Hypobarathra icterias ( Eversmann, 1843 )

Saldaitis, Aidas, Benedek, Balázs & Behounek, Gottfried, 2016, Review of the genus Hypobarathra Hampson, 1905 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Hadeninae) with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4105 (5), pp. 491-496 : 492-496

Hypobarathra icterias ( Eversmann, 1843)

( Figs 7, 8 , 12 , 16 )

Xylina icterias Eversmann, 1843 , Bulletin de la Société impériale des naturalistes de Moscou 16: 548. (Type-locality: Russia, Ural. The type is deposited in the ZISP).

Material examined: 1 male, China, Inner Mongolia, h- 700, 100 km W from Ulanhot, Mingshui, 10. vii. 2008, Floriani, Saldaitis leg. ( AFM); 1 male, Russia, Primorye, Gornotayozhnaya, 50 km E Ussurijsk, 14.vii.1979. slide No. HH 10841m ( ZSM); 1 female, Russia, Far East, Primorsky Krai [Primorye Territory], Khasansky district, Zanadovorovka village, Gusevskiy pit, 16–24. vii. 2010, leg. A. Kapkayev, slide No. OP3226f ( AFM).

Distribution and bionomics. Eastpalaearctic. Ukraine, West Kazakhstan, Russia (from Ural to Primorye in the Far East, Korea, NE China (Inner Mongolia). Occurring in warm and humid, rather open woodland biotopes in the deciduous forest zone of Southern Siberia and Northeast Asia. The flight period is second half of July–August.

Remark. In Hacker et al. (2002, pp. 226–227, pl. 9, fig. 57) specimen without abdomen in the picture, marked as a female, actually is a male (slide No. HH 10841m (ZSM)).

Hypobarathra repetita ( Butler, 1889)

( Figs 5, 6 , 11 , 15 )

Xylophasia repetita Butler, 1889, Illustrations of typical specimens of Lepidoptera Heterocera in the collection of the British Museum 7: 52, Pl.127: 1, 2. (Type-locality: India, Himachal Pradesh, Dharmsala. The type is deposited in the NHM).

Material examined: 1 male, Pakistan, Kaghan valley, above Shogran, Shiripaya, 3000 m, 4–5. vi. 2014, leg. B. Benedek & J. Babics ( AFM); 2 females, Pakistan, Kaghan valley, above Shogran, Shiripaya, 3000 m, 4–5.vi.2014, leg. B. Benedek & J. Babics ( AFM & PGM); 1 female, [ Pakistan], Kashmir, Lihenwan (Evn. de Naubug), alt. 2850 m, 21.vi.1976, slide No. PGY4360f (PGM); 1 male, Nepal, Annapurna Himal, 1 km E of Chame, 2600m, 84°15‘E, 28°33‘N, 10.vi.1996, leg. M. Hreblay & Cs. Szabóky, slide No. PGY 2363m (PGM).

Distribution and bionomics. Western and southern Himalayan. Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan. The species is characteristic and rather frequent in the Himalayan monsoon forest belt between 2500–3000 m. The imagines are on the wing from late May to mid–July.

Hypobarathra rau sp. n.

( Figs 1–4 , 9, 10 , 13, 14 )

Holotype: Male ( Fig. 1 ), China, West Sichuan, near Litang, H- 4000 m, N29°49.136′, E100°20.576′, 18.vi.2015, leg. Floriani & Saldaitis; slide No. GB 8691m (deposited in GBG / ZSM).

Paratypes: ( Figs 2–4 ), China, West Sichuan: 1 male, 18 females, with the same data as the holotype; 7 males, 63 females, the same locality as the holotype, but 15.vi.2015; 13 females the same locality as the holotype, but 20.vi.2015; 6 females, near Xinduqiao, H- 3611 m, N30°04.256′, E101°25.156′, 14.vi.2015, leg. Floriani & Saldaitis; 9 females, Shaluli Shan, 40 km NW from Daocheng, H- 4050 m, N29°17.399′, E100°05.068′, 19.vi.2015, leg. Floriani & Saldaitis; 1 male, 11 females, Shaluli Shan, 40 km NW from Daocheng, H- 4050 m, N29°17.399′, E100°05.068′, 21.vi.2015, leg. Floriani & Saldaitis; 2 females, 50 km N from Batang, near Rikeng lake, H- 3700–4100m, N30°25.371′, E099°24.371′, 17.vi.2015, leg. Floriani & Saldaitis; slide Nos GB 8694m, GB8692f, GB8693f (colls AFM, ASV, GBG / ZSM, F. Hofer, OPB, PGM & A. Rau ).

Diagnosis. The new species ( Figs 1–4 ) can be separated from the similar H. repetita ( Figs 5, 6 ) by their more colourful patterned forewings and especially the remarkably distinct and strongly waved subterminal fascia separating the darker terminal area. The male genitalia of H. rau ( Figs 9, 10 ) differ from both related species ( Figs 11, 12 ) by the smaller and narrower cucullus and the vertically wider fultura inferior (juxta). The aedeagus differ in the more rounded coecum and the configuration of the carinal process, has a different shape, tapering distally from the broad coecum to the narrower carinal end, the vesica is also differently shaped and the terminal cornuti is missing from the subbasal diverticulum and the subterminal field of cornuti is considerably longer. The female genitalia of H. rau ( Figs 13, 14 ) differs from those of H. repetita ( Fig. 15 ) in the fan-shaped ostium, longer but narrower antrum, the narrower, more conical shape of the cervix bursae, the larger corpus bursae, the ostial section (antrum) is fan-shaped, enlarged and posteriorly widely rounded (they are rather triangular in H. repetita and H. icterias ) and the sclerotized ductus bursae is narrower than in the two other members of the genus, otherwise, the ductus bursae is ca as long as in H. repetita and considerably longer than in H. icterias .

Description. Wingspan 38–46 mm, length of forewing 19–21 mm, antennae filiform, thorax robust, reddish-brown, forewings elongated-triangular in shape with apex moderately acute. Ground colour of forewings vivid reddish-brown, area between postmedial and subterminal fasciae light silvery-white, between reniform and postmedial fasciae a pale yellowish patch is visible. Reniform stigma large, dark greyish filled decorated with a slight yellowish-white terminal band, orbicular stigma rather small, indistinct, same coloured as ground colour and thinly framed with darker reddishbrown scaling, claviform stigma small, indistinct, antemedian and postmedian fasciae diffuse, the latter is finely crenulated, median fascia narrow, presented with darker reddish-brown, medially angled, subterminal fascia remarkable and strongly irregularly crenulated, terminal area uncoloured, darker reddish-brown, cilia patched with darker and lighter reddish-brown scales. Hindwings light ash-grey, discal spot well visible, cilia pinkish.

Male genitalia ( Figs 9, 10 ). Uncus long, moderately broad and finger-shaped, apically pointed, tegumen lowpositioned, weak, penicular lobes reduced, fultura inferior (juxta) rather large, rectangular in shape, apically strongly incised and basally finely peaked, sacculus large, valva apically with large and sclerotised, horn-like costal process turned to the direction of the tegumen, harpe reduced, apical part of valva characteristically narrower, finely curved, cucullus small but elongated, apically rounded, corona well developed. Aedeagus short but broad, tubular, gently tapering, carinal bar broad, elongated and tapering, strongly sclerotised, vesica broadly-sack like, dorsally everted and strongly curved, subbasal diverticulum large, conical, terminal spiculi-field elliptical in shape, terminal part of vesica tapering.

Female genitalia ( Figs 13, 14 ). Papillae anales small, conical in shape, moderately hairy, apophyses posteriores short and weak but with broader, elliptical basis, apophyses anteriores very short but strong, ostium bursae (antrum) widely fan or mushroom-shaped, heavily sclerotised as well as the rather broad, more or less rectangular-shaped posterior part of ductus bursae, anterior part of ductus bursae very short but broad, membranous and rugose, cervix bursae large, membranous, conical in shape, basally widely fused corpus bursae, corpus bursae large, sac-like, elliptical in shape with three long and strong signa.

Distribution and bionomics. Series of males and females were collected at ultraviolet light on 14–21 June, 2015 in remote parts of west China Sichuan Province near the Litang, Xinduqiao and Batang of the Shaluli Shan mountain range. The new species was collected at altitudes ranging from 3600 to 4100 meters in mountain mixed forests dominated by various conifer trees, bushes and rhododendron.

Etymology. The new species is named in the honour of the Rau couple (Elisabeth and Anton-Ernst) (Grafing near Munich), good friends and enthusiastic collectors of Palaearctic moths.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Hypobarathra spp. adults. 1. H. rau sp. n., male, holotype, China, W. Sichuan (GBG / ZSM); 2. H. rau sp. n., male, paratype, China, W. Sichuan (AFM); 3. H. rau sp. n., female, paratype, China, W. Sichuan (GBG / ZSM); 4. H. rau sp. n., female, paratype, China, W. Sichuan (GBG / ZSM); 5. H. repetita, male, Pakistan, Kaghan valley (AFM); 6. H. repetita, female, Pakistan, Kaghan valley (AFM); 7. H. icterias, male, China, Inner Mongolia (AFM); 8. H. icterias, female, Russia, Primorsky Krai [Primorye Territory] (AFM).

FIGURES 9 – 12. Hypobarathra spp. male genitalia. 9. H. rau sp. n., male, holotype, China, W. Sichuan, slide No. GB 8691 m (GBG / ZSM); 10. H. rau sp. n., male, paratype, China, W. Sichuan, slide No. GB 8694 m (AFM); 11. H. repetita, male, Nepal, Annapurna Himal, slide No. PGY 2363 m (PGM); 12. H. icterias, male, Russia, Primorye, Gornotayozhnaya, slide No. HH 10841 m (ZSM).

FIGURES 13 – 18. Hypobarathra spp. female genitalia. 13. H. rau sp. n., female, paratype, China, W. Sichuan, slide No. GB 8692 f (GBG / ZSM); 14. H. rau sp. n., female, paratype, China, W. Sichuan, slide No. GB 8693 f (GBG / ZSM); 15. H. repetita, female, [Pakistan], Kashmir, Lihenwan, slide No. PGY 4360 f (PGM); 16. H. icterias, female, Russia, Primorsky Krai [Primorye Territory], slide No. OP 3226 f (AFM).