Mustilizans hepatica ( Moore, 1879 )

Chandra, Kailash, Singh, Navneet, Kumar, Vikas, Ranjan, Rahul, Caleb, John T. D., Gayen, Subrata, Das, Moumita & Dey, Rushati, 2019, The genus Mustilizans Yang, 1995 (Lepidoptera: Endromidae) in India with the description of a new species, Zootaxa 4624 (2), pp. 183-190 : 184-186

Mustilizans hepatica ( Moore, 1879)

Figs. 1, 2, 4 , 7–11

Mustilia hepatica Moore, 1879 , Lep. Coll. late Mr Atkinson: 82, pl. 3: fig. 18.

Mustilia columbaris Butler, 1886 , Proc. Zool. Soc. London: 387, pl. 35: fig. 7.

Type material: Holotype male: India: West Bengal: Darjiling (=Darjeeling), deposited in ZMHUB (color photo examined).

Holotype male of Mustilia columbaris from Murree (presently in Pakistan) deposited in BMNH (color photo examined).

Additional material: (22 males). 1 male ( ZSI), India: Arunachal Pradesh, Dibang Valley, Anini (28.7970° N, 95.9095° E), 1660 m a.s.l., 25.iv.2018, leg. R. Ranjan & G. N. Das. The following material from MWM was determined by V.V. Zolotuhin. 1 male ( MWM), India: Kumaon-Himalaya, Dist. Nainital , Bhimtal , 1500 m a.s.l., 30.5.1971 ; 1 male ( MWM), North India, NW-Himalaya, 1500 m a.s.l., Uttar Pradesh (presently in Uttarakhand), Kumaon Dist. Bhimtal, ??. ii.1975, leg. Smetacek ; 2 males ( MWM), India, Uttar Pradesh (presently in Uttarakhand), Nainital , 2100 m a.s.l., 14–20.vi.1975, leg. W. Thomas ; 1 male ( MWM), India, Himachal Pradesh, Kandaghat , 1500 m a.s.l., 25.vi.1975, leg. W. Thomas ; 1 male ( MWM), India, Kumaon-Himalaya Dist. Nainital, Bhimtal , 1500 m a.s.l., 30.v.1978, leg. Smetacek ; 1 male ( MWM), India, Kumaon-Himalaya Dist. Nainital, Bhimtal , 1500 m a.s.l., 24.vii.1979. leg. Smetacek ; 1 male ( MWM), India, Kumaon-Himalaya Dist. Nainital Bhimtal, 1500 m a.s.l., 1.ix.1980, leg. Smetacek ; 1 male ( MWM), N. India, 1600 m a.s.l., Nainital (Kumaon) Bhimtal , 7.v.1981, leg. A. Hauenstein ; 1 male ( MWM), N. India, 1600 m a.s.l., Nainital (Kumaon) Bhimtal , 24.vii.1981, leg. A. Hauenstein ; 1 male ( MWM), N. India, 1600 m a.s.l., Nainital (Kumaon) Bhimtal , 22.vi.1982, leg. Smetacek ; 4 males ( MWM), N. India, North-west Himalaya, 1500 m a.s.l., Uttar Pradesh (presently in Uttarakhand), Kumaon Dist. Bhimtal, 7.vi.1987, leg. Smetacek ; 1 male ( MWM), north-east India, Meghalaya, Garo Hills, Nokrek National Park (25.66° N, 91.06° E), 1150 m a.s.l., 2–13.vii.1997, leg. Afonin & Sinjaev ; 4 males ( MWM), Sikkim, Mt. Kanchenjunga (27.5° N, 88.33° E), 2000 m a.s.l., 22–31.vii.1995, leg. Afonin & Sinjaev ; 1 male ( MWM), Sikkim, Mt. Kanchenjunga (27.5° N, 88.33° E), 2225 m a.s.l., 11–14.vii.1995, leg. E. Afonin & V. Sinjaev.

Diagnosis. The species M. hepatica Moore is better diagnosed from its male genital attributes and is closely related to M. dierli Holloway. In M. hepatica , the uncus is bifurcated with a shallow groove, apices are short and rounded whereas, in M. dierli apices of the uncus are very long and slender; in M. hepatica sacculus of valva is smooth whereas in M. dierli , sacculus is with teeth on the inner edge; in M. hepatica , cuiller bears numerous, thin and straight setae, whereas in M. dierli , cuiller bears short and curved setae. Other closely related species of M. hepatica is M. zolotuhini , sp. nov. The diagnostic differences of both the species are discussed under the diagnosis of the latter.

Remarks. A single specimen identified as M. hepatica was examined from Arunachal Pradesh, India. It shows variation in the coloration: the forewing coloration is darker, rusty-brown almost uniformly whereas the type specimen is distinct greyish-cream colour (cf. Fig. 1 with Fig. 4 ). The wingspan measures up to 62 mm measuring the largest in the range for the species. The male genitalia ( Figs. 7–11 ), however, are matching with the illustrations of Zolotuhin (2007).

Distribution. China, Himalayas (including Pakistan, India, Nepal), Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam ( Zolotuhin 2007; Wang et al. 2015).

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Adults of Mustilizans spp. 1, M. hepatica (Moore), holotype (male), Darjeeling; 2, M. columbaris Butler (male), Murree, Pakistan; 3, M. hepatica aeola Zolotuhin (male), Changwat Nan, Thailand; 4, M. hepatica Moore (male), Arunachal Pradesh, India; 5, M. zolotuhini sp. n., holotype (male), DDBR, Arunachal Pradesh, India; 6, M. zolotuhini sp. n., paratype (male), DDBR, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Scale bars: (2–6), 1 mm. Photo credits: Figs 1–3, Dr. V. V. Zolotuhin.

FIGURES 7–11. Male genitalia of Mustilizans hepatica (Moore), Arunachal Pradesh. 7, male genitalia; 8, uncus and tegumen; 9, valva; 10–11, aedeagus in different views. Scale bars: 1 mm.