Dodia maja REKELJ et ČESANEK, 2009

Rekelj, J. & Česanek, M., 2009, Dodia Maja Sp. N., A New Tiger Moth From The Magadan Territory, Russia (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 55 (3), pp. 275-282 : 276-281

Dodia maja REKELJ et ČESANEK , sp. n.

Holotype: m, Russia, Far E. Magadanskaia oblast, Khasinskii okrug, Maimandzhinskii khrebet, Goluboe ozero, km 25 of road to Talaia village, 800–900 m, (61°06’41”N; 152°15’41”E), 7. – 8. July 2006, leg. J. REKELJ; deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum , Department of Zoology , Budapest, Hungary.

Paratypes: 1 f, Russia, Far E. Magadanskaia oblast, Khasinskii okrug, Maimandzhinskii khrebet., Goluboe ozero, km 25 of road to Talaia village, 800–900 m, (61°06’41”N; 152°15’41”E), 7–8. July 2006, leg. J. REKELJ, ( JRKS). 1 m , Russia, Far E. Magadanskaia oblast, Omsukchanskii raion Omsukchanskii khrebet., Kapranovskii pass (1300 m), env. road to Osadochnyl village 1000–1200 m, (62°09’39”N; 155°17’23”E), 29. June–6. July 2006, leg. J. REKELJ, ( JRKS); 3 mm, 29. June–6. July 2006, leg. M. ČESANEK, ( MČBS); 2 mm, 29.6.– 6.7.2006, leg. T. KODRAN, det. J. REKELJ, ( TKKS). 2 mm , Russia, Far E. Magadanskaia oblast, Khasinskii okrug, gory Del – Urekchen, Karamken pass, 800–900 m, (60°19’N; 151°11’5”E), 17–19. June 2006, leg. J. REKELJ, ( JRKS) .

Description – Male ( Fig. 4 ): body completely black. Wings translucent, black-gray, entirely without pattern, veins darker than ground colour. Forewings powdered darker at base, near wing margin and along discal vein. Forewing length: 14.5 to 16 mm.

Male genitalia (Figs 10, 13, 14, 17, 18): uncus simple, slightly constricted in the middle, tapered at apex and toward base. Aedeagus about 5 times as long as wide and 2/3 as long as valve, cylindrical, slightly curved on basal third, without setae apically. Vesica with one big apical diverticulum and one small, adjacent to opening of seminal duct. Vesica with two spine clusters: one bigger near opening of seminal duct with 10 to 14 spines, and the second one smaller on the opposite side with 5 to 8 spines. Apical pouch evenly covered with short setae which are a little bigger near spine clusters and opening of seminal duct. Base of seminal duct with small lightly sclerotized plate. Dorsal margin of valve narrow, with a shallow rectangular groove near base. Apex of valve simple, with a small rounded process dorsally and a big triangular process ventrally. Groove between those processes shallow or almost missing.

Female ( Fig. 5 ): head, prothoracic collar, tegulae and thorax black, abdomen lighter dark gray at the base and ventrally. Wings translucent, black-grey, but lighter than those of male, without pattern. Forewings slightly darker at the base and along discal vein. Forewing length: 12 mm.

Female genitalia ( Figs 16 , 19 ): ovipositor lobes rounded. Unforked anterior portion of anterior apophyses very short about 1/2 as long as forked portion. Posterior apophyses thorn-like shape, slightly longer than unforked anterior portion of anterior apophyses. Ostium bursae well sclerotized, simple. Ductus bursae long, cylindrical, weakly sclerotized, more strongly laterally on the first third. Corpus bursae circular, with two signa laterally one on each side.

Distribution: At present Dodia maja is known only from far eastern Magadanskaia oblast.

However, similar biotopes are widespread and the species is probably more widely distributed.

above Goluboe ozero holotype

Ecology: Adults were collected between mid June and early July. The moths are local, occurring on areas of dry tundra, southwest-facing rocky slopes exposed to the sun above the tree line or in glades with small groups of low coniferous trees ( Fig. 7 ). Adults are active at nightfall, but they can also fly during cloudy periods of the day. They are strong, but languid fliers and barely distinguishable from the background of overgrown lichens on the rocks, especially in the evening. Moths are not attracted to light traps, probably because of their short evening flight period when artificial light is not strong enough to attract them. The female waits for the male hidden under or between rocks. One female was observed after she laid her first big batch of 20 eggs close to the cocoon. In captivity this female laid four more groups of 5 to 10 eggs. Initially the eggs are orange-yellow turning to pale yellow after about 8 days. Caterpillars hatch from the eggs after 10 to 14 days. The first three instars of larva have a black head, pale yellow body and black setae ( Fig. 6 ). Rearing under laboratory conditions is relatively simple with Taraxacum and Plantago supplied as food. Winter hibernation was unfortunately unsuccessful.

oblast, Russia; 13–14 = from both sides, D. maja sp. n., holotype

Diagnosis – The new species is distinguishable from D. kononenkoi TSHISTJAKOV et LAFONTAINE, 1984 ( Figs 1, 2 ) [compared with photographs of paratype, and our own material] by the darker colour of its body and wings, smaller size, shape of dorsal margin and apex of valve, and different morphology of the vesica (Figs 9, 12). From D. transbaikalensis TSHISTJAKOV, 1988 [compared with illustrations of holotype, and our own material] the new species is distinguishable by its smaller size, darker colour of the body and wings, dark and non-translucent veins, different shape of the uncus and valves, and different morphology of the vesica. The differences between the female of D. maja sp. n. and D. verticalis LAFONTAINE et TROUBRIDGE, 2000 [compared with photographs of holotype] are in size and colour of wings and body. The forewing and hindwing are completely without pattern as opposed to D. verticalis . Adults can be easily distinguished from those of D. albertae DYAR, 1901 ( Fig. 3 ) [compared with photographs of lectotype – shown by TSHISTJAKOV & LAFONTAINE (1984), and our own material] and D. tarandus MACAULAY et SCHMIDT, 2009 [compared with illustrations of holotype] by the lack of pattern on the forewings, and by different morphology of the uncus, valves and vesica. From D. diaphana EVERSMANN, 1848 [compared with illustrations – shown by TSHISTJAKOV (1988), and our own material] the new species is distinguishable by a disparity of colour on the prothoracic collar and abdomen, and also by the different structures of genitalia on both species. D. maja sp. n. can be easily distinguished from D. sazonovi DUBATOLOV, 1990 [compared with illustrations of holotype, and our own material] by difference in size of wings. Forewing length at males of D. sazonovi just to 11 mm (forewing length of males at D. maja : 14.5 to 16 mm), females of D. sazonovi are flightless with forewing length 5 mm (forewing length of females at D. maja : 12 mm). Internally, differences are in shape of the uncus and valves, and in morphology of the vesica.

Etymology: The new species is dedicated to author’s wife, MAJA REKELJ .

Figures

Figs 1–7. Adults of Dodia sp.: 1–2 = D. kononenkoi TSHISTJAKOV et LAFONTAINE, 1984: 1 = male, Magadanskaia oblast, Russia; 2 = female, Yukon Territory, Canada; 3 = D. albertae DYAR, 1901, male, Yukon Territory, Canada; 4 = D.maja sp. n., holotype, male, Magadanskaia oblast, Russia; 5 = D. maja sp. n., paratype, female; 6 = third instar larva in laboratory; 7 = habitat – dry rocky tundra

Figs 15–16. Female genitalia of Dodia sp.: 15 = D. kononenkoi TSHISTJAKOV et LAFONTAINE, 1984, Yukon Territory, Canada; 16 = D. maja sp. n., paratype

Figs 17–19. Genitalia of D.maja sp.n.: 17 = m, holotype; 18 = aedeagus with vesica everted, holotype; 19 = f, paratype