male, “C[h]ina W Yunnan, Salween Valley, 40 km Sud [South of] Gongshan , mt. 1650, 27°27’37’’N, 98°51’04’’E, 18 novembre [November] 2017, A. Floriani leg.”, slide AV4756 Volynkin (Coll. ASV, later to be deposited in the WIGJ).

Paratypes: 1 male, same data as in the holotype, slide AV4757 Volynkin (Coll. AFM) ; 2 males, C[h]ina, W Yunnan, Salween Valley, 30 km Nord [North] Liukuzhen, Luzhangzhen vill., mt. 2000, 25°58’15’’N, 98°47’40’’E, 16 novembre [November] 2017, A. Floriani leg., slide AV4755 Volynkin (Colls AFM & ASV) .

Diagnosis. New species closest relative is L. melanosoma distributed from eastern Pakistan through Himalaya and Myanmar to North Thailand and Yunnan ( Thomas 1990; Fang 2000; Černy & Pinratana 2009; Dubatolov 2010). Exter- nally, L. persephone ( Figs 1, 2 ) is very different from L. melanosoma ( Figs 3, 4 ) and can be easily distinguished by its forewing with less elongated apex and strong lead gray suffusion on both wings, whereas in L. melanosoma the forewing apex is slightly more elongated and both wings are pure white or with very weak small diffuse spots in the discal cells. Despite the strong external differences, male genitalia of the two species are very similar. However, L. persephone ( Figs 5, 6 ) differs from L. melanosoma ( Figs 7, 8 ) by its slightly broader tegumen, slightly more elongated juxta, more elongated distal section of valva (1.16–1.25 times longer), more massive aedeagus (length to width ratio is 5.3 contra 5.6–6.6 in L. melanosoma ), and aedeagus vesica with slightly broader smaller cluster of spinules and broader larger cluster with strongly broadened basal section (that is not broadened in L. melanosoma ).

Description. Adult ( Figs 1, 2 ). Forewing length 15–15.5 mm in males (15.5 mm in holotype). Male antennae bipectinate, blackish, with whitish scales along axis dorsally. Head and thorax white; upper side of abdomen ochreous yellow, under side grizzly gray, lateral part of abdomen with row of black spots. Forewing ground color lead gray, with intense whitish suffusion basally and strong dark brownish suffusion along costal and basal and medial parts of anal margins and along veins also. Hindwing greyish white basally and along anal margin, and with intense lead gray suffusion in medial, subterminal and terminal areas; discal spot diffuse, semilunar, dark lead gray. Cilia of both wings lead gray with admixture of brown scales.

Male genitalia ( Figs 5, 6 ). Basal section of uncus broad and strongly swollen; distal section narrow, dorso-ventrally flattened, with parallel lateral margins and rectangular tip with rounded corners. Tegumen broad, moderately sclerotised, curved. Juxta moderately sclerotised, strongly broadened and rounded basally and narrowed apically. Vinculum robust, more or less U-shaped. Valva narrow, somewhat longer than tegumen, slightly broadened medially, narrowed distally and rounded apically; ventral process of valva short, broad, rounded apically. Aedeagus large, heavily sclerotized, straight; vesica short, sack-like, projected ventrally, with two elongated clusters of spinules connected dorsally.

Female unknown.

Distribution and bionomics. The new species was collected at ultraviolet light during two nights at middle November, 2017 in the Nu Jiang (Salween) river valley in northwestern part of China’s Yunnan Province just on the border with North Myanmar (Kachin State). The new species was collected at altitudes of approximately 1650–2000 meters in a montane primary mixed forest dominated by various deciduous trees, bamboo and bushes. Its closest relative L. melanosoma inhabits the same valley, but its adults fly in middle of May. Other Chinese species of the genus were collected by the senior author in spring and summer periods and L. persephone is the only known autumnal Lemyra species in China.

Etymology. In the Greek mythology, Persephone is a goddess, Hades’ wife and the queen of the underworld. The species’ name refers to its dark, gloomy wing coloration.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Lemyra spp., adults. 1, L. persephone, holotype ♂, China,Yunnan (ASV/WIGJ); 2, L. persephone, paratype ♂, China, Yunnan (AFM); 3, L. melanosoma, ♂, NE India (MWM/ZSM); 4, L. melanosoma, ♂, China, Yunnan (AFM).

FIGURES 5–8. Lemyra spp., male genitalia. 5, L. persephone, holotype, China, Yunnan, slide AV4756 Volynkin; 2, L. persephone, paratype, China, Yunnan, slide AV4755 Volynkin; 3, L. melanosoma, NE India, slide ZSM Arct. 2019-198; 4, L. melanosoma, China, Yunnan, slide AV5582 Volynkin.