Vamuna gynaegrapha (de Joannis, 1930 ) Volynkin, 2021

Volynkin, Anton V., 2021, On the taxonomy of the genus Vamuna Moore with description of a new species from Taiwan (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini: Lithosiina), Ecologica Montenegrina 48, pp. 1-8 : 7

Vamuna gynaegrapha (de Joannis, 1930) , comb. n.

( Figs 6–8 , 13, 14 )

Lithosia gynaegrapha de Joannis, 1930 , Annales de la Société entomologique de France, 98 (Supplement): 755 (Type locality: [N Vietnam, Lào Cai Province, Sa Pa] “ Cha pa”).

Type material examined. Photographs of the holotype ( Fig. 6 ): male, “Cha pa Tonkin (Pételot)” / “ Lithosia gynaegramma Type de Joannis” / “1920–1932 coll. L. & J. de Joannis Muséum Paris ” / red label “Holotype” / “ Lithosia gynaegrapha Joan. Ann. Soc. ent. Fr., 1929, 98 Suppl. p. 517 H.T. (P. Viette X-1952)” / “ MNHN Arctiidae GU 2012 -007” / QR- code label with unique number “ MNHN, Paris EL54135” ( MNHN).

Additional material examined. VIETNAM: 14 males, 6 females, North Vietnam , Fan-si-pan Mt., Cha pa, 2400m, NN, 22°15'N, 103°46'E, 8–29. V.1993, Sinyaev & Simonov leg., gen. prep. Nos. : ZSM Arct. 2019-957, ZSM Arct. 2021-118 (males), ZSM Arct. 2021-108, ZSM Arct. 2021-119 (females) (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 14.5–16.0 mm in males and 16.5–17.5 mm in females. The species varies in the size of the black spots on the forewing. Vamuna gynaegrapha is recognisable by the pale yellow body and forewing ground colour. The male genital capsule of V. gynaegrapha differs from those of V. suoya sp. n. and V. subnigra in the straight and evenly slender uncus, the narrower arms of the tegumen, the pyramidal juxta, the narrower valva with an almost straight dorsal margin and a costa forming a markedly smaller plate distally, the sacculus having a short dorsal protrusion at the base of the distal process, and the narrower and apically tapered distal saccular process bearing a short but robust spine apically and a few smaller spinules subapically. The phallus of V. gynaegrapha is proximally narrower than in V. suoya sp. n. and V. subnigra and bears a basally narrower dorsal carinal thorn. Compared to V. suoya sp. n. and V. subnigra , the vesica of V. gynaegrapha is narrower, has a shorter and narrower long ventral diverticulum, and larger graniculi on the distal diverticulum. The female genitalia clearly differ from those of the two congeners in the markedly shorter ductus bursae, the conspicuously shorter and narrower corpus and appendix bursae, and the longer signum bursae.

Distribution. Known from North Vietnam (Lào Cai Province) (de Joannis 1930; Dubatolov et al. 2016).

Figures

Figures 1–8. Vamuna spp.: adults. Depository of the specimens: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 8 in MWM/ZSM; 3 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 6 in MNHN (©MNHN).

Figures 13–16. Vamuna spp.: male (13) and female (14–16) genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in MWM/ZSM.