Apha floralis Butler, 1881

Zolotuhin, Vadim V., Pugaev, Sergey N. & Du, Tran Thieu, 2020, A review of Apha floralis species group (Lepidoptera: Eupterotidae), Acta Biologica Sibirica 6, pp. 611-635 : 611

Apha floralis Butler, 1881

Figs 1-4

Apha floralis Butler, 1881, Illustrations of typical specimens of Lepidoptera Heterocera in the collection of the British Museum 5: 64, pl. XCIV, figs 5, 6. TL: "India, Darjeeling". Lectotype: male (BMNH), here designated [examined].

Preptothauma oxydiata = Preptothauma oxydiata Draudt, 1931, Entomologische Rundschau 48(11): 121. TL: erroneously given as "West-Columbia, Altaquer, 500 m". Holotype: female (ZMHU) [examined].

Material examined.

Lectotype, ♂, Darjiling, 79. 57 (BMNH). Paralectotype, ♀, Darjiling , 79. 57 (BMNH); f#, Darjeeling (ZMHU) ; ♀, India, Himalaya, Darj [eeling], 15.X [19]18 (MWM) ; ♂, India W.B., Darjeeling , 2.000 m, 17-22.VII.1989, leg. W. Thomas (SMFL) ; ♂, Sikkim, Harmand , 1890 (MNHN) ; 12 ♂♂, Nepal, Annapurna Himal , 1.700 m, 1 km N of Tal, 84°23'E, 28°28'N, 08.VI.1996, leg. Hreblay & Szaboky (MWM) ; ♀, Nepal Annapurna Himal , 2.450 m, 83°43'E, 28°22'N, 23-24.VI 1996, leg. Gy. M. Lszl & G. Ronkay (MWM) ; 2 ♂♂, East-Nepal, Surke Danda, 3 km NE Sukeyer, Lali Kharka 18.V.1997, 2.600 m, lg. Hreblay & Szecsenyi (MWM) ; 3 ♂♂, East-Nepal, Deorali Danda, Anpan , 1.900 m, 18.VI.1998, leg. M. Hreblay & B. Benedek (MWM) ; 2 ♂♂, E. Nepal, Janakpur, Dolakha Deolari , 2.800 m, 25.V.-7.VI.1994, M. S. Limbu leg. (NSMT) ; 14 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀, C. Nepal, Kali-Gandaki-Tal, Kalopani-Dhumpu , 2.500 m, 30.V.-15.VI.1973, leg. Dierl-Lehmann (ZSM) .

Description.

Male (Figs 1 , 2 ). The forewing length is 25-29 mm. The costa is straight; the fore wing apex is weakly falcate. The wing pattern is contrasting, with yellow and bright brown (brick-red) colours predominating. Discal dot is always distinct, dark coloured and rounded. The antemedial fascia is brown to brick-red or light-brown, serrate. The outer field bordering the antemedial fascia can have duplicating serrate fasciae (from one to three). The postmedial fascia is straight, bright yellow in colour and has the distal margin extending to the apex. The fore wing apical patch is elongated, yellow or pale yellow. The postmedial fascia of the fore wing is fused with the distal part of the apical patch. It is bordered basally by a thin dark shadow which does not reach the wing apex, but is angled towards the costa. The submarginal fascia is zigzag-shaped, with expansion along the veins, terminating as a dark field at the wing apex. The postmedial fascia situated across the middle of the hind wing separates the outer yellow field of the wing from the inner brown one. The latter itself becoming more yellowish basally; submarginal fascia brown, zigzag-shaped, with corresponding separate dots on veins.

Male genitalia (Figs 15 , 16 ). Lobes of uncus are narrow, sabre-shaped with rounded apex, their bases fused at one third of their length. The valvae are roundly triangular; without saccular lobes but with three small spurs which are directed inwards (sometimes hardly visible depending on the preparation). The coecum is short, not longer than its width; the opening of vesica is usually more sclerotized. The vesica is dome-shaped, its base is completely covered with short cornuti which are poorly extended to the aedeagus tube.

Female (Figs 3 , 4 ). Length of the fore wing is 31 - 33 mm; similar in pattern to the male but is generally larger and paler. Additionally, the female is not so contrastingly coloured. The wings are wider with a more blunt apex and with vague basal fascia and light brown discal dot. The abdomen is light red laterally and terminally.

Female genitalia (Figs 21-23 ). Ovipositor lobes are bean-shaped. Anterior apophyses are slender with well-marked, sclerotized base extending to the base of posterior apophyses which are a bit shorter. Postvaginal plate with acute margins and well-marked medio-caudal dent. Ostium is sheltered by the antevaginal plate which consists of two lobes laterally. Antrum is wide, calycine, slightly sclerotized, standing proud of antevaginal plate ventrally. Ductus bursae is not sclerotized, wide up to the curve and narrowing beyond that. A single thorn-shaped signum is situated at the equator of the corpus bursae, long, slightly curved, with broader base.

Diagnosis.

The males of the species differ from some of the other members of the group by having a well expressed “double” postmedial fascia on the hind wing. This “double” postmedial fascia can be also found in A. zephyrus and A. witti , but in both the latter species this fascia (not its basal shadow) is much more weakly expressed. The species A. floralis can be distinguished from A. zephyrus sp. nov. and A. witti sp. nov. by the smaller distance between the postmedial fascia and outer wing margin. Lobes of uncus are more slender and longer than in other species. Valvae with small apical spurs visible only under magnification. Aedeagus is straight in contrast to faintly curved in the other three species, cornuti on vesica are sparse, not dense as in other species. Saccus is small and not substantially distinguished.

Distribution.

Northern India and Nepal (Fig. 58 ).

Bionomics.

Mountain species producing at least two generations per year with flight periods in June-July and October; it can be found at altitudes of 1.700 - 2.500 m. Preimaginal stages and host plants are unknown.

Taxonomic remarks.

The species was described from a pair with a remark "Darjiling (Lidderdale & Sadler)". Both specimens are currently deposited in the BMNH and the male is specified as a lectotype. It completely matches the original description by Butler (1881: pl. XCIV, fig. 5) and has the following labels: yellowed rectangle with the inscription "Apha | floralis ♂| Butler, Type" and overleaf "Darjiling | 79.57"; a rectangular small label «Darj.»; a circle with red framing and overprint «Type». It is supplied with a standard red label with overprint "Eupterotidae | LECTOTYPE ♂ | Apha | floralis Butler, 1881 | Typical Spec. Lep. Het. | Brit. Mus. 5: 64. | des. S. Pugaev 2011". The syntypic female becomes therefore a paralectotype and is supplied with a corresponding red label.

Incorrect geographic label of Preptothauma oxydiata Draudt, 1931 (Fig. 4) was already discussed by Forbes (1955: 85) who stated "A fourth species described from western Colombia … agrees as figured so exactly with the east Asiatic A. subdives Butler that I am inclined to believe there has been an error in the locality". Nässig and Oberprieler (2008: 62-63) noted as well: «… Preptothauma oxydiata …, it evidently represents either A. subdives, A. floralisButler 1881 or a closely related species". The external characters and female genitalia of the taxon Preptothauma oxydiata unambiguously correspond to A. floralis and are well distinguished from the rest of the allied species; the synonymy of A. floralis and P. oxydiata was established by Becker (1996: 61). However, P. oxydiata is type species of the genus Preptothauma Draudt which therefore becomes a new synonym of Apha (this has not been stated by Becker), syn. nov.

Figures

Figures 1 - 8. 1 - male lectotype Apha floralis Butler, 1881, Darjiling, 79. 57 (BMNH); 2 - male A. floralis Butler, 1881, East-Nepal, Surke Danda, 3 km NE Sukeyer, Lali Kharka 18. V. 1997, 2.600 m, lg. Hreblay & Szecsenyi (MWM); 3 - female A. floralis Butler, 1881, Nepal Annapurna Himal, 2.450 m, 83 ° 43 ' E, 28 ° 22 ' N, 23 - 24. VI 1996, leg. Gy. M. Lszl & G. Ronkay (MWM); 4 - female holotype Preptothauma oxydiata Draudt, 1931, West-Columbia, Altaquer, 500 m., Maerz-Juni 1927 (ZMHU); 5 - male holotype Apha zephyrus sp. n., China / Yunnan, Dianceng Shan, 25 ° 41 ' N, 100 ° 05 ' E, 2.200 m, 15 - 30. VII. 2004, leg. Sinaev & his team (MWM); 6 - female allotype A. zephyrus sp. n., China, Prov. Nord-Yuennan, Li-kiang, 2.000 m, 3. VII. 1935, H. Hoene (ZFMK); 7 - male holotype A. witti sp. n., China, Sichuan, Qionglai Shan, 31 ° 13 ' N, 102 ° 23 ' E, May 2006, 1.400 m, leg. Siniaev & his team (MWM); 8 - female allotype A. witti sp. n., China / Sichuan, Qionglai Shan, 31 ° 13 ' N, 102 ° 23 ' E, May 2006, 1400 m, leg. Siniaev & his team (MWM).

Figures 15 - 20. Male genitalia: 15 - holotype Apha floralis Butler, 1881, GU- 93, Darjiling, 79. 57 (BMNH); 16 - A. floralis Butler, 1881, MWM- 11.922, Nepal, Annapurna Himal, 1.700 m, 1 km N of Tal, 84 ° 23 ' E, 28 ° 28 ' N, 08. VI. 1996, leg. Hreblay & Szaboky (MWM); 17 - holotype A. zephyrus sp. n., MWM- 16.858, China / Yunnan, Dianceng Shan, 25 ° 41 ' N, 100 ° 05 ' E, 2.200 m, 15 - 30. VII. 2004, leg. Sinaev & his team (MWM); 18 - paratype A. zephyrus sp. n., SMFL- 2135.10, East-Tibet Tongme-Pelung, 2.000 m, 24.06.96 (SMFL); 19 - holotype A. witti sp. n., MWM- 17.770, China, Sichuan, Qionglai Shan, 31 ° 13 ' N, 102 ° 23 ' E, May 2006, 1.400 m, leg. Siniaev & his team (MWM); 20 - paratype A. witti sp. n., MWM- 17.745, China, Sichuan, Wolong Reserv, Siguliang Shan, 31 ° 09 ' N, 103 ° 06 ' E, May 2006, 1.500 - 1.800 m, leg. Siniaev & his team (MWM).

Figures 21 - 23. Female genitalia: 21 - paratype A. floralis Butler, 1881, ZMHU- 2007 - 11, paralectotype, Darjiling, 79. 57 (BMNH); 22 - A. floralis Butler, 1881, MWM- 17.451, Nepal Annapurna Himal, 2.450 m, 83 ° 43 ' E, 28 ° 22 ' N, 23 - 24. VI 1996, leg. Gy. M. Lszl & G. Ronkay (MWM); 23 - holotype Preptothauma oxydiata Draudt, 1931, ZMHU- 2010 - 01, West-Columbia, Altaquer, 500 m., Maerz-Juni 1927 (ZMHU).

Figures 58 - 59. Distribution maps of Apha floralis group.