Melinaria pseudorepanda kalawensis ( Orhant, 2000 )

Singh, Navneet, Ahmad, Jalil, Chandra, Kailash & Solovyev, Alexey V., 2021, A new species of the genus Thespea Solovyev and four newly recorded species of Limacodidae from India (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea), Zootaxa 4927 (1), pp. 123-132 : 125

Melinaria pseudorepanda kalawensis ( Orhant, 2000)

( Figs 5 , 16 )

Parasa kalawensis Orhant, 2000: 472 .

Material examined. India: 2 ♂, Arunachal Pradesh, lower Subansiri, Pange Wildlife Sanctuary , 17.x.2017, leg. B. Sinha & Party (NZCZSI, 7019/ H10) .

Diagnosis. Originally, Parasa kalawensis was described as a distinct species from Kalaw, Myanmar. Subsequently, Solovyev (2014) downgraded P. kalawensis as a subspecies of Melinaria pseudorepanda and it is externally distinct from the nominotypical subspecies, M. p. pseudorepanda ( Fig. 7 ), by the colour of the hindwing, but their genitalia are almost identical. Another closely similar Indian species, M. repanda ( Fig. 6 ) is distinguishable from M. p. kalawensis by the presence of a ventral digitate process in the valva ( Solovyev 2014).

Distribution. Myanmar, China (Yunnan, Guangxi), Laos, northern Thailand, Vietnam ( Solovyev 2014) and Arunachal Pradesh ( India). First record for the Lepidoptera fauna in India.

Figures

FIGURES 1–11. Adults (dorsal view). 1, Thespea aka, sp. nov., holotype ♂; 2, T. aka, sp. nov., paratype ♂; 3, T. heringi, holotype ♂, Myanmar, 25 km E Putao, env. Nan Sa Bon (MWM); 4, T. siniaevi, holotype ♂, Myanmar, 65 km NE Putao (MWM); 5, Melinaria pseudorepanda kalawensis ♂, India, Arunachal Pradesh, lower Subansiri (NZCZSI); 6, M. repanda ♂, India NE, Assam, Kaziranga, Wild Life res., Pan Bari, 26˚45`N, 93˚10`E, 100m, leg, V. Sinyaev (MWM); 7, M. pseudorepanda pseudorepanda ♂, China, Sichuan, Volonong Res., Siguliang Shan, 31˚09`, 103˚20`E, leg. Sinyaev & team (MWM); 8, Parasa julikatis ♂, India, Arunachal Pradesh, Upper Siang (NZCZSI); 9, P. julikatis ♂, Vietnam, Mts. Fan-si-pan, Chapa, holotype (MWM); 10, Thosea lutea ♂, India, A & N Islands, Great Nicobar Island, Laxmi nagar (NZCZSI); 11, Mambarona congrua ♂, India, A & N Islands, Great Nicobar Island, Galathea (NZCZSI). Scale bar: 1 cm.

FIGURES 16–19. Male genitalia (ventral view with aedeagus detached in lateral view). 16, Melinaria pseudorepanda kalawensis, Arunachal Pradesh, lower Subansiri (NZCZSI, 7019/ H10/ gen); 17, Parasa julikatis, Arunachal Pradesh, Upper Siang (NZCZSI, 7020/ H10); 18, Thosea lutea, Great Nicobar Island, Laxmi nagar (NZCZSI, 7201/ H10); 19, Mambarona congrua, Great Nicobar Island, Galathea (NZCZSI, 6677/ H10/ gen).