Polymixis ivanchiki, Pekarsky, Oleg, 2012

Pekarsky, Oleg, 2012, Taxonomic overview of Polymixis serpentina (Treitschke, 1825) species-group, with the description of a new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Xyleninae), ZooKeys 201, pp. 15-26 : 16-19

Polymixis ivanchiki sp. n. Figs 1-2

Holotype.

Male, Lebanon N., Fnaideg env., h-1440m, 12.x.2007, leg. Krueger, Saldaitis; slide No.: OP0941m (coll. O. Pekarsky, deposited in the HNHM Budapest).

Paratypes.

Lebanon. 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀ Caza Dchare, Berhalioun, h-700m, 22.x.2008, leg. Punta, slide No: OP1352m (male) (coll. O. Pekarsky); 20 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀ from the same locality (coll. A. Floriani); 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀ Caza Dchare, Berhalioun, Dayrouna mt., h-1200 m, 24-25.x.2008, leg. E. Punta, (coll. A. Floriani); 1 ♀ Caza Aaakkar, Bezbina, h-700m, 26.x.2008, leg. Punta, (coll. O. Pekarsky); 1 ♂ from the same locality, (coll. A. Floriani); 2 ♀♀ Cedrus Mts., Aayoun Urghouch, h-2130m, 10.x.2007, leg. Krueger, Saldaitis; 1 ♀ Laqlouq env., h-1600m, 14.x.2007, leg. Krueger, Saldaitis, slide No: OP0942f (female) (coll. O. Pekarsky); 1 ♀ 60 km S v. Beirut, 30.X.1963, leg. E. & A. Vartian, slide No: OP1347f (female) (coll. NHMW). Turkey. 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀ Turkey, Prov. Hatay, 6 km N of Yayladagi, 1100 m, 36 00 E, 36 05 N, 20.x.1993, leg. Gy. Fábián, B. Herczig, Gy. László, K. Szeőke, slide No: OP1029f (female) (coll. G. Ronkay); 1 ♂, Prov. Urfa, Halfeti, valley of Euphrat, 500 m, 37°52'E, 37°14'N, 19.x.1993, leg. Gy. Fábián, B. Herczig, Gy. László, K. Szeőke, slide No: OP1428m (male) (coll. G. Ronkay). Israel. 1 ♂, N. Galilea, Nimrod, 800 m., 10-20.10.2004, ligh trap (coll. P. Gyulai), 2 ♂♂, Jerusalem, X.2006, leg. V. Kravchenko, slide No: OP1632m (male) (coll. O. Pekarsky), 4 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀ SW-Iran, Berge O v. Kasri Shirin, 24.x.1963, leg. Kasy & Vartian, slide Nos: OP1348m (male), OP1349f (female) (coll. NHM Vienna).

Diagnosis.

Polymixis ivanchiki is a sister taxon of Polymixis serpentina and is hardly distinguished externally from it, although the genitalia show clearly recognisable differences in both sexes. The forewing pattern of the two species is very similar, only the shape of reniform stigma show certain specific features. The reniform stigma of Polymixis ivanchiki is slenderer, more S-shaped with a finely lunulate inner dark line, whereas that of Polymixis serpentina serpentina is larger and more or less elliptical, with more parallel sides. The male genitalia of the two species are similar in most characters. The most significant difference between the two species is the shape of juxta. Polymixis ivanchiki has a characteristic anchor-like juxta, wide medially, and tapered evenly posteriorly into a long acutely angled process with a posteriorly tapering lateral process on each side with serrated inner edges at their tips; the juxta of Polymixis serpentina has wide posterior extension, less broad medial part and the two lateral arms lack the apical serration.

The most conspicuous difference between the female genitalia of two species can be found in the shape of the antrum. The posterior (anal) margin of the antrum of Polymixis ivanchiki has a very deep cleft, which reaches the middle of antrum, whereas Polymixis serpentina has only a slight, shallow cleft.

Description.

Male (Fig. 1). Wingspan 38-40 mm, length of forewing 19 mm. Head, thorax and forewing dark brownish grey mixed with black hair-like scales. Forewing elongate, narrow; costa straight with white patches; outer margin with rather straight termen; most elements of forewing pattern rather blurred, except prominent white-defined reniform stigma; all but one crosslines black; basal line straight; subbasal line zigzagged; antemedial line waved; medial fascia a row of black streaks; postmedial line curved and dentate; subterminal line discontinuous, pale whitish, strongly sinuous, defined by short, black arrowhead spots at inner side; terminal line a row of tiny blackish triangles; orbicular stigma more or less rounded, formed by two black lateral arches filled with ground colour; reniform stigma large, white with narrow, black, lunulate inner line; fringes (cilia) as ground colour, finely chequered by whitish streaks at veins. Hindwing shining white with some black scales on veins, discal spot pale gray, terminal line black; cilia pale yellow mixed sparsely with black hair-like scales.

Female (Fig. 2). As male but with considerably darker suffused hindwing.

Male genitalia (Figs 9-12). Genital armature well-sclerotized; uncus weak, small and short, flattened and broad at base, tapering towards finely rounded and slightly hairy apex; tegumen broad, 0.67 times length of vinculum; penicular lobes small, rounded, bearing long setae; juxta anchor-like wide medially with two narrow and posteriorly tapered lateral arms with serrated inner edges towards apex; central posterior process long, thin, evenly tapering posteriorly; vinculum U-shaped. Valvae elongate with narrower distal half; cuculli asymmetrical, left one small and narrow, right one larger, apically more rounded, ventral surfaces densely setose on both cuculli; corona absent; sacculus large, elongate; clavus represented by a long, flat hump; clasper (harpe) straight, bar shaped; ampulla long, stick-like, with evenly tapered distal half and broad, reversed Y-shaped base. Aedeagus cylindrical, curved ventrally in distal part. Vesica tubular, everted forward then bent dorsad; basal tube short, subbasal bulb much wider, inflated, armed by narrow, elongated terminal field of spiniform cornuti; distal diverticulum small.

Female genitalia (Figs 25-27). Ovipositor medium-long, papillae anales elongated, hairy, with long setae on sides and shorter setae apically. Apophyses anteriores strong, with spatulate tips; apophyses posteriores thin and slightly longer than apophyses anteriores. Antrum (ostium bursae) large, broad, trapezoidal, strongly sclerotized, incised caudally forming deep cleft on ventral surface extending from posterior margin almost to middle of antrum. Ductus bursae flattened, semi-tubular, strongly sclerotized, medially folded and twisted. Appendix bursae conical, with sclerotized ribs and wrinkles; corpus bursae membranous, ovoid with four signum-stripes of different lengths.

Etymology.

The new species named in honour of Ukrainian zoologists, Ivanchik Taisiya Semenivna (1937-2007) and Ivanchik Grigoriy Semenovich (1929-2011), teachers of Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University.

Distribution.

The species is distributed in the Near East (Israel, Lebanon, SW Iran) and the southern parts of Turkey (provinces Hatay and Urfa).