Syrastrenopsis panga Zolotuhin & Saldaitis

Saldaitis, Aidas, 2014, A review of the genus Syrastrenopsis Grünberg, 1914 (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae), Zootaxa 3794 (4), pp. 525-535 : 531-534

Syrastrenopsis panga Zolotuhin & Saldaitis , sp. nov.

Figs 14–16

Holotype: ♂, China, N. Sichuan, near Jiuzhaigou, H- 2100 m, 24.ix.2011, N33º18.955’’, E103º55.531’’, Floriani leg. ( MWM).

Paratypes: 5 ♂, the same data like holotypus (coll. Floriani), 2 ♂, 3 ♀, China, N. Sichuan, near Jiuzhaigou, H- 2161 m, 13–17.x.2012, N 29°87.340", E102°30.970", A. Floriani leg. (coll. Floriani);

3 ♀, China, Sichuan Prov., Xiling Shan Mts., 1700 m, 50 km W Dayi, 25.x–7.xi.2006, leg. J. S. Lou ( MWM).

Description. Wingspan 36–37 mm in males and 43–44 mm in female, forewing length 17–17.5 mm in males and 22.5–23 mm in female. Forewings dark pinkish brown; external field contrast covered by pale greyish scales. Both medial fasciae present as dark purple brown, distinct, almost parallel straight slightly diagonal lines, pointed inside with creamy rose scales; external fasciae present as a vague pinkish band, visible by creamy rose inner scales forming wide pale coloured field; external edge pinkish brown; cilia grey-brown; discal spot absent; hindwings the same ground colour, without distinct or prominent pattern; body brownish-cream, darker dorsally; thorax with blackish-brown dorsal line; foretibia with elongated epiphysis (as long as one half of the tibial length in the males and one third in the females—fig. 23). Females similarly patterned but much paler and with yellowish ground color, with weaker purplish saturation.

Male genitalia (fig. 19): similar to other congeners, valva rather narrow, convex, semilunar or sickle-like but with characteristic angled ventral margin and triangularly concave dorsal margin and pointed apex; aedeagus short tubular with curved apical spur; vesica with two zones of point-like scobination.

Female genitalia (fig. 23): Apophyses of eighth sternite about ¼ shorter than that of ninth sternite, both slender and narrow; antevaginal plate weak; postvaginal plate W-shaped; antevaginal as short trapezium; there are some short concentric wrinkles caudally, weak wrinkles around ostium.

Diagnosis. Very dark and contrasting forewings with prominent pale fasciae, and sickle-shaped valvae with angled ventral margins are diagnostic for this species.

Bionomics. Eight males and three females were collected at ultraviolet light from the end of September 2011 to the beginning of October 2012 in the Min Shan mountains. The area (fig. 24) was little known before 1975 and is near the incomparable Jiuzhaigou National Park. The climate in the valley is cool, with a mean annual temperature of 7.2 °C and total annual rainfall of 661 mm, 80% of which occurs between May and October.

Jiuzhaigou's ecosystem is classified as temperate broad-leaved forest and woodlands, with mixed mountain and highland systems. Nearly 300 km ² of the core scenic area are covered by virgin mixed forests and are home to oaks (very abundant local species, shrubby, but with foliage similar to European Q. robur ), endemic varieties of rhododendrons and bamboos, and the endangered giant panda. Other Lasiocampidae species collected there at that time included typical autumnal fliers such as Trabala vishnou (Lefebvre, 1827) , Pyrosis rotundipennis (de Joannis, 1929), Malacosoma insignis de Lajonquière, 1972, and Kunugia undans (Walker, 1855) . Three females were collected between late October and early November, 2006 in the Xiling (Snow) Shan mountains in near proximity to Min Shan, in the same Sichuan Province.

Distribution. So far only known from two mountain localities in Sichuan Province.

Etymology. Panga—mythological progenitor of China.