Lemyra (Thyrgorina) elena Saldaitis, Volynkin & Duda, 2018

Saldaitis, Aidas, Volynkin, Anton V. & Dûda, Juozas, 2018, Lemyra elena, a new species from Sichuan, south-western China (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae), Zootaxa 4418 (2), pp. 187-193 : 187-192

Lemyra (Thyrgorina) elena Saldaitis, Volynkin & Duda , sp. nov. ( Figs 1, 2 , 11–13 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs. 1 , 12 ): ♂, China, E Sichuan, 30 km SE from Ping Wu, H- 1420 m, N32°20.725’ E104°36.650’, 7.VIII.2016, A. Floriani & A. Saldaitis leg., slide AV4312 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. NHMUK).

Paratypes: 21 ♂, same data as in the holotype, slide AV4311 ♂ Volynkin (Colls ASV, AFM, NHMUK & WIGJ).

Diagnosis. The species has two color forms: the light one with dark yellow hindwing ( Fig. 2 ) and the dark form with intense blackish suffusion in medial and subterminal areas of hindwing ( Fig. 1 ). Lemyra elena sp. nov. belongs to the jankowskii-flavalis species-group including five valid species and one subspecies, Lemyra jankowskii jankowskii (Oberthür, 1880) ( Figs 3 , 14 ), Lemyra jankowskii soror ( Leech, 1899) (= vialis Oberthür, 1911 ) ( Figs 4–6 , 15 ), Lemyra heringi ( Daniel, 1943) ( Figs 7 , 16 ), Lemyra flavalis (Moore, [1866]) ( Figs 8 , 17 ), Lemyra punctilinea ( Moore, 1879) ( Figs 9 , 18 ) and Lemyra hanoica ( Daniel, 1953) ( Figs 10 , 19 ) ( Thomas 1990). New species closest relative is L. jankowskii . Externally, L. elena ( Figs 1, 2 ) clearly differs from its relatives ( Figs 3–10 ) by its dark yellow forewing ground colour, dark yellow hindwing with a reddish suffusion at anal margin and often with an intense blackish suffusion in the medial and subterminal part of the wing (the dark form), and by the genitalia structure. Only L. heringi ( Figs 7 , 16 ) is externally similar to L. elena due to its pale yellow hindwings, but can be easily separated by the smaller size, the paler forewing with a conspicuously less pointed apex, the lighter hindwing without a red suffusion at the anal margin, and the much paler abdomen covered with orange scales (whereas in L. elena the abdomen is covered with bright red scales). The male genitalia of L. elena ( Figs 12, 13 ) are similar to those of L. jankowskii ( Figs 14, 15 ) and differ by the narrower apex of uncus, the shorter and apically rounded ventral process of valva, the broader aedeagus, the weaker sclerotized carinal band, the longer ventral cluster of spines in the medial section of vesica, and the longer lateral cluster of spines connecting to the ventral one.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1, 2 , 11 ). Length of wingspan of male 37–40 mm (holotype 39 mm), forewing 16–19 (holotype 19 mm). Male antennae bipectinate. Head and thorax dark yellow; upper side of abdomen bright red, under side pale ochreous, lateral part of abdomen with row of black spots. Forewing ground color dark yellow, pattern pale grayish brown, consists of small subdiscal spot and broad, inclined cross line consisting of spots of different size between veins; cilia dark yellow. Ground color of hindwing dark yellow, slightly paler than that of forewing, with reddish suffusion at anal wing margin; pattern pale grayish brown, consists of short semilunar discal spot and three spots in subterminal area at anal corner (pale form, see fig. 2) or broad dark area in medial, subterminal and partly subbasal areas (dark form, see fig. 1); terminal area and cilia dark yellow. Male genitalia ( Figs 12, 13 ). Uncus robust, trigonal, with strongly narrowed apex and rounded tip; tegumen broad and moderately sclerotized; juxta broad, weakly sclerotized; vinculum large, rectangular with rounded angles. Valva elongated, narrow, slightly broadened and rounded apically, with broad and short, trigonal ventral process situated in distal third of valva rounded apically. Aedeagus long, slightly S-like curved; carina forms long and narrow dorsal band reaching the medial part of vesica; vesica broadened medially, with one small subbasal diverticulum latero-dorsally, and two large clusters of robust spines connected laterally; distal section of vesica nrrowed, conical; vesica ejaculatorius directed dorsally.

Female unknown.

Biology and distribution. Twenty two males were collected at ultraviolet light during single night at early August, 2016 in a Ping Wu County in southwestern Sichuan Province’s Longmen Shan mountain range. The new species was collected at altitudes of approximately 1400 meters in scarce mountain mixed forest, in between small agriculture fields, dominated by various deciduous trees, bamboo and bushes ( Fig. 20 ).

Etymology. The new species is named in honour of Elena Kazyrytskaya (Lida, Belarus), for her deep understanding and support of the entomological activities of the third author.

Figures

FIGURE 11.Lemyra elena, ♂ paratypes,China, ESichuan (ASV).

FIGURES 12–15. Lemyra spp., male genitalia. 12, L. elena, holotype, China, E Sichuan, slide AV4312♂ Volynkin; 13, L. elena, paratype, China, E Sichuan, slide AV4311♂ Volynkin; 14, L. jankowskii jankowskii, ♂, Russian Far East, slide MWM 33786 Volynkin; 15, L.jankowskii soror, China, N Sichuan, slide AV4313♂ Volynkin.

FIGURE 20. China, E Sichuan, 30 km SE from Ping Wu, H-1420 m, N32°20.725’ E104°36.650’, 7.VIII.2016, the type locality of Lemyra elena (photo by A. Saldaitis).

FIGURES1–8.Lemyra spp., adults.1, L. elena, holotype ♂, China, ESichuan (NHMUK); 2, L.elena, paratype♂, China,E Sichuan (NHMUK); 3, L. jankowskii jankowskii, ♂, Russian Far East, Primorye terr. (MWM/ZSM); 4, L. jankowskii soror, ♂, China, N Sichuan (AFM); 5, L. jankowskii soror, syntype ♂, [China, Sichuan, Kangding] Ta-Chien-Lu (©NHMUK); 6, L. jankowskii soror, holotype♂of Diacrisiavialis,[China],easternborder ofTibetPlateau (©NHMUK);7, L.heringi, paratype♂, China,Yunnan,Lijiang (MWM/ZSM);8,L.flavalis, ♂, E Nepal,Milke Danda (MWM/ZSM).

FIGURES 16–19. Lemyraspp., male genitalia. 16, L.heringi, paratype, China, Yunnan,slide MWM 33508 Volynkin; 17, L.flavalis, Nepal, slide MWM 33509 Volynkin; 18, L. punctilinea, Nepal, slide MWM 33906 Volynkin; 19, L. hanoica, holotype, N Vietnam, slide MWM 620 Daniel.

FIGURES 9–10. Lemyra spp., adults. 9, L. punctilinea, ♂, Nepal, Ganesh Himal (MWM/ZSM); 10, L. hanoica, holotype ♂, N Vietnam, Hanoi(MWM/ZSM).