Ctenoceratoda mallopyga, Varga & Gyulai & Ronkay & Ronkay, 2018

Varga, Zoltán, Gyulai, Péter, Ronkay, Gábor & Ronkay, László, 2018, Review Of The Species Groups Of The Genus Ctenoceratoda Varga, 1992 With Description Of Four New Species And A New Subspecies (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 64 (1), pp. 51-74 : 64-69

Ctenoceratoda mallopyga sp. n.

( Figs 17–20 , 31 , 49, 50 , 60 )

Holotype: male, Pakistan, Karakoram Mts , Naltar valley, 2800 m, 36°09’N, 74°12’E, 30.VI.2000, leg. Z. Varga et G. Ronkay (coll. Z. Varga, Debrecen).

Paratypes. Pakistan. 8 males, 3 females, with the same data as the holotype; 1 female, from the same locality, 7.VII.2000, leg. Z. Varga & G. Ronkay; 1 female, from the same locality, 14.VIII.1998, leg. Z. Varga & G. Ronkay; 1 male, from the same locality, 15.VI.1998, leg. Gy. Fábián & B. Herczig; 1 female, from the same locality, 14.VIII.1998, leg. Z. Varga & G. Ronkay; 5 males, 4 females, from the same locality, 18.VII.1998, leg. G. Csorba & L. Ronkay; 2 males, Karakoram Mts , Naltar valley , 2000 m, N36°09’, E74°10’, 16.VII.1994, leg. B. Herczig, Gy.M. László & G. Ronkay; 21 males, 27 females, Karakoram Mts , Hispar valley, Huru, N36°15’, E74°42’, 23.VII.1994, leg. B. Herczig, Gy.M. László & G. Ronkay; 1 female, Darkot, 10.VIII.1998, leg. Z. Varga & G. Ronkay; 1 male, 1 female, Teru, 14.VII.1994, leg. B. Herczig, Gy.M. László & G. Ronkay (coll. P. Gyulai, G. Ronkay, Z. Varga and HNHM); 4 females , Karakoram Mts , Juglot valley, 2550 m, 26.VII.2011; 20 males , Karakoram Mts , Chaprot village, 2400 m, 29.VI.2014 (coll. P. Gyulai) .

Slide Nos: VZ 7435m, VZ 7494m, VZ 9173m, VZ 9238m, VZ 9245m, VZ 9823m (males), VZ7487f (female).

Diagnosis – Ctenoceratoda mallopyga is on average the largest and the most colourful member of the C. lupa -group (wingspan 43–51 mm) having broad forewing and robust body. Ground colour of body and forewings variably dark whitish-grey, the lighter parts have some bluish shade while the darker parts of the thorax and the forewing are covered with darker graphite-grey scales. The forewing pattern is rather similar throughout the members of the lupa -group but the colouration is not brownish or ochreous as in the closely related C. contempta ( Fig. 20 ), C. lupa ( Fig. 21 ) and C. septemlacustris ( Fig. 22 ) but more bluish or (in worn specimens) slate-grey. The basal part of reniform stigma is more prominently marked with blackish scales than in the related taxa while the claviform stigma is longer and stronger defined with blackish. The crosslines are reduced; the postmedial line is distinctly marked with black arrowheads. Hindwings light grey with darker terminal band.

The male genitalia ( Figs 49, 50 ) are basically similar to those of the related species, but the “head” of the cucullus is relatively larger than in C. contempta , C. septemlacustris and C. lupa ( Figs 51–56 ) and the ampulla is longer and not acute as in the three allied taxa but slightly curved and obtuse terminally.

Distribution and bionomics. The new species occurs in the southern Pamirs (Wakhan valley), the eastern Hindukush (east of the Shandur pass), the Karakoram Mts (type locality) and the western Himalayas. It inhabits the medium-high and higher altitudes (between 2000–2800 m), the moths are local but rather frequent in their habitats.

Figures

Figs 17–24. Ctenoceratoda spp. 17–19 = Ctenoceratoda mallopyga mallopyga sp. n., 17–18 = paratype, male, Pakistan, 19 = paratype, female, Pakistan, Hindukush Mts; 20 = C. contempta (Püngeler, 1914), lectotypel male, [China, Xinjiang] “Ost-Turkestan, Aksu”; 21 = C. septemlacustris Gaal-Haszler, Lödl, Ronkay, Ronkay & Varga, 2012, holotype, male, Afghanistan, Koh-i-Baba Mts; 22 = C. lupa (Christoph, 1893), lectotype, male, [Iran] Hyrcania, Shahkuh; 23–24 = C. mallopyga dyschroa ssp. n., India, Himachal Pradesh: 23 = holotype, male, 24 = paratype, female

Figs 25–32. Ctenoceratoda spp. antennae. 25 = C. persephone sp. n., paratype, male, Mongolia, 26 = C. khorgossi (Alphéraky, 1882), male, Kazakhstan, 27 = C. scotosparsa sp. n., paratype, male, Mongolia, 28 = C. argyrea (Varga, 1992) holotype, male, Mongolia, 29 = C. cyanochrea sp. n., paratype, male, Mongolia, 30 = C. tancrei (Graeser, 1892), male, Kazakhstan, 31 = C. mallopyga mallopyga sp. n., paratype, male, Pakistan, 32 = C. contempta (Püngeler, 1914), male, Kirghisia

Figs 47–52. Ctenoceratoda spp. male genitalia. 47–48 = C. cyanochrea sp. n., paratype, Mongolia, slide No.: RL8644; 49–50 = C. mallopyga mallopyga sp. n., paratype, Pakistan, slide No.: VZ9238; 51–52 = C. contempta (Püngeler, 1914), Semiretshye, slide No.: RL11754

Figs 59–61. Ctenoceratoda spp. female genitalia. 59 = C. cyanochrea sp. n., paratype, Mongolia, slide No.: VZ9507; 60 = C. mallopyga mallopyga sp. n., paratype, Pakistan, slide No.: VZ7487; 61 = C. mallopyga dyschroa sp. n., paratype, India Himachal Pradesh, slide No.: VZ7485