Leucanithosia, Volynkin & Černý, 2023

Volynkin, Anton V. & Černý, Karel, 2023, On the taxonomy of “ Tigrioides ” leucanioides (Walker) with descriptions of two new genera and ten new species from the Oriental realm (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Zootaxa 5352 (2), pp. 151-176 : 152-153

Leucanithosia gen. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:962FBEA1-F264-4418-A815-526A4DBF07FF

Type species: Lithosia leucanioides Walker, 1862 , by present designation.

Diagnosis. Species of the new genus ( Figs 1–27 ) are externally very similar to Philippinithosia ( Figs 28–35 ). Both the genera have a characteristic creamy or pale ochreous-creamy body and wing colouration, with a forewing pattern represented by the intense brown or blackish suffusion on veins, which can be reduced or absent in some specimens. The only difference found is the androconial tuft on the male foreleg, which consists of elongate and grey scales whereas the corresponding scales of Philippinithosia are ochreous yellow and shorter. In the male genitalia structure, Leucanithosia ( Figs 40–57 ) is largely distinct from Tigrioides ( Figs 36, 37 , 63 , 75 ) and is most similar to the externally fundamentally different Dubatoloviana ( Figs 38, 39 , 64 , 76 ) due to its short and swollen uncus and the presence of an apical spur on the dorsal section of the valva. However, the male genital capsule of Leucanithosia is characterised by the valvae proximally connected by a commissure and the heavily sclerotised posterior section of the juxta which is laterally fused with transtillae and ventrally connected to the aforementioned commissure whereas Dubatoloviana lacks the intervalval commissure and its juxta is weakly sclerotised. The phallus of the new genus bears a distal serrulate plate laterally whereas it is smooth in Dubatoloviana . In the vesica, Leucanithosia has a stick-shaped distal plate (basal plate of the vesica ejaculatorius) which is absent in Dubatoloviana . The female genitalia of the new genus ( Figs 65–71 ) are characterised by the gelatinous and rugose posterior section of the corpus bursae and the large, sack-like and distally membranous appendix bursae situated laterally whereas in Dubatoloviana , the posterior section of the corpus bursae is sclerotised, and the appendix bursae is small, conical, sclerotised and situated postero-laterally.

Description. Adults. Sexual dimorphism limited: female somewhat larger than male and with slightly broader forewing.Antenna dark grey, ciliate in both sexes. Head creamy or ochreous creamy. Thorax creamy. Pro- and metathorax with black spot medio-dorsally. Patagia ochreous creamy. Male foreleg with androconial tuft consisting of elongate and grey scales. Tegula creamy with black spot medially. Forewing elongate and narrow, with almost parallel margins; costal margin straight proximally and medially and downcurved distally; anal margin convex. Forewing ground colour creamy or ochreous creamy. Pattern represented by dark grey or brown suffusion along veins, can be reduced. Forewing cilia creamy or ochreous creamy. Hindwing unicolorous creamy or ochreous creamy, paler than forewing. Abdomen creamy with intense admixture of ochreous scales laterally and distally. Male genitalia. Uncus strongly swollen, distally tapered with a short claw-shaped tip. Tegumen with band-like arms, somewhat downcurved posteriorly. Tuba analis membranous, as broad as half of tegumen length. Vinculum shorter than tegumen, with U-shaped saccus. Dorsal section of valva moderately sclerotised, bearing robust spur and cluster of setae apically. Sacculus broad (equal to valva width), distal saccular process various in shape, not reaching valva apex. Sacculi fused with each other by commissure proximally. Juxta weakly sclerotised and medially membranous anteriorly, with sclerotised and protruding posterior section fused with intervalval commisure and transtillae. Anellus membranous. Phallus cylindrical, with medial protrusion in certain species, and with distal lateral plate densely covered with denticles. Vesica membranous, with several diverticula bearing single spike-like cornuti or clusters of several spines. Vesica ejaculatorius with stick-like basal plate. Female genitalia. Papilla analis trapezoidal with rounded corners, weakly setose. Apophyses elongate and thin, apophysis anterioris shorter than apophysis posterioris. Postvaginal area gelatinous and rugose or with a postvaginal plate. 7 th abdominal sternite forming antevaginal fold in certain species. Ductus bursae elongate, tubular or posteriorly dilated, and forming antrum, rugose. Posterior section of corpus bursae rugose, with sclerotised crests and short postero-lateral protrusion. Anterior section of corpus bursae egg-shaped or almost globular, membranous, and bearing two round or teardrop-shaped signa. Appendix bursae originates postero-laterally, well-separated from corpus bursae, sack-like, gelatinous, and rugose proximally and membranous distally.

Distribution. The genus is widely distributed from Northeast India through Indochina and Southwest China to Sundaland including Palawan Island.

Etymology. The genus name is an aggregate of the specific epithet of its type species leucanioides and the genus-group name Lithosia Fabricius, 1798 . Gender is feminine.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Leucanithosia spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1 in OUMNH; 2–4, 6 and 8 in MWM/ZSM; 5 in CKC.

FIGURES 8–15. Leucanithosia spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 8, 11, 12 and 14 in MWM/ZSM (11 and 14 ex CKC); 9 and 10 in CBP; 13 in GMF-B; 15 in CKC.

FIGURES 16–23. Leucanithosia spp.: adults. The specimens are deposited in MWM/ZSM.

FIGURES 24–31. Leucanithosia spp. (24–27) and Philippinithosia lourensi (28–31): adults. Depositories of the specimens: 24, 26, and 28–31 in MWM/ZSM (24 and 26 ex CKC); 25 and 27 in CKC.

FIGURES 32–39. Philippinithosia spp. (32–35), Tigrioides alterna (36, 37), and Dubatoloviana trimacula (38, 39): adults. Depositories of the specimens: 32–35, 38 and 39 in MWM/ZSM; 36 in OUMNH; 37 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

FIGURES 40–43. Leucanithosia leucanioides: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 40 and 41 in MWM/ ZSM; 42 and 43 in CKC.

FIGURES 44–47. Leucanithosia spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 44, 45 and 47 in MWM/ZSM (47 ex CKC); 46 in CBP.

FIGURES 48–50. Leucanithosia spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 48 and 50 in MWM/ZSM (50 ex CKC); 49 in GMF-B.

FIGURES 51–54. Leucanithosia witti: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 51–53 in MWM/ZSM; 54 in CKC.

FIGURES 55–57. Leucanithosia spp.: male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in MWM/ZSM (56 and 57 ex CKC).

FIGURES 61–64. Philippinithosia, Tigrioides and Dubatoloviana spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 61, 62 and 64 in MWM/ZSM; 63 in OUMNH.

FIGURES 73–76. Philippinithosia, Tigrioides and Dubatoloviana spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 73, 74 and 76 in MWM/ZSM; 75 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

FIGURES 65–68. Leucanithosia spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 65 in OUMNH; 66–68 in CKC.

FIGURES 69–72. Leucanithosia (69–71) and Philippinithosia (72) spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 69, 70, and 72 in MWM/ZSM; 71 in CKC.