Himalaea batanga, Saldaitis & Benedek & Volynkin, 2022

Saldaitis, Aidas, Benedek, Balázs & Volynkin, Anton V., 2022, Himalaea batanga, a new species from Southwest China (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Amphipyrinae: Psaphidini), Ecologica Montenegrina 54, pp. 26-31 : 27-28

Himalaea batanga sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:44073F79-1647-4E78-B4A7-1DE360549636

( Figs 1, 3 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1, 3 ): male, “ China, W. Sichuan, | 25km.N from Batang | H- 3100m, dry valley | N 30°12.049' | E 099°14.078' | 05.v.2016 | Saldaitis leg.”, gen. prep. No.: JB2574 ( AFM).

Diagnosis. The new species is strongly dissimilar to H. unica due to its significantly larger size, the shorter rami of the male antennae, the more elongate forewing with a more elongate apex and a more distinct pattern, and the pale brown hindwing which is with a slight grey suffusion in the congener. However, despite the superficial dissimilarity, the male genitalia ground plan of H. batanga sp. n. is similar to that of H. unica . The male genital capsule of the new species differs from H. unica in the smaller juxta, the somewhat more elongate valva (in proportion to the tegumen-vinculum complex length) with a straight distal section of the costa (it is somewhat up curved in the congener), the distally thicker and apically rounded digitus directed ventrally-distally (it is apically pointed and directed ventrally in H. unica ), and the lack of a harpe. Additionally, the clasper of H. batanga sp. n. is markedly longer than in H. unica (in proportion to the valva length), and the sacculus is longer and bearing a conical and more weakly setose clavus which is rectangular and heavily setose in the congener. The phallus of H. batanga sp. n. is somewhat shorter and markedly narrower than in H. unica (in proportion to the genital capsule size), distally up curved (it is straight in the congener), and lacks a carinal plate. The vesica configurations of the two species are similar but that of the new species is narrower than in the congener, bears a cluster of four spine-like cornuti at the base of the dorsal diverticulum, and its distal down curved section has a narrow sclerotised plate on its proximal side instead of a sclerotised diverticulum bearing a serrulate plate in H. unica . Additionally, the distal diverticulum of the new species is sclerotised and bears a broader serrulate plate apically whereas that of H. unica is membranous basally and medially and bears a narrower serrulate plate apically.

Description. Adult male ( Fig. 1 ). Forewing length 24 mm in holotype. Antenna shortly bipectinate. Body fuscous with admixture of pale grey scales on head and thorax. Forewing elongate and relatively narrow with elongate apex. Forewing ground colour grey with dark grey and brown suffusion. Basal lengthwise streak black, thin and long (almost reaching antemedial line). Subbasal area pale brown medially and intensely suffused with blackish scales anteriorly. Antemedial line smoothly curved and irregularly sinuous, double, pale grey proximally and with blackish edge distally disappearing in base of claviform stigma. Claviform stigma semielliptical, pale brown with black irroration, edged with blackish scales. Orbicular stigma irregularly elliptical, brown with intense blackish suffusion, edged with black. Reniform stigma broad, brown proximally and ash-grey distally, with slight blackish suffusion, edged with black. Cell between stigmata and antemedial line intensely suffused with black. Postmedial line indistinct medially and anteriorly, dark grey and sinuous posteriorly. Postmedial area with broad diffuse oblique dark grey streak from apex to posterior outer corner of reniform stigma. Subterminal line blackish, indistinct anteriorly and diffuse medially and posteriorly, irregularly dentate with the distinct black posterior longest peak encircled with intense brown suffusion. Terminal line black, wavy, interrupted on veins. Forewing cilia ash-grey with admixture of black scales. Hindwing pale brown with slight suffusion of dark grey scales subbasally and along anal margin. Discal spot dark grey, semilunar, indistinct. Hindwing cilia pale grey with admixture of dark grey scales. Male genitalia ( Fig. 3 ). Uncus moderately elongate, slender and distally tapered. Tegumen with arms tapered anteriorly and fused in posterior third. Vinculum somewhat longer than tegumen, narrowly U-shaped. Valva elongate and lobular with parallel margins, dorsal one somewhat convex medially and ventral one somewhat concave parallel it. Costa narrow but heavily sclerotised, reaching the valva apex, with dilated medial ventral triangular plate bearing robust almost straight finger-shaped, distally tapered and apically rounded digitus directed ventrally-distally and slightly protruding beyond the ventral valva edge. Sacculus elongate and moderately broad (somewhat less than half of valva width), bearing short conical, apically rounded and weakly setose clavus. Clasper long (from distal end of sacculus to digitus) and broad (somewhat less than half of valva width), with short round dorsal protrusion sub-proximally. Juxta small and weakly sclerotised, shield-like. Phallus elongate and narrow, tubular, posteriorly up curved, with broad conical and apically rounded coecum. Vesica somewhat broader than phallus, down curved subbasally, with sack-like subbasal dorsal diverticulum directed distally and bearing cluster of four spines latero basally. Distal section of vesica with sclerotised triangular diverticulum on distal side bearing short serrulate sclerotised plate apically, and elongate and narrow sclerotised plate opposite on proximal side. Vesica ejaculatorius relatively broad, tubular, projected ventrally.

Female unknown.

Biology and distribution. The single male was collected at an ultraviolet light during a warm, very windy night in early May in the remote part of western Sichuan Province of China near Batang ( Fig. 5 ). The habitat of the new species lies at an altitude of 3100 meters in a mountain river dry valley sparsely covered with mixed arboraceous vegetation dominated by various bushes and stunted deciduous trees ( Fig. 6 ).

Etymology. The specific epithet originates from the Batang County of Sichuan Province the type locality is in.

Figures

Figures 1–4. Himalaea spp.: adults (1, 2) and male genitalia (3, 4). Depositories of the specimens and slides: 1 and 3 in AFM; 2 and 4 in HNHM (photo by B. Tóth).

Figures 5–6. China, western Sichuan, 25 km N of Batang, 3100m, N30°12.049' E099°14.078', the type locality (5) and the habitat (6) of Himalaea batanga sp. n. (photos by A. Saldaitis).