Naarda ardeola, Toth, Balazs & Ronkay, Laszlo, 2014

Toth, Balazs & Ronkay, Laszlo, 2014, Revision of the Palaearctic and Oriental species of the genus Naarda Walker, 1866 (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Hypeninae). Part 3. Description of three new species from Asia, Nota Lepidopterologica 37 (1), pp. 9-18 : 11-12

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Erebidae

Naarda ardeola sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 7, 8

Holotype.

♂, 'Thailand: Prov. Chiang Mai | between Chiang Dao and Kariang, 900 m | 99°48'E, 19°25'N, 26.x.2002 | leg. B. Herczig & G. Ronkay’ slide No. RL7898m (coll. HNHM).

Paratypes.

Thailand: 2♀, data as holotype, slide No. TB398f; 1♀, 'Prov. Chiang Mai | 1600m, between Fang and Nor Lae | 99°09'E, 20°02'N, 28.x.2002 | leg. B. Herczig & G. Ronkay’ (coll. HNHM); 1♀, '50 km NW Mae Hong-Son | by Shan, 800 m, 14.vii.2003 | leg. M. Fibiger’ slide No. TB424f (coll. HNHM).

Description.

Wingspan 20-21 mm, length of forewing 10-11 mm. Antennae bipectinate in male but apical segments lack rami, filiform and ciliate in female; longest male rami at mid third, 9 times longer than diameter of flagellum, rami with cilia as long as diameter of flagellum; in female each segment with two cilia as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palps similar in both sexes; their length 5 times diameter of eyes; 3rd segment relatively long and narrow, its tip pointed, light; 2nd segment broad, dorsal scales long, their length descending towards tip. Scale-hood of vertex broad, tapering, in male relatively long, apically slightly bifurcate, in female long, its tip rounded. Base of male forewing with scent-organ built up of long, hairy scales. Characteristic wing pattern features: forewing costa minutely concave in male; pattern similar in both sexes: ground colour light brown, subterminal line slightly paler, slightly sinuous, with some blackish dots at inner side; postmedial line slightly darker than ground colour, indistinct; reniform stigma big, oval, deep ochreous, hardly visible, with small blackish dot at bottom section; orbicular stigma also deep ochreous, indistinct. Hindwing slightly paler than forewing, with slightly more conspicuous fasciae.

Male genitalia (Fig. 1). Uncus relatively long, straight, tapering, its tip rounded, basal part containing globular bulb with short spine close to elongate part of uncus, and a hairy area oppositely. Scaphium very short, straight. Tegumen longer than vinculum. Transtilla enormously wide; its basal part is the broadest in the genus. Saccus not visible. Base of valva narrow; valva slightly tapering, its tip very narrow, rounded. Sacculus wide, short, distally fused with the homogeneous fused structure constructing the apical two-thirds of valva. Phallus elongate, straight, not tapering; carina with two narrow, curved processes; vesica oval, smooth, with long, broad diverticulum and strong, straight cornutus with rounded tip.

Female genitalia (Fig. 2). Ovipositor lobes slightly elongate, angular. Apophyses quite broad and long, apophyses posteriores 1.3 times longer than apophyses anteriores. Lamella antevaginalis short, angular. Sinus very short and wide. Sternum A7 with two strongly sclerotised narrow bands laterally from ostium, and a proximally located sclerotised triangular field. Ductus bursae short, membranous, colliculum small. Corpus bursae elongate, not tapering, with dense scobination except for a dorsal area.

Diagnosis.

The external appearance of Naarda ardeola is nearly unique: it can only be confused with Naarda pocstamasi sp. n., although the ground colour of Naarda ardeola is somewhat more yellowish, and the transverse lines are less conspicuous than in the latter taxon. The male genitalia of Naarda ardeola differ from those of Naarda pocstamasi by the more angular basal bulge and the slightly broader elongate section of the uncus, the longer and considerably narrower valva, and the more simple structure of the vesica of phallus, with shorter and narrower cornutus. The very elongate valvae in the male genitalia are somewhat similar to those of Naarda serra Holloway, 2008, but the other characters are very different: the basal part of uncus is much broader, with a bulb which is absent in Naarda serra , the scaphium is much shorter, and the base of transtilla is much broader. The penicular processes, being typical of Naarda serra , are absent in Naarda ardeola . The apical half of the valva is made of different structures: in Naarda ardeola it is the complete fusion of costa, cucullus and harpe, while in Naarda serra this part is the free cucullus.

Etymology.

The heron-shaped male genitalia inspired the specific name.

Distribution.

The species is known from the mountains of northern Thailand.