Cyana barbora Volynkin & Saldaitis, 2020

Volynkin, Anton V. & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2020, Cyana barbora, a new species from Sichuan, southwestern China (Lepidoptera Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini), Zootaxa 4885 (4), pp. 596-599 : 596-599

Cyana barbora Volynkin & Saldaitis , sp. n.

( Figs 1–3 , 7, 9 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 , 7 ): male, “ China, W. Sichuan, road Yaan / Kangding, Erlang Shan Mt. , H- 2000m, N29°87.340 ’’ E102°30.970 ’’, 27.vi.2019, Butvila & Saldaitis leg.”, gen. slide No. AV5864 (Coll. ASV, designated to WIGJ).

Paratypes: 2 males, 2 females the same data as in the holotype, gen. slide No. AV 5866 (female) (Colls AFM & ASV) ; 16 males, 3 females, the same locality and collectors, but 08.vii.2019, gen. slides Nos. AV 5841 and AV5865 (males) (Colls AFM, ASV, RMV & WIGJ) .

Diagnosis. The new species ( Figs 1–3 ) is similar externally to C. abiens ( Figs 4–6 ), but distinguishable by its pure white thorax and the absence of a subterminal transverse fascia, whereas in C. abiens , the thorax, tegulae and patagiae have orange spots and the subterminal transverse fascia is present. The forewing of C. barbora sp. n. is slightly broader and lacks black scales on its costa subbasally. Additionally, the postmedial transverse fascia of the new species is slightly more sinuous than that of C. abiens . The male genital capsule of C. barbora sp. n. ( Fig. 7 ) differs from that of C. abiens ( Fig. 8 ) by the shorter and more strongly curved distal saccular process and the distally narrower uncus. The vesicae of the two species are similar, but in C. barbora sp. n. the lateral diverticula are somewhat larger and the cluster of spinules on the subbasal diverticulum is remarkably longer than those structures of C. abiens . In the female genitalia, C. barbora sp. n. ( Fig. 9 ) differs from C. abiens ( Fig. 10 ) by its less prominent lateral sclerotized area of corpus bursae and the much smaller sclerotized pockets of the posterior section of corpus bursae. Additionally, the basal section of the appendix bursae of the new species is shorter than that of C. abiens .

Description. External morphology of adults ( Figs 1–3 ). Forewing length 16–17.5 mm in males (16.5 mm in holotype) and 21–22 mm in females. Antennae weakly ciliate in both sexes. Sexual dimorphism limited: male smaller than female and having small androconial lobe on forewing underside. Body white. Forewing ground color white. Transverse fasciae intense amber orange. Subbasal fascia slightly curved, does not reach the anal wing margin. Antemedial fascia undulate. Postmedial fascia smoothly curved posteriorly and zigzagged in the cell and at costa. Cell with three large round black spots. Hindwing ground color white. Discal spot grey, semilunar, diffuse. Cilia of both wings white. Male genitalia ( Fig. 7 ). Uncus short, narrowly trigonal, apically blunt, basally fused with scaphium. Anal tube broad; scaphium narrow, weakly sclerotized; subscaphium broad, setose. Tegumen of moderate length, narrow. Vinculum short, broad, with robust U-like saccus dilated apically. Juxta trapezoidal, with short triagnular inner incision and more weakly sclerotized medial part. Valva with strongly convex costal margin, distally narrowed, its cucullus lobe-like, apically rounded. Sacculus moderately broad, its distal process long, robust, slightly curved dorsally, with spine-like tip, well-separated from cucullus. Ventral plate of costa heavily sclerotized, with short crest. Aedeagus long, narrow, slightly dilated medially. In vesica, the largest diverticulum bearing cluster of robust spinules and areas of granulation. Two lateral diverticula broadly triangular, membranous. Ventral subbasal diverticulum bearing elongate cluster of small spinules. 1 st distal diverticulum globular, bearing large cluster of numerous various sized spinules. 2 nd distal diverticulum short, triangular, membranous. Distal plate of vesica long and narrow, weakly sclerotized. Vesica ejaculatorius ventrally projected. Female genitalia ( Fig. 9 ). Ovipositor short and broad. Papillae anales rectangular with rounded corners. Apophyses thin, apophyses posteriores about 1.5 times longer than apophyses anteriores. Ostium bursae broad. Ductus moderately long, membranous, its subostial section funnel-like. Corpus bursae elongate with medial constriction, its posterior section thick-walled, rugose, with broad sclerotized area laterally and two small sclerotized pockets medially. Anterior section of corpus bursae globular, thin-walled, slightly rugose. Appendix bursae with narrow, elongate and rugose basal section and very broad, globular, membranous distal section.

Bionomics and distribution. The new species is known from the Erlang Shan mountain range at the eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau in China’s Sichuan province. Series of males and females were collected at end of June and early July at altitudes ranging 2000 meters. Cyana barbora sp. n. was collected in virgin mixed forest habitat dominated by various broad-leaved trees such as oaks ( Quercus dentata , Q. glauca ), poplars ( Populus cathayana , P. simonii ), elm ( Ulmus parvifolia ), rhododendrons ( Rhododendron brachycarpum , R. dauricum ), and bamboos ( Phyllostachys ssp., Borinda ssp., Fargesia spp.).

Etymology. The new species is named in honor of Barbora Gavorkaitë (Joniđkis, Lithuania).

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Cyana spp., adults. 1, C. barbora sp. n., holotype male, China, W Sichuan (ASV/WIGJ); 2, C. barbora sp. n., paratype male, China, W Sichuan (ASV); 3, C. barbora sp. n., paratype female, China, W Sichuan (ASV); 4, C. abiens, holotype male, China, Shaanxi (IZCAS, photo by Wu Chunsheng); 5, C. abiens, male, China, Gansu (MWM/ZSM); 6, C. abiens, female, China, Gansu (MWM/ZSM).

FIGURES 7–10. Cyana spp., male (7, 8) and female (9, 10) genitalia. 7, C. barbora sp. n., holotype, China, W Sichuan, slide AV5864 Volynkin; 8, C. abiens, China, Gansu, slide ZSM Arct. 082/2017 Volynkin; 9, C barbora sp. n., paratype, China, W Sichuan, slide AV5866 Volynkin; 10, C. abiens, China, Gansu, slide ZSM Arct. 83/2017 Volynkin.