Conilepia cao Dubatolov, Zolotuhin & Witt

Dubatolov, Vladimir V., Zolotuhin, Vadim V. & Witt, Thomas J., 2016, Revision of Lithosia Fabricius, 1798 and Conilepia Hampson, 1900 (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae), Zootaxa 4107 (2), pp. 175-196 : 191

Conilepia cao Dubatolov, Zolotuhin & Witt , sp. nov.

( Figs 25–27 )

Type material. Holotype —♂, VIETNAM: “ Vietnam mer. / Bach-ma Nat. Park / 1200 m / 16’10’’N 107’54’’E / 26.7.– 6.8.1996 leg. / V. Siniaev & E. Afonin / Museum Witt”. Paratypes: 1 ♀, the same data as in the holotype; 1 ♀, C. Vietnam, Gia Lai Pr., K’Bang Dist., vill. Kon Loc, 1110 m, Kon Ka Kinh NP, 14°25’N, 108°23’E, lum., 14–18.III 2012, leg. V. Zolotuhin; these types are preserved in MWM; 1 ♂, gen. prep. AV1591, 1 ♀, gen. prep. AV1623, Central Vietnam, Da Nang province, Ba Na Mt. 1450 m, v.2015, leg. Le Luong Thanh; 2 ♀, the same locality, ix.2015, leg. Le Luong Than; 1 ♂, South Vietnam, Lam Dong province, Lac Duong district, Tay Nguyen Highlands, Nui Ba National Park, xii.2015, leg. Vo Van Nhon; all last specimens are deposited in the private collection of A. V. Volynkin, Barnaul, Russia.

Ethymology. Cao Dai—the higher godhead of Vietnam also known as all-seeing eye or “The Eye of the Omniscience”.

Description. Male. Forewing length 15–16 mm. Thorax, patagia and tegulae orange-yellow. Abdomen orangeyellow with grey scales. Forewing ground colour dark yellow, darker at basal 1/4. Costa black along discal cell; apical part of costa yellow. Forewing cilia yellow with black scales at apex. Hindwings light yellow. Hindwing cilia light yellow. Male genitalia ( Fig. 49 ): uncus moderate in width, broader at base, downturned at apex, with a small spine at tip. Cucullus nearly quadrangular, short, membranous and hairly. Sacculus sclerotized, bent upward at rectangular angle at middle part, constricted at apex, longer than the middle part of cucullus. Juxta X-shaped. Saccus broadly triangular. Aedeagus short, without any spine. Vesica globular, with a weak spinulose zone and two spike-like cornuti at apex. Female. Forewing length 16–19 mm. Head and thorax light bright yellow. Abdomen yellow. Forewing ground colour bright yellow with two black spots: the anteriormost, nearly quadrangular, between costa and fore angle of discal cell; the other, round, situated between discal cell and anal vein at medial portion of the wing; posterior spot slightly larger than the anterior spot. Forewing cilia yellow, with some black scales at apex. Hindwings light yellow. Female genitalia ( Fig. 55 ): similar to those of C. nigricosta nigricosta , but bursa is oval, elongate, not globular.

Diagnosis. The new species is well determined by presence of two black spots on forewings and a short black costal line not extended distally to the costal black spot. It is also characterized by male genitalia characters, such as a long saccular process and the presence of two spike-like cornuti at globular apex of vesica. Female looks very similar to C. paiwan , but forewings are not so bright; they are, however, noticeably brighter than in C. nigricosta .

Distribution ( Fig. 57 ). C. cao is so far known only from Central and South Vietnam.

Bionomics. Mountain species, restricted to the undisturbed tropical forest at the altitudes 1110–1450 m. Typical biotopes are forested steep slopes of rocky gorges, densely covered with different ever-green trees. The moths were collected in the beginning of the wet season at light in mid March and late June-early July, as well as in December also; probably develops two or three generations per year. Hosts are unknown.

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 32. Moths of Conilepia and species formerly attributed to Lithosia: 14 — C. nigricosta nigricosta Leech, type, male, Japan, BMNH; 15 — C. nigricosta nigricosta, male, Japan, Hyogo pref., Haga cho, Onzui Tal, gen. prep. Nr. 17430; 16 — C. nigricosta nigricosta, male, China, Jiangxi-Fujian border, Wyyshan, gen. prep. Nr. 17432; 17 — C. nigricosta nigricosta, female, China, Jiangxi-Fujian border, Wyyshan, gen. prep. Nr. 17433; 18 — C. nigricosta paiwan, holotype, male, Taiwan, Fushan, Wulai, Taipei Hsien, coll. coll. Y. Kishida; 19 — C. nigricosta paiwan, paratype, female, the same locality as in the holotype; 20 — C. nigricosta paiwan, male, Taiwan, Prov. Ilan, Ming Chyr Forest Recreation, gen. prep. Nr. 17437; 21 — C. nigricosta paiwan, female, Taiwan, Prov. Ilan, Ming Chyr Forest Recreation, gen. prep. Nr. 17438; 22 — C. sikkima, type, female, Sikkim, coll. BMNH; 23 — C. sikkima, India, Sikkim, Mt. Kangchenjunga SE, gen. prep. Nr. 17444; 24 — C. sikkima, India, Sikkim, Legship, gen. prep. Nr. 25050; 25 — C. cao, holotype, male, Vietnam mer., Bach-ma Nat. Park, gen. prep. Nr. 18130, coll. Museum Witt; 26 — C. cao, paratype, female, S. Vietnam, Bach-Ma, gen. prep .. Nr. 25049, coll. Museum Witt; 27 — C. cao, paratype, female, C. Vietnam, Gia Lai Pr., K’Bang Dist., vill. Kon Loc, coll. Museum Witt; 28 — Lithosia subcosteola Druce, type, male, China, Hunan, coll. BMNH; 29 — Cybosia gynaegrapha de Joannis, holotype, Vietnam, Cha Pa, coll. MNHN; 30 — Cyb. gynaegrapha, male, China, Yunnan, 45 km N of Fugong, gen. prep. Nr. 25045; 31 – 32 — Cyb. gynaegrapha, female, N. Vietnam, Mt. Fan-si-pan, upperside (31) and underside (32).

FIGURES 46 – 55. Male (46 – 51) and female (52 – 55) genitalia of Conilepia and Cybosia gynaegrapha: 46 — C. nigricostata, Japan, gen. prep. Nr. 17430; 47 — C. nigricostata, China, Fujian, Kuatun, gen. prep. Nr. 1717431; 48 — C. nigricosta paiwan, Taiwan, Prov. Ilan, Ming Chyr, gen. prep. Nr. 17437; 49 — C. cao, holotype, Vietnam mer., Bach-ma Nat. Park, gen. prep. Nr. 18130; 50 — C. sikkima, India, Sikkim, gen. prep. Nr. 17445; 51 — Cyb. gynaegrapha, N. Vietnam, Fan-si-pan Mts., gen. prep. Nr. 25048; 52 — C. nigricosta, China, Jiangxi-Fujian border, Wuyshan, gen. prep. Nr. 17433; 53 — C. nigricosta paiwan, Taiwan, Prov. Taoyuan, Ming Chyr, gen. prep. Nr. 17438; 54 — C. sikkima, India, Sikkim, gen. prep. Nr. 25050; 55 — C. cao, paratype, Vietnam mer., Bach-ma Nat. Park, gen. prep. Nr. 25049.

FIGURES 56 – 57. Distribution maps of Lithosia (56) and Conilepia (57): 56 — L. quadra (black rings) and L. yuennanensis (green rings); 57 — C. nigricosta (black rings, larger rings show the province locality without exact data), C. sikkima (red rings), C. cao (blue rings).