Araeopteron dawai, Han & Kononenko, 2021

Han, Hui Lin & Kononenko, Vladimir S., 2021, Three new species of the genus Araeopteron Hampson, 1893 (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Boletobiinae) from the Xizang Autonomous Region, China with an updated list of the world species, ZooKeys 1060, pp. 17-32 : 17

Araeopteron dawai sp. nov.

Figures 1 , 7 , 13-15

Type material.

Holotype male, China, Xizang Autonomous Region, Motuo (= Medog) County, 16-17.iv.2018, H.L. Han, genit. prep. no. hhl-4010-1 (NEFU). Paratypes. 2 ♂♂, same data as holotype, genit. prep. no. hhl-4009-1 (NEFU).

Diagnosis.

The new species (Figs 1 , 7 ), externally and in the male genitalia, is similar to A. rufescens Hampson, 1910 (Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Borneo; figs 2, 8), but differs by a narrower forewing with sharp apex, bearing a dark triangular patch (in A. rufescens apex blunt, without blackish triangular patch; only a weak arched dark band present); the transverse lines are distinct (in A. rufescens they are indistinct); the dark apical triangular patch on the hindwing is small (in A. rufescens it is broader); the discal spot is distinct and stout (in A. rufescens indistinct and slender).

Male genitalia: clasper with medially sclerotised harpe and small thorn-like apical extension (in A. rufescens the clasper with small smooth teeth apically); the costa rounded and swollen in the terminal part of the valva (in A. rufescens it is swollen and triangular in apical third of valva); the uncus as long as the tegumen (in A. rufescens the uncus is ca 1/2 tegumen length); aedeagus slightly curved (in A. rufescens it is straight); vesica with a toothed band (in A. rufescens it bears more than 20 small thin spines).

Description.

Adult (Fig. 1 ). Wingspan 11.5-12.0 mm. Antennae filiform, head, patagia, and tegulae covered with flat white scales, thorax whitish with grey; abdomen greenish yellow, mixed with white. Forewing pale yellow to pale greyish yellow, mixed with a little orange; apex rather sharp; basal area dark orange, basal line expressed with distinct black costal dot; antemedial line blackish brown, almost black, wavy, oblique; median line double, black, filled with mixed brown with orange inside, smoothly incurved, with pale black and orange patches between lines; postmedial line brownish orange and strongly arched before Cu2, its other part mixed with black, and incurved to inner margin; subterminal line brownish black at costal margin, other part fused with blackish apical patch; terminal line brown to blackish brown, with black dots at the tops of veins; reniform stigma dark black; apex with large black triangular patch; basal, antemedial, and median areas densely covered with orange; postmedial area pale to greyish white, with blackish brown to brown at inner margin; subterminal area pale greyish; fringe grey, mixed with brown; pale and greyish parts of the postmedial and subterminal area forming large patch. Hindwing pale greyish yellow to faint yellow; antemedial line smoky-brown to brownish black, wavy; median line orange, weakly waved; postmedial line brown to brownish black, wavy, incurved posteriorly; subterminal line smoky orange, indistinct; apex sharp with single large black triangular patch; fringe thin and lighter than in forewing; discal spot dark black, formed by two dots.

Male genitalia (Fig. 7 ). Tegumen triangular, as narrow, strongly arched band; paratergal sclerits hugely developed, flat, curved; vinculum, thick, sclerotised. Saccus U-shaped. Valva racket-shaped, narrower medially, extended and rounded apically; sacculus thin, gradually narrower to 3/4 length of valva, then broadened and rounded apically; clasper fused to sacculus, with pointed triangular ampullae medially and small, hook-like apical extension; costa sclerotised, thick basally, gradually extended and membranous apically; cucullus large with small medial incurving on inner margin. Uncus thin, relatively long (as long as tegumen), smoothly curved medially, sclerotised. Juxta plate-like, large, rounded, slightly sclerotised. Aedeagus short, cylindrical, slightly curved, weakly sclerotised posteriorly; coecum short, ca 1/4 as long as aedeagus; vesica with sclerotised band of teeth.

Female genitalia. Female unknown.

Distribution.

(Fig. 13 ). The species is known only from its type locality: China, Xizang Autonomous Region (Tibet), Motuo (= Medog) County.

Etymology.

The species name is dedicated to Mr Wa Da, Chinese entomologist, a famous insect researcher of the fauna in the Xizang Autonomous Region, China.

Bionomics.

(Figs 14 , 15 ). The new species was collected in Motuo County, Xizang in April 2018 in the intermediate zone between the subtropical rain forest and broad-leaf forest zones, at an altitude 1121 m.

Figures

Figures 1 - 6. Adults of Araeopteron spp. 1 A. dawai sp. nov. holotype 2 A. rufescens. Malaysia, Borneo 3 A. medogensis sp. nov. holotype 4 A. ussurica (Russia, Primorye, after Fibiger and Kononenko 2008) 5 A. tibeta sp. nov. holotype 6 A. amoena (Russia, Primorye, after Fibiger and Kononenko 2008).

Figures 7 - 12. Male genitalia of Araeopteron spp. 7 A. dawai sp. nov. holotype, gen. prep. no. hhl- 4010 - 1 8 A. rufescens, Malaysia, Borneo, gen. prep. no. hhl- 4587 - 1 9 A. medogensis sp. nov. holotype, gen. prep. no. hhl- 4022 - 1 10 A. ussurica (Russia, Primorye, after Fibiger and Kononenko 2008) 11 A. tibeta sp. nov. holotype, gen. prep. no. hhl- 4026 - 1 12 A. amoena (Russia, Primorye, after Fibiger and Kononenko 2008).

Figures 13 - 15. The map (13) and habitat (14, 15) of Araeopteron spp. in the Xizang Autonomous Region, China