Palaeagrotis inops ( Lederer, 1853 )

Volynkin, Anton V., Gyulai, Péter & Behounek, Gottfried, 2015, A review of the genus Palaeagrotis with description of a new species from South Mongolia (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3956 (1), pp. 113-120 : 114-115

Palaeagrotis inops ( Lederer, 1853)

( Figs 1–4 , 11–13 , 19 )

Hadena inops Lederer, 1853 , Verhandlungen des Zoologisch-botanischen Vereins in Wien 3: 371, pl. 4, fig. 2 (Type locality: [Eastern Kazakhstan, West Altai], "Vorbergen des Altai zwischen Ust-Kamenogorsk und Ust-Buhtarminsk am Irtisch").

Type material examined. Lectotype (hereby designated): male ( Figs 1 , 11 ), handwritten white label “Altai” / handwritten yellowish label “ Inops m.” / printed pink label “Origin.” (coll. NKMB). Slide 12193 NKMB Behounek; paralectotype: female, printed pink label “Origin.” / printed pink label “Coll. Led.” / printed white label “ex coll. Staudinger 2/2” (coll. NKMB). Slide 121931 NKMB Behounek.

Other material examined. KAZAKHSTAN: 1 male, 18–19.vii.2011, E Kazakhstan, E Kazakhstan area, Zaisan distr., Saur Mts, 24 km S Zaisan, upper stream Bolshoi Zhemenei river, h= 1650 m, 47º14’ N; 84º56’ E, Titov S.V. leg. (coll. AVB); 2 males, 02– 03.10.2010, SE Kazakhstan, Alma-Ata area, 3 km SE Arkharly Pass, h= 1070 m, 44°13'16.33'' N, 77°43'53.64'' E, Taranov B.T. & Egorov P.V. leg. (coll. AVB). KYRGYZSTAN: 1 male, S Kirgisia, Alai range, Maidantau, 1700 m, 30 km S Kyzil Kija, 4.vii.1998, leg. I. Pljutsch (coll. PGM); 1 male, Kirgisia, Kirgiz range, Orusai, 2400 m, 1–5.ix.1993, leg.: Toropov (coll. PGM). CHINA, XINJIANG: 1 male, Aksu, ex coll. Tancré / Coll. L. Osthelder (coll. ZSM); 1 female, Pseudohad. arvicola, Aksu (coll. ZSM); 1 male, China, Boro Horo Shan, 2000 m, Balguntay, 13.vii.1996, (coll. PGM). MONGOLIA: 1 male, Chovd [Khovd] aimak, 6 km SW from Chovd, 25–28.vii.1986, leg. Z. Varga (coll. ZSM); 1 male, Govi Altay aimak, Mts Adz Bogd, valley of Ih-gol, 2100 m, 95º00' E, 44º45' N, 3–4.viii.1988, leg. Peregovits & Varga (coll. ZSM); 1 male, 1 female, Ömnögobi [Ömnögovi] aimak, Erdene uul, 10 km W of Noyon sum, 24–25.viii.1997, leg. P. Gyulai & A. Garai (coll. PGM, ZSM); 1 female, 18.vii.2010, W Mongolia, Govi-Altai aimak, 30 km NW of Tajshir, Dzabhan river valley, h= 1500 m, 46º53' N, 96º05' E, Yakovlev R.V. & Guskova E.V. leg. (coll. AVB); 1 male, 1 female, 14.0 7.2007, W Mongolia, Hovd aimak, Bulgan-gol basin, Dod-Naryjn-Gol Valley, h= 1500–1700 m, meadow in a valley of the river near Salix and Populus thrickets, E.V. Guskova & R.V. Yakovlev leg. (coll. AVB); 1 female, 0 4.0 7.2007, W Mongolia, Hovd aimak, Erdene-Buren somon, h = 1250 m, sandy semidesert, E.V. Guskova & R.V. Yakovlev leg. (coll. AVB); 1 female, 11.0 7.2009, SW Mongolia, Gobi-Altai aimak, Mongolian Altai Mts, S slope, Mogoijn-Gol Valley, 1800 m, Yakovlev R.V. & Guskova E.V. leg. (coll. AVB); 1 male, Chovd [Khovd] aimak 6 km SW of Chovd 25–28.vii.1986, leg. P. Gyulai (coll. PGM); 1 male, Ömnögobi [Ömnögovi] aimak, Tost uul, Dund uuzmin pass 39 km W of Gurban-Tes sum 25–26.viii.1997, leg. P. Gyulai & A. Garai (coll. PGM); 1 male, same data (coll. GBG); 1 male, Övörkhangai aimak, Öshgögiin nuruu, Balbagiin khöndii, 30 km N of Baruun-Bayan Ulaan sum, 05–06.ix.1997, leg. P. Gyulai & A. Garai (coll. PGM). RUSSIA: 10 males, 6 females, 12–21.viii.2009, Altai Republic, Ulagan district, Aktash village, bottom of southern steppe stony slope, h= 1400 m, by light-trap. 50º19' N, 87º35' E. Volynkin A.V. leg. (coll. AVB).

Slides ZSM 4418, ZSM 4419 Volynkin, 710, 888, 1845, 4013, 4019, 4067, 4075 Gyulai (males), ZSM 4417, ZSM 4420 Volynkin (females).

Diagnosis. Wingspan 34–44 mm. An externally variable species, its ground colour varies from pale reddish brown to ochreous and greenish brown. P. inops is closely related to P. adrienneae sp. n. Without dissection, the two species can be separated by the shape and ground colour of forewing: P. inops has somewhat broader forewings with less reddish colouration. The differences in the male and female genitalia are given under the diagnosis of P. adrienneae sp. n.

Distribution and bionomics. The species is known from Kyrgyzstan ( Lehmann & Bergmann 2005), eastern and southeastern Kazakhstan (Lederer 1953), northwestern China, Xinjiang ( Hampson 1907), Russian Altai ( Volynkin et al. 2011; Volynkin 2012) and western and southern Mongolia ( Varga 1982; Gyulai & Ronkay 1999). In Russian Altai, P. inops inhabits dry stony slopes with Spiraea , Cotoneaster , Berberis and Rosa shrubs and various Artemisia and Poaceae species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Palaeagrotis spp., adults. 1, P. inops, lectotype male, East Kazakhstan, Altai Mts (NKMB); 2, P. inops, female, NW China, Aksu (ZSM); 3, P. inops, female, SW Mongolia (AVB); 4, P. inops, female, Russian Altai Mts (AVB); 5, P. adrienneae, holotype male, S Mongolia (PGM); 6, P. adrienneae, paratype male, S Mongolia (ZSM); 7, P. adrienneae, paratype female, S Mongolia (PGM); 8, P. adrienneae, paratype female, S Mongolia (PGM); 9, P. sibirica, lectotype male, N Mongolia (NKMB); 10, P. sibirica, male, S Mongolia (ZSM).

FIGURES 11 – 16. Palaeagrotis spp., male genitalia. 11, P. inops, lectotype, slide 12193 NKMB Behounek; 12, P. inops, NW China, slide ZSM 4402 Volynkin; 13, P. inops, Russia, Altai Mts, slide AV 1353 Volynkin; 14, P. adrienneae, holotype, S Mongolia, slide 4066 Gyulai; 15, P. adrienneae, paratype, S Mongolia, slide ZSM 4401 Volynkin; 16, P. adrienneae, paratype, S Mongolia, slide 943 Gyulai.

FIGURES 17 – 22. Palaeagrotis spp., male (17, 18) and female (19 – 22) genitalia. 17, P. sibirica, lectotype, N Mongolia, slide 12191 NKMB Behounek; 18, P. sibirica, S Mongolia, slide ZSM 4421 Volynkin; 19, P. inops, NW China, slide ZSM 4417 Volynkin; 20, P. adrienneae, paratype, S Mongolia, slide 4073 Gyulai; 21, P. adrienneae, paratype, S Mongolia, slide 4079 Gyulai; 22, P. sibirica, S Mongolia, slide ZSM 4422 Volynkin.