Naarda egrettoides, Toth, Balazs & Ronkay, Laszlo, 2014

Toth, Balazs & Ronkay, Laszlo, 2014, Revision of the Palaearctic and Oriental species of the genus Naarda Walker, 1866 (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Hypeninae). Part 3. Description of three new species from Asia, Nota Lepidopterologica 37 (1), pp. 9-18 : 15-16

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Erebidae

Naarda egrettoides sp. n. Figs 5, 6, 11, 12

Holotype.

♂, 'Thailand: Prov. Chiang Mai | 4 km S Kop Dong, 1800 m | 99°03'E, 19°52'N, 6.xi.2002 | leg. B. Herczig & G. Ronkay’ slide No. RL7897m (coll. HNHM).

Paratypes.

Thailand: 1♂, 3♀, 'Prov. Nan | Doi Phu Kha NP | between Pua and Bo Luang, 1350 m | 101°05'E, 19°12'N, 3.xi.2002 | leg. B. Herczig & G. Ronkay’ slide No. RL7899m (coll. HNHM); 2♂, 2♀, 'Prov. Chiang Mai | 1600m, between Fang and Nor Lae | 99°09'E, 20°02'N, 28.x.2002 | leg. B. Herczig & G. Ronkay’ slide No. TB390f (coll. HNHM).

Description.

Wingspan 19-22 mm, length of forewing 10-11 mm. Antennae bipectinate in male but apical segments lacking rami, filiform and ciliate in female; longest male rami at mid third, 9 times longer than diameter of flagellum, rami with cilia as long as diameter of flagellum; in female each segment with four cilia on each side shorter than diameter of flagellum. Labial palps similar in both sexes; length 5 times diameter of eyes; 3rd segment quite long and narrow, its tip pointed, light; 2nd segment broad, dorsal scales long, in male length of scales descending towards tip, in female scale length uniform. Scale-hood of vertex broad-based and long in both sexes, in male its tip finely bifurcate, in female rounded. Characteristic wing pattern features: forewing costa not concave in male; sexes similar; ground colour greyish brown, subterminal and postmedial lines parallel, sinuous, inner part of them dark grey, outer part mouse-grey; medial and antemedial lines also present but indistinct; reniform stigma large, thick, oval, deep ochreous (honey-coloured) with blackish dot at bottom third; orbicular stigma longitudinally elongate, also honey-coloured, with indistinct blackish edge. Hindwing slightly paler than forewing, postmedial line more visible than subterminal line.

Male genitalia (Fig. 5). Uncus relatively long, straight, apically slightly dilated, its tip rounded, basal bulb oval, spine on bulb tiny, situated in front of the connection of bulb and tegumen. Scaphium very short, straight. Transtilla very broad, its base wide. Tegumen slightly longer than vinculum. Saccus not visible. Valva relatively broad-based, triangular, gradually tapering, its tip pointed. Dorsal edge of valva slightly concave. The fused structure present at distal half of valva. Sacculus with broad but short basal half and narrow, straight distal half connected to apical fused structure. Phallus thick, slightly curved, slightly tapering towards carina. Vesica globular, longitudinally striated, with strong, straight, broad and apically rounded, somewhat tongue-shaped cornutus (seen from edge on the figure).

Female genitalia (Fig. 6). Ovipositor lobes slightly elongate, relatively small, angular. Apophyses narrow, apophyses posteriores very slightly (1.1 times) longer than apophyses anteriores. Lamella antevaginalis short, angular. Sinus absent. Sternum A8 with small triangular plate arranged anteriorly. Ductus bursae broad, short, membranous. Corpus bursae composed from of two equal-sized globular halves connected by narrow region; posterior part densely scobinate by tiny spines, anterior part smooth except for small, sparsely scobinate area near the connection to distal part.

Diagnosis.

Based on their morphology, it appears that the sister-species of Naarda egrettoides is Naarda pocstamasi ; their detailed comparison is given under the diagnosis of the latter. Naarda egrettoides differs externally from the other close relative, Naarda ardeola , by the darker, more greyish colouration. In the male genitalia, Naarda egrettoides and Naarda pocstamasi have, in comparison with Naarda ardeola , much broader valvae, more rounded basal bulge of uncus and much larger cornutus in the vesica. The male genitalia of Naarda egrettoides are somewhat similar to those of Naarda ineffectalis (Walker, 1858), but in the new species the tip of uncus is not concave while the base of uncus is much broader, the juxta is smaller, the valva is more elongate, the sacculus is broader, the cornutus of phallus is straighter and the vesica is larger and more globular than in Naarda ineffectalis .

Etymology.

Egrettoides = egret-like; the shape of male genitalia is similar to a flying egret.

Distribution.

The mountains of northern Thailand.

Remarks.

The longitudinally elongate shape of the orbicular stigma is a rare feature in the genus.