Chibiraga yukei Ji & Wang, 2018

Ji, Shuqin, Huang, Siyao, Ma, Lijun & Wang, Min, 2018, Two new species of the genus Chibiraga Matsumura, 1931 (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) from China, Zootaxa 4429 (1), pp. 165-172 : 170-171

Chibiraga yukei Ji & Wang sp. nov.

( Figs. 4 , 8 , 13, 14 )

Type material. Holotype: Male, 9-VII-2016, Tuanjie Village , Caoke Town , Shimian County, Ya’an City , Sichuan Province, altitude 302 m, leg. Shuqin Ji and Yuke Han, SCAU.

Diagnosis. Externally the species is distinguished from its congeners by the inward-crescent black spot in the base of forewing near the dorsal margin, Rs and M 1 in hindwing venation are not stalked, and the ground color of both forewing and hindwing is generally deeper than in the other two species. The male genitalia are similar to C. houshuaii sp. nov., as both species have a mushroom-shaped socii and bifid valve, but male genitalia of C. yukei sp. nov. can be distinguished by the following characteristics: (1) base of socii thinner; apex of subuncus rounder and larger; (2) the paired branches of gnathos slender apically; (3) ventral part of the valve with a concave notch on the tip and elongate with slightly folded oval process; and (4) aedeagus slightly curved from the base to the apex, and the distal tip gradually attenuates, rather than abruptly pinched as in C. houshuaii .

Description. Forewing length 10 mm (n=1). Head, thorax, and abdomen covered with chocolate to blackish scales. Antenna stem red brown, with pale brown rami. Male antenna bipectinate, gradually tapering at the tip. Labial palpus short, close to vertex, 1 st segment curved upward, dark brown; 2nd segment bent at a right angle from the 1st, stout and relatively long, almost three times as long as that in the 1st, dark brown; 3rd oval, yellowish. Forewing red brown to dark brown in basal two-thirds and pale chocolate in outer one-third. Reddish scales present at costa and wing base in basal two-thirds; white scales form an obscure band extending from costa to vein CuA 2 in outer one-third. Fringes yellowish brown. A black postdiscal fascia runs straight from the costa to vein CuA1, turning prominently inward and extending at an anal angle. Black scales concentrate in space 1A+2A, Cup, CuA2, discocellular vein, and center of the cell, and form a prominent inward-crescent black spot. Hindwing generally reddish brown; black, grown scales scattered in basal half and concentrated at the anal angle. Apart from Rs and M 1 in hindwing, venation is not stalked; venation ( Figs. 13, 14 ) is virtually identical to C. houshuaii sp. nov. and C. banghaasi .

Male genitalia ( Fig. 8 ). Uncus absent, socii large, fleshy, mushroom-shaped, with many setae; subuncus peaked cap-liked, with dense setae. Gnathos consists of two branches, paired branches slender apically and connected to each other by a wide medial bridge. Tegumen broad and relatively short. Valvae deeply concave in the middle, dorsal part of the valvae oval, with setae at the tip, base of dorsal part with a peculiar process covered with setae; ventral part of the valvae elongate with slightly folded oval process, bearing a process in the apex, and possessing setae from tip to base. Juxta upper part with one bow process, bottom with two triangular and one semicircular processes. Saccus simple, V-shaped. Aedeagus slightly curved from the base to the apex, distal tip gradually attenuates.

Distribution. China (Sichuan).

Etymology. The new species is named after Mr. Yuke Han (SCAU), one of the collectors of the type specimen.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Adults. 1. Male adult of C. banghaasi upperside. 2. Female adult of C. banghaasi upperside. 3. Male adult of Chibiraga houshuaii sp. nov., holotype, upperside. 4. Male adult of C. yukei sp. nov., holotype, upperside. Scale bar: 10 mm.

FIGURES 5–8. Genitalia. 5. Male genitalia of C. banghaasi. 6. Female genitalia of C. banghaasi. 7. Male genitalia of C. houshuaii sp. nov., holotype. 8. Male genitalia of C. yukei sp. nov., holotype.

FIGURES 9–14. Venation. 9. Forewing venation of C. banghaasi. 10. Hindwing venation of C. banghaasi. 11. Forewing venation of C. houshuaii sp. nov.. 12. Hindwind venation of C. houshuaii sp. nov. 13. Forewing venation of C. yukei sp. nov.. 14. Hindwind venation of C. yukei sp. nov..