Chytonix Grote, 1874

Kovács, Sándor Tibor & Ronkay, László, 2018, A Revision Of The Chytonix Perssoni Berio, 1973 Species Complex (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Condicinae) With An Annotated List Of Eurasiatic Taxa, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 64 (2), pp. 143-160 : 145-148

Genus Chytonix Grote, 1874

Chytonix Grote, 1874 , Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 2: 14, 66. Typespecies: Apamea iaspis Guenée, 1852 , Histoire Naturelle des Insectes. Species General des Lepidoptères 5: 209, by original designation. The type-species is synonymous with Bryophila palliatricula Guenée, 1852 , Histoire Naturelle des Insectes. Species General des Lepidoptères 5: 26.

List of the recognised Eurasiatic taxa (in alphabetic order; with the original combinations and the type-locality in brackets)

adusta Draudt, 1950 ( China)

albiorbis (Moore, 1882) ( Erastria ; India, syn. of pallidisca Moore, 1881 )

albiplaga Hampson, 1914 ( Taiwan; subsequent (incorrect) combination: Chytonidia albiplaga ) albipuncta ( Hampson, 1894) ( Bryophila ; Sikkim; subsequent (incorrect) combination: Chytonidia albipuncta )

albiquadrata Draudt, 1950 ( China)

albonotata (Staudinger, 1892) ( Bryophila ; Ussuri region)

circulorum ( Berio, 1973) ( Perigea ; Burma)

clethria Wileman & West, 1929 (Taiwan)

conjuncta ( Wileman, 1914) ( Trachea ; Taiwan)

conjuncta bipectinata ( Berio, 1977) (continental China)

costimacula Wileman, 1915 (Taiwan)

diehli Behounek, 2002 (Sumatra)

excurvata (Hampson, 1898) ( Bryophila ; Sikkim)

fusca (Moore, 1882) ( Erastria , syn. of pallidisca Moore, 1881 ; glaucescens (Butler, 1889) ( Daxata ; India, syn. of vermiculata ) glaucostigma ( Hampson, 1894) ( Bryophila , Burma)

hastata (Moore, 1882) ( Hadena ; Darjeeling)

imitans Draudt, 1950 ( China, Atuntse)

intermixta (Leech, 1900) ( Apamea , China: Atuntse)

khasiana ( Hampson, 1894) ( Bryophila, Khasis )

mediofasciata ( Draudt, 1950) ( Oligia ; China, West-Tienmushan) melanoleuca Wileman, 1915 (Taiwan)

minima Draudt, 1950 ( China)

nadgani (Hampson, 1891) ( Selepa , India)

nanata Draudt, 1950 (= minima Draudt )

nemperssoni sp. n. (Northern Vietnam)

nigribasalis Hampson, 1908 ( China; syn. of albonotata )

nigrithorax ( Draudt, 1950) ( Oligia , China)

niveiplaga ( Draudt, 1950) ( Oligia , China: Linping)

nubila (Moore, 1882) ( Paroligia , syn. of pallidisca, Darjeeling ) obliquifascia ( Hampson, 1894) ( Bryophila ; Bhutan, syn. of pallidisca ) olethria Wileman & West ( Japan; syn. of albonotata )

pallidisca (Moore, 1881) ( Erastria ; Darjeeling)

perssoni Berio, 1973 ( Burma)

ptyophora ( Hampson, 1908) ( Oligia ; India, Himachal Pradesh) subalbonotata Sugi, 1959 ( Japan)

sumatrana Behounek, 2002 (Sumatra)

tobiasmalmi sp. n. ( Nepal)

umbrifera (Butler, 1889) ( Hyboma , India, Dharmsala)

undara (Swinhoe, 1890) ( Anophia , syn. of vermiculata )

variegata Wileman, 1914 (Taiwan)

vermiculata (Snellen, 1880) ( Erastria ; India)

viridifusa sp. n. (Northern Thailand)

CHARACTERISATION OF THE CHYTONIX PERSSONI SPECIES-COMPLEX

The perssoni -clade belongs to Chytonix sensu stricto; its genitalia features show close relationships with the palliatricula -group which includes the typespecies. The perssoni -clade contains two distinct lineages (the perssoni - and the viridifusa -groups) which are easily separable by their external and genital features as well as their bionomics.

The diagnostic features of the perssoni -clade are the rather robust body, the shortened forewing shape, the appearance of the shortly pectinated male antenna and the characteristic structure of the genitalia, especially the males. The members of both species-groups are often confusingly similar externally, however, the genitalia show conspicuous differences in both sexes.

The two species of the perssoni -group ( Figs 14–23) are somewhat smaller in size than those of the two species of the viridifusa -group (wingspan 28–30 mm and 31–33 mm), having a slightly more slender body and a more rounded forewing apex with only shortly fasciculate male antenna. The forewings of the species of the perssoni -group are more vividly coloured and more contrastingly marked than those of the viridifusa -group, without metallic green scales and sheen.

The genitalia of the two externally very similar species show conspicu- ous specific differences and a series of features which distinguish the perssoni - and the viridifusa -groups; these differences are summarised below.

In the male genitalia of the perssoni -group ( Figs 1–6), the strongly sclero- tised costal area and the variably shaped digitus is located in the medial third of the valva, the harpe is more or less pyramidal, the armature of the vesica is either reduced or composed of a larger number of cornuti covering the basal half of the vesica while the carinal plate is strongly spinose-serrate. In the fe- male genitalia ( Figs 10, 11), the antrum of the two species is differently built however the posterior end of ductus bursae is wide and sclerotised.

The members of the perssoni -group are (at least) bivoltine, with early spring and summer generations; the moths are on the wing from February to June and from July to the end of August.

The two taxa of the viridifusa -group, C. viridifusa sp. n. and C. tobiasmalmi sp. n. ( Figs 24–29), are larger in size, their body is much more robust, with very broad tegulae, the male antenna is finely, shortly bipectinate, and the forewing apex is pointed, with slightly concave outer margin below termen. The forewing markings are more obsolescent, finer grey or blackish defined, except the strongly angled lower section of the antemedial line; the forewings are often with fine mossy green suffusion.

In the male genitalia ( Figs 7–9), the sclerotised costal area is extended far towards the cucullus and the cuneate or spine-like digitus is located close to the ventral edge of the cucullus; the harpe is much larger, flattened and more or less quadrangular with pointed dorsal process anteriorly. The carinal plate of aedeagus is generally smoothly sclerotised, ventrally prolonged and beakshaped, and the armature of the vesica consists of two large subbasal groups of long, spiniform cornuti.

The female genitalia ( Figs 12, 13) are characterised by the broadly calycu- late postvaginal plate, the thin ostium bursae, the weakly sclerotised antrum, the short and narrowly tubular, membranous ductus bursae and the rugoseribbed, subconical or cask-shaped, partly sclerotised appendix bursae con- nected to the corpus bursae with variably broad, membranous anterior section.

The members of the viridifusa -group are univoltine late autumnal and winter species; the moths can be found from the end of October to the end of January.