Agalope owadai, Huang & Zhu & Chen & Xu & Wang & Fan & Pan & Espeland, 2022

Huang, Si-Yao, Zhu, Li-Juan, Chen, En-Yong, Xu, Yong-Qiang, Wang, Min, Fan, Xiao-Ling, Pan, Zhao-Hui & Espeland, Marianne, 2022, Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Agalope Walker from mainland China with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae, Chalcosiinae), Zootaxa 5165 (4), pp. 557-574 : 565

Agalope owadai S.-Y. Huang sp. n.

( Figs 11–15 , 39–42 , 45–48 , 59 )

Type material. Holotype: male, 27.VII.2021, 96°9′43″E, 29°42′28″N, altitude 3177 m, Songzong Town , Bomi County, Linzhi City , Xizang Autonomous Region, P. R. China, slide ZSY222 ( CHSY, will be subsequently deposited in SCAU) . Paratype: 20 males, same data as the holotype, slide BMAG1 ( CHSY) ; 1 male, 27.VII.2017, Taohuagou ( Peach flower Valley ), Bomi County, Linzhi City , Xizang Autonomous Region, P. R . China, Fu-hong Wei & Shi-fang Mo leg. ( SCAU) ; 6 males, 5 females, 20.VII.2021, Tongmai, Bomi County, Linzhi City , Xizang Autonomous Region, P. R . China, Xue-wen Zhao leg., slides TMAG1 (male) and TMAG2 (female) ( CHSY) ; 3 males, 10.VIII.2018, Zhongyu Town, Jiali County, Naqu City , Xizang Autonomous Region, P. R . China, slides JLAG1 & JLAG2 ( CHSY) .

Diagnosis. Length forewing 21.5–25.8 mm in male (25.6 mm in holotype) and 25–28.7 mm in female. In general A. owadai sp. n. is reminiscent of A. aurelia ( Figs 16–20 , 43, 44 , 49, 50 , 60 ) from Yunnan, China, but it can be easily distinguished from the latter by the combination of the following characters: 1) darkish pattern of forewing from the postmedial to marginal section of the wing is paler and less contrasting with the ground color; 2) lobes of the bifurcate juxta are covered by larger spinules laterally and dorsally ( Figs 45–48 ); while in A. aurelia they are covered by smaller spinules laterally and much lesser and smaller ones dorsally ( Figs 49, 50 ); 3) aedeagus is significantly more slender medially and distally; 4) corpus bursae is much smaller with signa weakly sclerotized, smaller and obsolete, while in A. aurelia the corpus bursae is much larger with signum strongly sclerotized, larger and prominent. Agalope owadai sp. n. is also superficially similar to A. chayuensis sp. n. described above and the comparison has been made in the diagnosis of the former species.

Distribution. Known from Bomi ( Fig. 67 ) and Jiali Counties in Southeastern and Eastern Xizang, P. R. China.

Etymology. The specific epithet owadai is dedicated to the Japanese lepidopterologist Dr. Mamoru Owada, who is also an expert in the taxonomy of Chalcosiinae and encouraged the first author to continue his study on this intriguing subfamily.

Remarks. Individual variation in the male genitalia of A. owadai sp. n. has been observed in the depth of the notch at the distal end of uncus and juxta, length of the juxta and the distal saccular process as well as the size and shape of posterior tegumenal projection. However, externally these individuals are uniform in wing pattern, and the aedeagi are also rather constant, which lead us to consider all of them conspecific.

Figures

FIGURES 11–20. Adults of Agalope spp. 11, Agalope owadai sp. n., male, HT, Bomi, Xizang, ZSY222 (CHSY); 12, ditto, male, PT, Bomi, Xizang, BMAG1 (CHSY); 13, ditto, male, PT, Tongmai, Xizang, TMAG1 (CHSY); 14, ditto, male, PT, Jiali, Xizang, JLAG1 (CHSY); 15, ditto, female, PT, Tongmai, Xizang, TMAG2 (CHSY); 16, A. aurelia, male, Gongshan, Yunnan, (CHSY); 17, ditto, GSAG1 (CHSY); 18, ditto, female, Dulongjiang, Yunnan, DLJAG1 (CHSY); 19, ditto, male, syntype, Bahand, Yunnan (NHMUK), by courtesy of Dr. Mamoru Owada; 20, ditto, female, syntype, Bahand, Yunnan (NHMUK), by courtesy of Dr. Mamoru Owada.

FIGURES 39–44. Male genitalia of Agalope spp. 39, Agalope owadai sp. n., HT, slide ZSY222; 40, ditto, PT, slide TMAG1; 41, ditto, PT, slide BMAG1; 42, ditto, PT, slide JLAG1; 43, A. aurelia, slide GSAG1; 44, ditto, slide GSAG2.

FIGURES 45–50. Magnified images of juxta of Agalope spp. 45, Agalope owadai sp. n., HT, slide ZSY222; 46, ditto, PT, slide TMAG1; 47, ditto, PT, slide BMAG1; 48, ditto, PT, slide JLAG1; 49, A. aurelia, slide GSAG1; 50, ditto, slide GSAG2.

FIGURES 57–61. Female genitalia of Agalope spp. 57, Agalope haoi sp. n., PT, slide ZSY221; 58, A. wangi, PT, slide NS- MT2167f#, after Owada (1992) with corpus bursae outlined by black; 59, A. owadai sp. n., PT, slide TMAG2; 60, A. aurelia, slide DLJAG1; 61, A. lucia, slide GSAG3. Arrows in figs 57 and 58 indicating the 8th tergite.

FIGURES 62–67. Habitats and living adult of Agalope spp. in P.R. China. 62, Pianma, Lushui, Western Yunnan; 63, Samage, Weixi, Northwestern Yunnan; 64, Gongshan, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Western Yunnan; 65, living adult of A. aurelia, resting on leaves, Gongshan; 66, Longgu Village, Chayu, Southeastern Xizang; 67, Taohuagou, Bomi, Southeastern Xizang.