Minigrapta minimoides Matov & Kononenko

V, Ато, 2012, A new genus and species of the tribe Apameini from the Russian Far East (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae: Xyleninae), Zootaxa 3590, pp. 16-22 : 21

Minigrapta minimoides Matov & Kononenko sp. n.

( Figs. 5, 6 , 10 , 14)

Material Examined. Holotype: Male, Primorye terr., Nadezhdinsky distr., Malaya Elduga river, 7.vii.1982 (M.V. Kozlov) ( ZISP). Paratypes: 2 males, 2 females, same data ( ZISP); 1 male, Primorye terr., Khasansky distr., Kedrovaya Pad nature reserve, 16.vii.1959 (A. Zemlina) ( ZISP).

Diagnosis. Externally the new species resembles European Photedes minima , but the male genitalic structures, namely thin, long uncus, lacking of clavus, apically constricted valva and reduced cucullus indicate to its affinity to M. basinigra . It differs from the latter in the straw yellowish coloration of the forewing and the absence of the wing pattern contrast typical of M. basinigra . In male genitalia it differs from M. basinigra in having a slightly spatulate tip of the uncus, more developed lateral lobes of the tegumen (peniculi), presence of a short vestigial harpe, a smaller cucullus and structure of aedeagus and shape and arming of vesica. M. minimoides differs from allopatric Ph. minima by thin and long uncus, two times as long as Ph. minima , shape of juxta, lacking of clavus (strong in Ph. minima ), apically constricted valva (constricted medially and extended apically in Ph. minima ), reduced cucullus and presence of vestigial harpe. The female genitalia differ from both species by shape of ovipositor, smaller pointed papillae anales, shorter apophyses posteriores and anteriores, rather large funnel-like antrum and presence of a cervix bursae.

Description. Adult ( Fig. 5, 6 ). Wingspan 18–20 mm. Head and thorax covered with straw-yellowish scales; forewing coloration straw-yellowish, wing pattern weak, consisting of brownish lines and marks on costal area. Basal, subbasal and antemedial field monotonous straw-yellowish; medial field somewhat darker, suffused with brownish scales; antemedial line indistinct, clearly marked in costal area; postmedial line more distinct, a blackish mark in the costal area, bulging outward towards the middle, dentate along the veins; orbicular spot not expressed, reniform indistinct, darker than background, quadrangular, with two blackish dots; subterminal field strawbrownish, darker outward; subterminal line marked in costal area as dark dash; terminal field somewhat darker than subterminal; terminal line dark brown; cilia blackish-brown. Hindwing yellowish-grey, with darker terminal line; cilia brown, with pale yellowish-grey inner border. Female with indistinct wing pattern. Male genitalia. ( Fig. 10 ). Uncus slightly bifurcate at tip; tegumen with large lateral lobes; juxta as vertical plate, extended basally; valva relatively narrow, gradually constricted apically; sacculus without clavus; costa strong, sclerotised; clasper positioned longitudinally, harpe small, weak, positioned in apical third of valva; cucullus small, more or less triangular, covered with dense setae. Aedeagus straight, relatively massive, vesica tubular, recurved, with single long cornutus. Female genitalia. (Fig. 14). Papillae anales strongly sclerotised, pointed, smaller and narrower than in M. basinigra ; apophyses posteriores and anteriores moderate, almost equal in length, strong; antrum funnel-like, sclerotised; ductus bursae short; corpus bursae elongate, sack-like, with small membranous cervix.

Etymology. The name minimoides reflects the external similarity of the new Far Eastern species to the western Palaearctic Photedes minima .

Distribution and bionomics. The species is known only from two localities in the south of Primorye territory: Kedrovaya Pad reserve and Malaya Elduga river. Adults were collected at light in July in the wet valley of a small river in the belt of Manchurian mixed-broadleaf forest.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Imagines and male genitalia. 1. Pyralis trilatalis, female, HT. North India (NHM); 2. Ditto, male genitalia, prep. NHM; 3. Minigrapta basinigra, male, Russia, Primorye; 4. Ditto, female; 5. M. minimoides, male, HT, Russia, Primorye, ZISP; 6. Ditto, female, PT, ZISP; 7. Photedes captiuncula, male, Denmark; 8. Ph. minima, male, Denmark.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Male genitalia. 9. Minigrapta basinigra, Russia, Primorye, genit. prep. AM. ZISP; 10. M. minimoides, male, HT, Russia, Primorye, genit. prep. AM, ZISP; 11. Photedes captiuncula, Denmark, genit. prep. 4925 MF, ZMUC; 12. Ph. minima, Denmark, genit. prep. 5055 MF, ZMCU.