Pyralis princeps Butler, 1889

Wikstroem, Bo, Huemer, Peter, Mutanen, Marko, Tyllinen, Juha & Kaila, Lauri, 2020, Pyralis cardinalis, a charismatic new species related to P. regalis [Denis & Schiffermueller], 1775, first recognized in Finland (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae), Nota Lepidopterologica 43, pp. 337-364 : 337

Pyralis princeps Butler, 1889 Figs 18 , 26

Pyralis princeps Butler, 1889(7): 91, pl. 134, fig. 12.

Material examined.

Type material. Lectotype, here designated: India, Dharamshala, Photograph of lectotype of Pyralis princeps made available by David Lees, labelled: LECTO-TYPE [blue round label]; MANUSCRIPT LECTOTYPE; Type locality India Dharmsala; Lectotype Pyralis princeps det. M. Shaffer 1985[]; stat. n. [abdomen in capsule] ( NHMUK).

Other material. Nepal. 2♂, 27°40'N, 85°25'E, Godavari, 15 km SE Kathmandu, 1500 m, 8.-9.v. 1996 leg. Exp. A. Albrecht, O. Biström, K. Mikkola & A. Wikberg, L. Kaila prep. 6296, BOLD sample ID: TLMF Lep 05678, BOLD sample ID: TLMF Lep 05679, http://id.luomus.fi/HV.369 ( MZH).

Diagnosis.

The separation of this species from other species is explained in the key. In the genitalia, the dense bush of long spines at the posterior end of vesica is characteristic, and the genital characters readily separate it from the externally similar but smaller P. joannisi ; see the key for further details.

Molecular data.

BIN: replace: BOLD:ABA8505. The intraspecific mean and maximum divergence of the barcode region is 0% (N = 2). The minimum distance to the nearest neighbour, P. kacheticalis , is 8.26%.

Distribution.

India, Nepal.

Remarks.

Pyralis princeps was described from four specimens collected in India (Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala [Dharmsala]) and two from ”Yezo” [region from Northern Japan to Kamchatka] (Butler, 1889). However, the latter two are misidentifications of P. cardinalis , this interpretation also supported by our examination of some Japanese and South Korean specimens. Following ICZN (1999), a lectotype from Dharamshala [Dharmsala], already labelled as such by M. Shaffer in NHMUK, is here designated in order to fix the identity of the species and conserve nomenclatural stability.We have examined photographs of the specimen and its labels which confirm our interpretation. Outside Europe, the name P. princeps Butler has been somewhat inconsistently used for the East Palearctic populations. E.g. Shibuya (1928), in his treatment of Japanese species of Pyralis and related genera, only recognized P. regalis of the relevant taxa to occur there. Inoue et al. (1982), plate 46: Figs 4 , 5 illustrated Japanese specimens that seem identical to P. cardinalis and whose occurrence in Japan is verified in the present study. Neither of these authors mention other species, but they consider P. princeps a synonym of P. regalis .

Figures

Figures 18 - 21. Pyralis spp., habitus. 18. P. princeps Butler, ♂; Nepal, Godawari nr. Kathmandu, leg. exp. Albrecht et al. 19. P. joannisi Leraut, ♂; Vietnam, Bac Kan province, leg. A. Wikstroem. 20, 21. P. perversalis (Herrich-Schaeffer), habitus. 20. ♂, Czech Republic, Bohemia sept., leg. J. Liska; 21. ♀, S. Ural, Cheliabinsk district, leg. T. Nupponen.

Figures 25 - 27. ♂ genitalia of Pyralis spp. 25. P. kacheticalis (Christoph), GPBW 7942, Greece, Lesvos, Anaxos. 26. P. princeps Butler, L. Kaila prep. 6296, Nepal, Godawari, 27. P. joannisi Leraut, L. Kaila prep. 6297, Vietnam, Bac Kan Prov.

Figures 4 - 11. Pyralis sp., habitus. 4 - 7. P. cardinalis sp. nov., 4. ♂, Finland, V, Kemioensaari, leg. J. Tyllinen. 5. ♀, A, Lemland, leg. B. Wikstroem & K. Vaalamo; 6. ♂, Finland, U, Kirkkonummi, leg. J. Junnilainen; 7. ♂, Finland, U, Raasepori, leg. L. Kaila. 8 - 11. P. regalis. 8. ♂, Greece, Lesvos, leg. L. Kaila & J. Kullberg. 9. ♀, Slovenia, Granska Gora, leg. B. Wikstroem; 10. ♂, Italy, Tuscany, Cortona, leg. B. Wikstroem. 11. Bulgaria, 5 km S. Blagoevgrad, ♀, leg. B. A. Bengtsson.