Katha portokaloftera, Volynkin, 2022

Volynkin, Anton V., 2022, Two new peculiar species of the genus Katha Moore from China (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Ecologica Montenegrina 59, pp. 92-100 : 95-99

Katha portokaloftera sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5F985C1A-2ACF-4964-AB89-6A3D7FB98FEE

( Figs 4–6 , 17 , 22 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 4 , 17 ): male, [ China, western Sichuan Province, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Huoqu River ] “ Tibet | Menia | Hotschu- Fluss | 2500–3000m Juni-August” / “Rothschild | Bequest | B.M. 1939-1.” / QR- code label with unique number: “ NHMUK010292498 ” / “Slide | NHMUK014331128 ” ( NHMUK).

Paratypes: 1 male, 1 female, the same data as in the holotype, unique number: NHMUK010292499 & gen. prep. No: NHMUK014331129 (female) ( NHMUK).

Note. Huoqu (=Hotschu) River is a small tributary of the Yalongjiang River in Sichuan Province of China. The type locality “Menia” is probably situated south of Yajiang County of Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the area between Yalongjiang Range and Huoqu Range (S.-Y. Huang, pers. comm.) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 22.0–23.5 mm in males and 25.0 mm in the female. Both sexes of

K. portokaloftera sp. n. ( Figs 4–6 ) are similar to K. pratti sp. n. ( Fig 1–3 ) but the male of the new species has a somewhat straighter costa than in the congener, whereas the female differs from K. pratti sp. n. in the posteriorly more convex costal margin of the forewing, similar to K. nigropoda ( Fig. 10 ), from which, however, the female of K. portokaloftera sp. n. differs clearly in the deep orange colouration of the body and both wings, which is pale ochreous-yellow in the aforementioned congener. The male genital capsule of K. portokaloftera sp. n. ( Fig. 17 ) differs from K. pratti sp. n. ( Figs 13, 14 ) in the markedly broader valva with a longer and more gradually distally tapered distal saccular process. The phallus of the new species is shorter and narrower than in K. pratti sp. n. (in proportion to the genital capsule size). The vesica configuration of K. portokaloftera sp. n. is significantly different from K. pratti sp. n. and most similar to K. magnata ( Fig. 18 ), from which the new species differs in the broader proximal section of the vesica lacking the subbasal diverticulum but bearing an area of graniculi, the markedly longer 1 st medial diverticulum, the broader 2 nd medial diverticulum, and the markedly shorter distal section of the vesica with a somewhat longer 1 st distal diverticulum, and the longer and narrower 2 nd distal diverticulum bearing a serrulate sclerotised terminal plate whereas in K. magnata , the 2 nd distal diverticulum is distally heavily granulose. The female genitalia of K. portokaloftera sp. n. ( Fig. 22 ) are vaguely reminiscent of K. pratti sp. n. ( Fig. 19 ) but distinguished by the presence of the second sclerotised and rugose postero-lateral diverticulum of the corpus bursae positioned medially-posteriorly, the shorter and sack-like corpus bursae (it is anteriorly tapered in the congener), and the ductus seminalis originating from the sclerotised and rugose appendix bursae positioned postero-laterally on the left side whereas in K. pratti sp. n., the appendix bursae is vestigial and the ductus seminalis originates anteriorly-laterally from the corpus bursae.

Distribution. The new species is currently known only from its type locality in western Sichuan Province of China.

Etymology. The specific epithet originates from the Greek ‘πορτοκαλόφτερος’ meaning ‘orange winged’ and refers to the external appearance of the new species.

Figures

Figures 1–8. Katha spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1 and 3–8 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 2 in MWM/ZSM

Figures 16–18. Katha spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 16 and 17 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 18 in MWM/ZSM.

Figures 19–23. Katha spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 19–22 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 23 in MWM/ZSM.

Figures 9–12. Katha spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 9 and 10 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 11 and 12 in MWM/ZSM.

Figures 13–15. Katha spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 13 and 15 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 12 in MWM/ZSM.