Metachrostis quinaria (Moore, 1881)

V, Ато, 2009, A review of Palaearctic Metachrostis Hübner, [1820] 1816 with description of three new species (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Eublemminae), Zootaxa 2026, pp. 1-17 : 11

Metachrostis quinaria (Moore, 1881)

( Figs. 10 , 40 )

Leptosia quinaria Moore, 1881 , Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1881: 371 (Type-locality: India, Uttar- Pradesh, Allahabad [Type (s): BMNH, London]).

Synonymy. quinaria ab. aperta Warren, 1913, form; quinaria ab. irrorata Warren, 1913, form; quinaria ab. nigrosignata Warren, 1913, form; quinaria ab. rufitincta Warren, 1913, form; quinaria ab. semipallens Warren, 1913, form.

Material examined. 2 ex., Khasis, Nat. Coll., prep. 0 0 42 Matov [coll. ZISP].

Diagnosis. Externally Metachrostis quinaria can be confused only with other darkly colored species of the genus ( M. dardouini , M. hoenei , M. sinevi , M. miasma ). It differs from M. dardouini by the absence of violet tinting to the wings, and from M. sinevi and M. miasma by the absence of a dark shadow on the inner side of the medial line. From M. hoenei it differs by having a paler greyish wing color, darker basal and subbasal areas, a well expressed medial line, and a pale-grey fold between veins A2 and A3 on the hindwing.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 10 ). Wingspan: 18 mm. Head and body brown; wings greyish-brown; basal and subbasal fields brown, darker than background; all crosslines dark-brown; antemedial and postmedial lines thin, bordered by grey line on inner side and outer side; submarginal line very thin with wide grey border on inner and thin grey border on outer side; orbicular brown; reniform brown with dark brown border; subterminal field between postmedial and submarginal lines with waved rufous-brown band. Male genitalia not examined. In female genitalia ( Fig. 40 ) apophyses anteriores 1.5 times shorter than apophyses posteriores; antrum bocal-shaped, with parallel lateral walls; ductus bursae very thin, 1/3 of antrum. According to wing pattern and genitalia this species is close to the miasma -group.

Distribution. North Africa ( Sudan), Middle East ( Yemen), Pakistan, North India.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 16. Metachrostis spp., adults. 9. M. sefidi, North Africa (ZISP); 10. M. quinaria, female, North India (ZISP); 11. M. djakonovi, male, holotype, Kazakhstan, (ZISP); 12. M. djakonovi, male, paratype, Mongolia (ZISP); 13. M. batanga, male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 14. M. batanga, male, China (ZFMK); 15. M. hoenei, male, holotype, China (ZFMK); 16. M. hoenei, male, paratype, China (ZFMK).

FIGURES 37 – 45. Eublemminae spp., female genitalia. 37. Metachrostis dardouini, prep. 0 0 59 Matov, Hungary, Gant (ZISP); 38. M. velox, prep. 0 0 64 Matov, France (ZISP); 39. M. velocior, prep. 0 0 43 Matov, Malta (ZISP); 40. M. quinaria, prep. 0 0 42 Matov, North India (ZISP); 41. M. sinevi, paratype, prep. Dubatolov, in glycerine, Russia, Khabarovsk terr.; 42. Odice arcuinna, prep. 0 0 63 Matov, Hungary (ZISP); 43. Eublemma amoena, prep. 4767 GB, Spain (ZFMK); 44. Eublemma melabela, prep. 0 0 52 Matov (ZISP); 45. Rhypagia lacernaria, prep. 0 0 61 Matov, Spain (ZISP).