Athaumasta kurchuma Volynkin & Titov, 2019

Volynkin, Anton V., Saldaitis, Aidas, Titov, Sergey V. & Truuverk, Andro, 2019, Six new species of Athaumasta Hampson, 1906 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Bryophilinae) from the mountains of Kazakhstan, Russian Altai and Mongolia, Ecologica Montenegrina 22, pp. 1-26 : 11

Athaumasta kurchuma Volynkin & Titov , sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4F79D9C7-0B84-4699-A8BB-B3D9405E910D

( Figs 10–13 , 50, 51 , 72 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs10 , 50 ): ― 02–03.VI.2013, E Kazakhstan, East Kazakhstan area, Kurchum district, Kurchum Ridge , 12 km NE of Karatogai vill., shrubby rocky steppe slopes, 740 m. 48°28‘04.95‖ N, 84°36‘09.88‖ E, Volynkin A. V., Titov S. V. & Černila M. leg.‖, GenBank voucher MN023154 , slide AV4918 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. NHMUK).

Paratypes. 6 males, 2 females, same data as in the holotype, GenBank voucher MN023155 , slides AV0948 ♂ and AV3133 ♀ Volynkin (Colls CAV, MDS & MCK) ; 3 males, 1 females, 09–10. VI .2012, E Kazakhstan, Kurchum distr. , Altai Mts., Bukombai mountain massif, h= 550 m, 48º13‘N; 84º43‘E, Yakovlev R. V . leg., GenBank voucher MN023156 , slides AV2568 ♀ and AV5320 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. CAV) ; 2 females, [E Kazakhstan], S. Altai, Bukhtarma [river] S W, Bil‘schenarymskoje, 22. VI .1999., Leg. Churkin (Colls AFM & ASV) ; 2 males, 6. VI .2016, North-East Kazachstan , Chernyi Irtysh valley, 10 km SW of Boran settl., 410 m . 47°57‘ N, 85°04‘ E, Gorbunov P. leg. (Coll. MDS) ; 1 male, 7. VI .2016, North-East Kazachstan , SW Altai, Karazhalskie Mts., 14 km of Kokpety settl., 680 m . 48°50‘ N, 82°13‘ E, Gorbunov P. leg. (Coll. MDS) .

Remark. The female of A. kurchuma was erroneously illustrated as A. pekarskyi by Volynkin & Gyulai (2018).

Diagnosis. Forewing length 14.5–15.5 mm in males (15.5 mm in the holotype) and 15–16.5 mm in females. Athaumasta kurchuma is a closest relative of A. pekarskyi distributed in southeastern Russian Altai and Tyva Republic ( Volynkin 2012; Kononenko 2016). The new species ( Figs 10–13 ) differs externally from A. pekarskyi ( Figs 14, 15 ) by its less convex anal margin of forewing with less oblique tornus. The male genitalia of both species are similar ( Figs 50–53 ), but in A. kurchuma the basal part of uncus is less massive, the vinculum is slightly shorter, the distal section of valva is longer, and the harpe is broader medially. The female genitalia of A. kurchuma ( Fig. 72 ) differ from those of A. pekarskyi ( Fig. 73 ) by their longer antrum, broader anterior sclerotized anterior section of ductus bursae, and broader corpus bursae.

Molecular data. COI 5‘ sequences of three specimens of A. kurchuma from two localities were compared with COI 5‘ sequences of two paratype specimens of A. pekarskyi from two localities, four specimens of A. golomto from three localities and three specimens of A. dzhungarica from two localities. The infraspecific variation of COI 5‘ sequences of both, A. kurchuma and A. pekarskyi is 0%. The distance between the specimens of A. kurchuma and the specimens of A. pekarskyi is 1.08%; that between A. kurchuma and A. golomto is 2.49–2.65%; that between A. kurchuma and A. dzhungarica is 2.33–2.49%. Despite the relatively small distance between the COI 5‘ sequences of A. kurchuma and A. pekarskyi , both species are characterized by unique combinations of character states. The COI 5‘ sequences of A. kurchuma are characterized by the combination of two character states unique for the genus, 106(C) and 389(A), and two character states unique for the species-group: 574(C) and 616(C). The COI 5‘ sequences of its closest relative A. pekarskyi are characterized by the combination of one character state unique for the genus, 317(A), and one character state unique for the species-group, 238(C). In addition, the COI 5‘ sequences of A. kurchuma differ from those of A. pekarskyi by the character state 364: (C) in A. kurchuma and (T) in A. pekarskyi ( Table 2).

Distribution and bionomics. The species is found in the foothills of Kurchum Ridge (East Kazakhstan). Athaumasta kurchuma inhabits stony steppe slopes at low elevations (550–740 m) ( Fig. 77 ).

Etymology. The species‘ name refers to its type locality, Kurchum Ridge in East Kazakhstan.

Figures

Figure 77. East Kazakhstan, Kurchum district, Kurchum Ridge, 12 km NE of Karatogai vill., 740m. 48°28‘04.95‖N 84°36‘09.88E, 02.VI.2013, the type locality of A. kurchuma (photo by A.V. Volynkin).

Figures 1–15. Athaumasta pekarskyi species-group: adults. 1, A. dzhungarica, HT male, W Mongolia (NHMUK); 2, ditto, PT male, W Mongolia (CAV); 3, ditto, PT female, W Mongolia (CAV); 4, A. golomto, HT male, W Mongolia (PGM); 5, ditto, PT male, W Mongolia (CAV); 6, ditto, PT male, W Mongolia (CAV); 7, ditto, PT male, W Mongolia (CAV); 8, ditto, PT female, W Mongolia (CAV); 9, ditto, PT female, W Mongolia (CAV); 10, A. kurchuma, HT male, E Kazakhstan (NHMUK); 11, ditto, PT female, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 12, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 13, ditto, PT female, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 14, A. pekarskyi, PT male, Russian Altai (CAV); 15, ditto, PT male, Russian Altai (CAV).

Figures 50–53. Athaumasta spp., male genitalia. 50, A. kurchuma, HT, E Kazakhstan, slide AV4918 Volynkin; 51, A. kurchuma, PT, E Kazakhstan, slide AV5320 Volynkin; 52, A. pekarskyi, PT, Russian Altai, slide AV0499 Volynkin; 53, A. pekarskyi, PT, Russian Altai, slide AV0500 Volynkin.

Figures 70–75. Athaumasta spp., female genitalia. 70, A. dzhungarica, PT, W Mongolia, slide AV4921 Volynkin; 71, A. golomto, PT, W Mongolia, slide AV2569 Volynkin; 72, A. kurchuma, PT, E Kazakhstan, slide AV3133 Volynkin; 73, A. pekarskyi, Russia, Tyva Rep., slide 050698/3 VK Kononenko (photo by V.S. Kononenko); 74, A. kuchinichi, PT, NE Kazakhstan, slide AV4923 Volynkin; 75, A. expressa, Russian Altai, slide AV4922 Volynkin.