Squamosa medogensis, Wu & Solovyev & Han, 2022

Wu, Jun, Solovyev, Alexey V. & Han, Hui-Lin, 2022, Two new species of Squamosa Bethune-Baker, 1908 (Lepidoptera, Limacodidae) and first female record of S. chalcites Orhant, 2000 from southern Asia, ZooKeys 1090, pp. 149-159 : 149

Squamosa medogensis sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2 , 13 , 14

Material examined.

Holotype. ♂, China, Xizang Autonomous Region, Linzhi (= Nyingchi) City , Motuo (= Medog) County , Gedang Countryside , 25.V.-5.VI.2021, leg. J. Wu and JJ. Fan, genit. prep. WuJ-519-1 (NEFU) . Paratypes. 4♂, same data as for holotype, genit. prep. WuJ-520-1 (NEFU) .

Diagnosis.

The new species can be easily distinguished from the known species by its appearance: the antennae are broadly bipectinated at basal 3/4 in male; the thorax is black mixed with a little yellow; the base and costal margin area of forewing are dark brown to black; the rounded patch located on the outside of the cell is blurry; the abdomen bears two distinct black hair tufts dorsally. In the other Asian congeners (Figs 3-12 ) the male antennae are bipectinated only in the basal half; the ground colour of the thorax and forewing is yellow mixed with black; the medial patch of the forewing is more distinct than in S. medogensis sp. nov. (Figs 1 , 2 ); the dorsal black hair tuft on the abdomen is weak.

The male genitalia are clearly different from those of the other congeners: in S. medogensis sp. nov. (Figs 13 , 14 ), the valva has a well-developed saccular process and the juxta is symmetrical. However, the same structures in other Asian species (Figs 15-22 ) are very different: the valvae without saccular processes; the juxta are asymmetrical with a lateral process.

Description.

Adult (Figs 1 , 2 ). Wingspan 30-32 mm in male. Head yellow; labial palpus short, yellow; male antennae brown, broadly bipectinated in basal 3/4 then serrate. Thorax and tegula black mixed with a little yellow. Scales on legs black to yellow. Forewing broad, ground colour brown, wing base and costal margin area dark brown to black, outer margin area pale brown; a large, silky reddish brown, rounded medial patch located at outside of cell; subterminal line narrow, black, smoothly curved, running from costal margin near the apex to the tornus, almost parallel to outer margin, bearing a dent in the region between vines R4 and R5 towards base; wing venation visible in outer margin area, black; fringe yellow. Hindwing brown; fringe yellow. Abdomen yellow, with two distinct black dorsal hair tufts and long black hairs at terminal area.

Male genitalia (Figs 13 , 14 ). Uncus short, weakly bifid apically. Gnathos rod-shaped, blunt apically. Tegumen broad. Valva broad at base, cucullus rounded; costa slightly concave, bearing a triangular process at c. 1/3 distance from base that is covered by dense long setae; sacculus inflated, slightly sclerotised, densely covered with setae in upper half; saccular process strongly sclerotised, curved inwardly in a hook-shaped, bifid process near middle and tapering from base to apex, pointed apically. Juxta sclerotised, symmetrical, horseshoe-shaped. Saccus not obvious. Phallus slender, smoothly curved; vesica without cornuti.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Distribution.

China (Xizang: Motuo) (Fig. 25 ).

Etymology.

The species is named Squamosa medogensis for its type-locality in Motuo County, Xizang Autonomous Region, China.

Bionomics.

The specimens were collected from May to June at altitudes of 1840-2120 m a.s.l., close to the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest, with massive shrubs, ferns and patches of grassland growing in the ground cover layer of the forest (Figs 26 , 27 ).

Remarks.

According to the original descriptions, three of the diagnostic generic characters of the genus Squamosa are: the antennae bipectinated only at the basal half in males, the valva without saccular process, and the juxta with lateral asymmetrical processes ( Solovyev and Witt 2009; Wu and Fang 2009). Squamosa medogensis sp. nov. does not match any of the above three characters, but since all other typical characters for this genus were observed, we therefore tentatively place this new species in Squamosa .

Figures

Figure 25. Distribution map of Squamosa spp.: triangle: S. medogensis sp. nov. (China: Xizang); circles: S. undulophallus sp. nov. (China: Xizang; India: Meghalaya; Myanmar: Kachin); squares: S. chalcites Orhant, 2000 (China: Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Yunnan, Xizang; Thailand; Myanmar); stars: S. brevisunca brevisunca Wu & Fang, 2009 (China: Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan; Vietnam).

Figures 1 - 12. Adults of Squamosa spp.: 1, 2 S. medogensis sp. nov., males, holotype (1 in NEFU) and paratype (2 in NEFU) 3 S. ocellata (Moore, 1879), male, Sikkim, India (in MWM / ZSM) 4 S. brevisunca brevisunca Wu & Fang, 2009 (= S. svetlanae Solovyev & Witt, 2009, syn. nov., male, holotype) (in MWM / ZSM) 5 S. brevisunca brevisunca Wu & Fang, 2009, male, holotype (in IZCAS) 6 S. brevisunca yunnanensis Wu & Fang, 2009, male, Yunnan, China (in NEFU) 7, 8 S. undulophallus sp. nov., males, holotype (7 in NEFU) and paratype (8 in MWM / ZSM) 9 S. chalcites Orhant, 2000, male, Chongqing, China (in NEFU) 10, 11 S. monosa Wu & Pan, 2015, male, Xizang, China (10 in NEFU) and female, Xizang, China (11 in NEFU) 12 S. chalcites Orhant, 2000, female, Chongqing, China (in NEFU). Scale bar: 2 cm.

Figures 13 - 24. Genitalia of Squamosa spp.: 13, 14 S. medogensis sp. nov., males, holotype (13 in NEFU) and paratype (14 in NEFU) 15 S. brevisunca yunnanensis Wu & Fang, 2009, male, Yunnan, China, genit. prep. WuJ- 090 - 1 (in NEFU) 16 S. ocellata (Moore, 1879), male, Sikkim, India (in MWM / ZSM) 17 S. brevisunca brevisunca Wu & Fang, 2009, male, holotype (in IZCAS) 18 S. brevisunca brevisunca Wu & Fang, 2009 (= S. svetlanae Solovyev & Witt, 2009, syn. nov., male, holotype) (in MWM / ZSM) 19, 20 S. undulophallus sp. nov., males, holotype (19 in NEFU) and paratype (20 in MWM / ZSM) 21 S. chalcites Orhant, 2000, male, Chongqing, China, genit. prep. WuJ- 538 - 1 (in NEFU) 22 S. monosa Wu & Pan, 2015, male, Xizang, China, genit. prep. WuJ- 516 - 1 (in NEFU) 23 S. chalcites Orhant, 2000, female, Chongqing, China, genit. prep. WuJ- 540 - 2 (in NEFU) 24 S. monosa Wu & Pan, 2015, female, Xizang, China, genit. prep. WuJ- 517 - 2 (in NEFU).

Figures 26 - 28. Biotopes: China, SE Xizang, Linzhi (= Nyingchi) City, Motuo (= Medog) County 26, 27 Gedang countryside, two different collecting sites of S. medogensis sp. nov., photograph by J. Wu 28 Beibeng Countryside, Dergong Village, biotope of S. undulophallus sp. nov., photograph by HL. Han.