Ammatho Walker, 1855

Volynkin, Anton V., Huang, Si-Yao & Ivanova, Maria S., 2019, An overview of genera and subgenera of the Asura / Miltochrista generic complex (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae). Part 1. Barsine Walker, 1854 sensu lato, Asura Walker, 1854 and related genera, with descriptions of twenty new genera, ten new subgenera and a check list of taxa of the Asura / Miltochrista generic complex, Ecologica Montenegrina 26, pp. 14-92 : 19-22

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.37828/em.2019.26.3

publication LSID

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:86F17262-17A8-40FF-88B9-2D4552A92F12

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/162E865C-26AA-48D3-9056-4205B4D2B6D5

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:162E865C-26AA-48D3-9056-4205B4D2B6D5

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Ammatho Walker, 1855
status

stat. nov.

Genus Ammatho Walker, 1855 View in CoL , stat. nov.

( Figs 5–20 View Figures 1–16 View Figures 17–30 , 106–114 View Figures 104–107 View Figures 108–111 View Figures 112–115 , 162–169 View Figures 160–165 View Figures 166–173 )

Ammatho Walker, 1855 , List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum 3: 759

(Type species: Ammatho cuneonotatus Walker, 1855 , by subsequent designation by Kirby (1892).

Diagnosis. Members of the genus are significantly various in size, wing colouration and pattern, and in genitalia structures as well. However, the genus is defined here by the combination of the following genital features. Male genitalia: (1) medial costal process is present and well-developed; (2) costa is protruding beyond the medial costal process and forms a distal process (absent in the subgenus Composine ); (3) distal membranous lobe of valva is present, well-developed (only in the subgenus Delineatia it is relatively small); (4) aedeagus vesica with a number of short diverticula bearing fields of granulation, numerous short but robust cornuti or, very rarely, short spinules (some species of Striatella ). Female genitalia: (5) ductus bursae consists of a large and heavily sclerotised antrum and a short membranous anterior section (the latter is absent in Rugosine ); (6) corpus bursae has dense spinulose scobination (that is very weak in Composine ) and lacks spines, robust denticles or sclerotised plates; (7) appendix bursae is well-developed, situated postero-laterally, directed laterally or anteriorly, membranous, sometimes with spinulose scobination basally (fully scobinated in Conicornuta ).

Distribution. The genus is widely distributed in the Oriental tropics, reaching the Maluku Islands in the east. Some species are known from China also.

Subgenus Ammatho Walker, 1855 , stat. nov. ( Figs 5, 6 View Figures 1–16 , 106 View Figures 104–107 , 162 View Figures 160–165 )

Diagnosis. Species of the nominate subgenus are the largest within the genus and have forewing pattern similar to that of some species of Cyme (especially, the C. euprepioides species-group). Male genitalia are characterised by the combination of the following important characters: (1) medial costal process is large, elongated; (2) distal costal process is relatively small, thorn-like; (3) distal membranous lobe of valva is large, elongated; (4) juxta is trapezoidal, consisting of two crest-like sclerotised plates connected by a membrane (similar to that of Cyme ); (5) aedeagus vesica has a large ventral diverticulum bearing several small subdiverticula. In some species aedeagus bears a cluster of dentation distally. Female genitalia are characterised by the large and weakly scobinated basally appendix bursae directed anteriorly or lateroanteriorly.

Distribution. Ammatho is the most widespread subgenus known from Sri Lanka and India through Indochina and Sundaland to the Maluku Islands; also present in the Philippines, but absent in the Palaearctic Region.

Number of species. The nominate subgenus comprises 14 valid species.

Subgenus Ammathella Volynkin , subgen. nov. https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:162E865C-26AA-48D3-9056-4205B4D2B6D5 ( Figs 7, 8 View Figures 1–16 , 107 View Figures 104–107 , 163 View Figures 160–165 )

Type species: Barsine garo Volynkin, 2018.

Etymology. The diminutive suffix ‘ella’ refers to the relatively small size of subgenus members in comparison with the nominate sudgenus. Gender feminine.

Diagnosis. Members of the new subgenus are most similar externally to members of the genus Moorasura and not Ammatho s. str. Their male genitalia clearly show all key features of the genus, especially Ammatho s. str., but are characterised by the following features unique within the genus: (1) medial costal process is weakly sclerotised, short, strongly broadened basally and slightly swollen (whereas in Ammatho s. str. that process is elongated, flattened and heavily sclerotised); (2) distal costal process small and apically rounded (that is thorn-like in Ammatho s. str.). In addition, juxta of Ammathella bears a well sclerotised medial process (whereas in Ammatho s. str. the juxta consists of two crest-like sclerotised plates connected by a membrane. Among other members of the genus Ammatho the similar process is present in some species of the subgenus Striatella (the zebrina species-group) only. Female genitalia are similar to those of Ammatho s. str. but have lateral ostial ligula, the character unique within the generic complex. Appendix bursae is smaller than in Ammatho s. str. and directed latero-inwards, whereas in Ammatho s. str. that is large and directed anteriorly.

Distribution. The subgenus is known from northeastern India and North Myanmar.

Number of species. Up to date, two valid species of Ammathella are known ( Volynkin 2018a).

Subgenus Composine Volynkin , subgen. nov. https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:56FA9BFA-67EE-4DB2-88BC-4F531E6B5BAB ( Figs 9, 10 View Figures 1–16 , 108 View Figures 108–111 , 164 View Figures 160–165 )

Type species: Sesapa complicata Butler, 1877 .

Etymology. The subgenus name is a combination of the species name complicata and the generic name Barsine . Gender feminine.

Diagnosis. The only known species of the subgenus is most similar to members of the subgenus Barsipennis of the genus Ovipennis and some Miltochrista species as well. However, according to the male and female genitalia structures, it definitely belongs to the genus Ammatho . The male genitalia of Composine are most similar to those of the subgenus Striatella , but differ by the absence of a distal costal process, the feature unique within the genus Ammatho , but found in some other genera. The female genitalia of Composine differ from those of other subgenera by the absence of spinulose scobination of corpus and appendix bursae and the presence of a band-like segmented sclerotised band covered with small denticles (similar structures are found in the genus Ovipennis ).

Distribution. Sundaland.

Number of species. The subgenus is monobasic.

Subgenus Idopterum Hampson, 1894 , stat. nov. ( Figs 11, 12 View Figures 1–16 , 109 View Figures 108–111 , 165 View Figures 160–165 )

Idopterum Hampson, 1894 , The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Moths) 2: 103 (Type species:

Idopterum ovale Hampson, 1894 , by original designation).

Diagnosis. The type species of the subgenus has an unusual monotonous brown wing colouration with yellow suffusion, while pattern elements common within the generic complex are not developed. The ground plan of its male genital capsule and aedeagus vesica are similar to those of the subgenus Striatella , but in Idopterum the distal costal process is extremely long, and the juxta has swollen and shortly dentate lateral lobes. The latter feature is unique within the generic complex, but female genitalia of Idopterum have no significant differences from those of the subgenera Striatella and Delineatia therefore here we consider Idopterum to be a subgenus of Ammatho and not a separated genus.

Distribution. Indochina, Java and the Bismarck Archipelago.

Number of species. Besides the type species, three other taxa were originally described as members of Idopterum and had an unclear generic placement. Idopterum milani Černý, 2009 is transferred herein to the genus Barsilene . Two other species, A. (Idopterum) admirabilis (Schaus, 1922) , comb. nov. and A. (Idopterum) novaepommeraniae ( Strand, 1922) , comb. nov. remain unstudied by us and their subgeneric and generic placement is provisional and needs further clarification.

Subgenus Striatella Volynkin & Huang , subgen. nov. https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4C0B635A-B6DF-4516-828F-E0C5A8CECD3A ( Figs 13, 14 View Figures 1–16 , 110 View Figures 108–111 , 166 View Figures 166–173 )

Type species: Lithosia hypoprepioides Walker, 1862 .

Etymology. ‘Striatus’ means ‘striped’ in Latin; the diminutive suffix ‘ella’ refers to the small size of subgenus members. Gender feminine.

Diagnosis. Small or, rarely, medium-sized moths. Most members of the subgenus have whitish or yellowish colouration with blackish ‘miltochristoid’ pattern. The male and female genitalia of the new subgenus are very similar to those of Ammatho s. str. However, in the male genitalia of Striatella , the juxta is entire, shield- or plate-like, whereas that of Ammatho s. str. is trapezoidal, consisting of two crest-like sclerotised plates connected by a membrane. In addition, in Striatella the distal membranous lobe of valva is shorter and not so well separated than that of Ammatho s. str., and the aedeagus vesica has no large ventral diverticulum bearing several small subdiverticula, which is characteristic for Ammatho s. str. The female genitalia of Striatella differ from those of Ammatho s. str. by the more robust spinulose scobination of corpus and appendix bursae. In addition, in most species of Striatella a signum bursae is present, while in Ammatho s. str. it is absent.

Distribution. The subgenus Striatella is widely distributed from Nepal and northeastern India through southern Mainland China, Hainan and Taiwan Islands, Indochina and Greater Sundas to the Philippines and the island of Sulawesi. It is absent from South India, Sri Lanka, and the Lesser Sundas east of Bali.

Number of species. Currently the subgenus comprises 55 species and one subspecies. Most species of the subgenus have been reviewed by Volynkin et al. (2019a) as members of ‘the Barsine hypoprepioides species-group’ and its allies. Here we additionally include several other species to the subgenus and exclude ‘Barsine’ salakia , which is placed into the separated subgenus due to its unique male and female genitalia structures.

Subgenus Conicornuta Volynkin , subgen. nov. https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:ACC697A5-1369-42D6-9428-104D4F89079B ( Figs 15, 16 View Figures 1–16 , 111 View Figures 108–111 , 167 View Figures 166–173 )

Type species: Miltochrista convexa Wileman, 1910 .

Etymology. The subgenus name refers to its large conical cornuti in aedeagus vesica. Gender feminine.

Diagnosis. Small moths with red colouration and black pattern. Externally, the only known species of the subgenus is similar to species of the subgenus Delineatia and the genera Integrivalvia and Albarrania , but, according to its male and female genitalia structures, clearly belongs to the genus Ammatho . Its male genital capsule is very similar to that of Striatella , but, however, is characterised by the presence of a short medial saccular process, a feature making Conicornuta similar to the genus Melanaema and the nominate subgenus of Sarbine . Nevertheless, valva of Conicornuta has a large medial costal process directed ventrally, whereas in Melanaema and Sarbine (Sarbine) that is absent. In addition, the vesica of Conicornuta bears 2–3 large conical cornuti, whereas in Melanaema and Sarbine (Sarbine) vesici bear clusters of numerous short but robust cornuti, and/or fields of granulation and patches of small spinules. This feature also separates Conicornuta from all other subgenera of Ammatho . The female genitalia of Conicornuta are dissimilar to those of Melanaema and are clearly similar to other subgenera of Ammatho , but differ from them by the presence of a lateral sclerotised protrusion of the posterior section of corpus bursae being densely covered with robust spinules, a feature considering here to be autapomorphic.

Distribution. The only known species of the subgenus is an endemic of Taiwan Island.

Number of species. The subgenus is monobasic.

Subgenus Delineatia Volynkin & Huang , subgen. nov. https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3431D68D-C1EA-4F21-8C3C-52CB9A2B0462 ( Figs 17, 18 View Figures 17–30 , 112, 113 View Figures 112–115 , 168 View Figures 166–173 )

Type species: Hypoprepia delineata Walker, 1854 .

Etymology. The subgenus name is derived from its type species name. Gender feminine.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized moths with red colouration and black pattern. Externally, members of the subgenus are similar to species of the subgenus Conicornuta and the genera Integrivalvia and Albarrania . Male genitalia are characterised by (1) the densely serrulate anellus; (2) the small medial costal process at very long and narrow, lobe-like base (an autapomorphic feature); (3) very large and heavily sclerotised distal costal process bearing several denticles or short prominences; (4) very small distal membranous lobe of valva; (5) strongly setose sacculus; (6) narrow vesica with short diverticula bearing clusters of very small spine-like cornuti or granulation. Female genitalia structure is typical for the genus Ammatho and is characterised by (1) very broad but narrow postvaginal plate; (2) cup-like antrum and very short anterior membranous section of corpus bursae; (3) weakly scobinated posterior section of corpus bursae; (4) membranous anterior section of corpus bursae without signa.

Distribution. Northern Indochina, Mainland China and Taiwan Island.

Number of species. The genus comprises two valid species reviewed by Volynkin & Černý (2017a).

Subgenus Rugosine Volynkin , subgen. nov. https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8832D267-4272-435F-8DCB-72F1248D877B ( Figs 19, 20 View Figures 17–30 , 114 View Figures 112–115 , 169 View Figures 166–173 )

Type species: Miltochrista salakia Schaus, 1922 .

Etymology. The subgenus name is a combination of the word ‘rugose’ (a reference to the strongly rugose ductus bursae of the type species) and the generic name Barsine . Gender feminine.

Diagnosis. Small moths with white colouration and black pattern. Externally the only known species of the subgenus is similar to numerous whitish specimens of the subgenus Striatella , but clearly differs from them by its male and female genitalia structure. The male genital capsule is similar to that of Striatella , but the two following unique features are characteristic for the subgenus: (1) the manica bears two very large trigonal lobes densely covered with numerous spinules; and (2) the medial costal process is heavily sclerotised, plate-like, rectangular. The female genitalia structure is unique for the generic complex and is characterised by the very broad, heavily sclerotised and rugose ductus bursae, whose rugose sclerotisation asymmetrically protrudes to the right side of the posterior section of corpus bursae. Signum bursae is present. Appendix bursae is small, membranous.

Distribution. Sumatra, Java and Bali Islands.

Number of species. The subgenus is monobasic.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Erebidae

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