Pieris ajaka Moore, 1865

Das, Gaurab Nandi, Eitschberger, Ulf, Singh, Navneet & Chandra, Kailash, 2021, A new species of the genus Pieris Schrank, 1801 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae: Pierinae) with taxonomic notes on the Pieris napi group from India, Zootaxa 5004 (4), pp. 501-520 : 507-508

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5004.4.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1F52E880-A352-4949-A937-802A462D9689
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03AE8788-A07C-DD1C-FF56-F91C1054FAA2
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Pieris ajaka Moore, 1865
status

Treatment

( Figs 7, 8 View FIGURES 7–16 , 18 View FIGURES 17–21 , 23 View FIGURES 22–27 , 29 View FIGURES 28–30 , 34 View FIGURES 31–39 , 43 View FIGURES 40–48 , 52 View FIGURES 49–57 , 60 View FIGURES 58–64 , 68 View FIGURES 65–73 , 76 View FIGURES 74–81 , 84 View FIGURES 84–85 )

Pieris ajaka Moore, 1865: 490 (Type locality: “Lower Kunawur”). Winhard, 2000: 29. Tshikolovets & Pagés, 2016: 93. Tadokoro et al., 2017: 90.

Pieris melete Ménétriés, 1857 ; Mackinnon & de Nicéville, 1898: 590.

Pieris napi race. melete var. ajaka Moore ; Bingham, 1907: 173.

Pieris melete ajaka Moore ; Verity, 1908 –1911: 140, 166, 331.

Pieris ajaka f. ajanta Röber, 1907: 48.

Pieris melete ajaka Moore ; Fruhstorfer, 1910: 140.

Pieris napi ajaka Moore ; Evans, 1932: 67. Talbot, 1939: 420. Mani, 1986: 55.

Pieris napi f. ajanta Röber; Talbot, 1939: 420.

Pieris napi race. ajaka Moore ; Wynter-Blyth, 1957: 432.

Pieris ajaka ajaka Moore ; Eitschberger, 1983: 409.

Material examined. India, Uttarakhand: 1♂, Pithoragarh, Askot Wildlife Sanctuary, Syuni , 2360 m, 29.ix.2017, leg. Sanyal, Gayen & Das (gen. aest.) (28715/ H9 , NZCZSI) ; 1♀, Uttarkashi, Taluka , 2061 m, 23.x.2017, leg. Sanyal, Gayen & Das (gen. aest.) (28716/ H9 , NZCZSI) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length: Male: 28.52 mm (n = 1); Female: 26.87 mm (n = 1). Summer form (gen. aest.) ( Figs 7, 8 View FIGURES 7–16 ). P. ajaka can be easily distinguished from its close relatives of the P. napi group ( P. melaina , and P. erutae ) by the presence of less diffused black veins. In female, the discal spots of P. ajaka are more prominent and less dusted compared with its relatives.

Spring form (gen. vern.). The spring form is comparatively smaller in size than the summer form, with narrow pale black markings. It can be easily distinguished from P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. in less suffused veins.

Male genitalia ( Figs 34 View FIGURES 31–39 , 43 View FIGURES 40–48 , 52 View FIGURES 49–57 , 60 View FIGURES 58–64 , 68 View FIGURES 65–73 ). Closely similar to that of P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. and P. melaina , and compact in size in comparison to P. erutae . The length ratio between uncus and tegumen is 5: 5 in the four Indian species ( P. tadokoroi , sp. nov., P. ajaka , P. melaina and P. erutae ), but tegumen is weakly waved in lateral view in P. ajaka , P. melaina and P. erutae , whereas it is flat in P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. Valva is compact in P. tadokoroi , sp. nov., P. ajaka and P. melaina in comparison to P. erutae , but is more or less rounded in P. ajaka and P. melaina whereas it is parallelogram in P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. and variable in P. erutae . Phallus is comparatively longer in P. melaina (1.6 mm) followed by P. erutae (1.39–1.41 mm), P. ajaka (1.34 mm) and P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. (1.3 mm). In P. ajaka and P. tadokoroi , sp. nov., juxta is weakly sclerotized and bears with long arms but robust in P. melaina and variable in P. erutae .

Female genitalia ( Fig. 84 View FIGURES 84–85 ). Papilla analis is nearly oval shaped in P. ajaka , P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. and P. melaina , whereas, almost spherical in P. erutae . Corpus bursae is globular in P. ajaka , P. melaina and P. erutae , and balloon shaped in P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. The inner genital plate is bilobed whereas, the upper lobe is stocky and blunt in P. ajaka , P. melaina and P. erutae , which is slender and acute in P. tadokoroi , sp. nov.

Androconia ( Fig. 76 View FIGURES 74–81 ). Androconia of P. ajaka are closely similar to that of P. tadokoroi , sp. nov., P. melaina and P. erutae , but can be distinguished by having larger scent gland with average width of 41 μm, followed by P. melaina (average 34.3 μm), P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. (average 31.8 μm) and P. erutae (average 23.6 μm). But, the lamina length of P. ajaka is relatively shorter (average length 130.7 μm) than in P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. (average 137.5 μm), P. melaina (average 140.5 μm) and P. erutae (average 152.1 μm).

Distribution. North-West Pakistan to Kumaon Himalaya.

Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Ericales
Family	Ericaceae
Genus	Pieris