Andraca (Chrypathemola) nobilorum Zolotuhin

Zolotuhin, Vadim V., 2012, Taxonomic remarks on Andraca Walker, 1865 (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 3262, pp. 22-34 : 32

Andraca (Chrypathemola) nobilorum Zolotuhin , sp. nov.

Figs. 21, 22

Type material. Holotype: ď, Central Vietnam, Prov. Kon Tum, Distr. Kom Plong, Mang Canh, 1250 m, 1–10.VI 2006, leg. V. Zolotuhin (MWM).

Description. Wingspan males 38–39 mm, fore wing length 22 mm. Ground colour is sandy yellow, wing pattern lunate, transverse, black, with dark grey apical spot, prominent submarginal spots in Cu-area and large basal spot in the fore wing; external field is darkened. Discal dot small dark grey; fine bluish suffusion is visible around the dark pattern elements. Costal zone of the hind wing is paler. Female is unknown. Male genitalia (fig. 34). Uncus is elongated pyramid-shaped. Branches of gnathos infused, distinct, long, strongly bent at a middle and a bit swollen at curvation. Valva short, broadened basally, generally weakly sclerotized; costa bears near the apex a minute papilla-shaped process; no harpe presented. Both valvae are symmetrical. Aedeagus short, with widened apical half and wide opening of vesica: vesica short, with 3 compact groups of heavy sclerotized spine-like cornuti.

Diagnosis. Externally the species resembles the palest specimens of Pseudandraca flavamaculata ( Yang, 1995) but larger, always without dark shadows typical for the latter; male genitalia are diagnostic with quiller (or harpe) is always absent. Presence of prominent black basal spot is also characteristic.

Bionomics. Both specimens known were collected in mountain forests at 1200 and 1250 m in April and June.

Distribution. Known only from Central Vietnam (Kon Tum) and south-eastern China (Guangxi).

Comments. The name derives from “ nobilorum ” (from “nobilis”) meaning “a noble” in Latin. I know of one additional male specimen attributed to the species from China, Guangxi, Dayao Shan, Jingxiu, 100 km SE of Liuzhou, 23°45’N, 109°45’E, 1200 m, which was collected in April 2005 by V. Siniaev (in coll. MWM). It differs insignificantly from the male of the Vietnamese population but has a distance more than 2% in the cytochrome-c oxidase subunit 1 gene ( COI, 5’, 658 b.p.). Until additional materials from China are obtained, I consider it to be this species.