Hermonassa brunneocuprina Gao, Han & Kononenko, 2023

Gao, Biao, Han, Hui-Lin, Kononenko, Vladimir S. & Pan, Zhao-Hui, 2023, Five new species of the genus Hermonassa Walker, 1865 from Xizang Autonomous Region, China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae), ZooKeys 1179, pp. 35-61 : 35

Hermonassa brunneocuprina Gao, Han & Kononenko sp. nov.

Figs 28 , 29 , 31 , 33

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, China, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Bomi County, Pailong Countryside, 2005 m, 1 Nov. 2016, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-283-1. Paratypes: 2 ♀, China, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Lage, 10 July 2013, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-321-2, GB-322-2; 3 ♂, 2 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Bomi County Pailong Countryside, 1 Nov. 2016, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-282-2; 1 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Motuo County, 6200 m, 22-24 July 2017, S.Y. Huang leg., genit. prep. GB-295-2; 1 ♀, Prov. Yunnan, Tengchong City, Jietou town, Shahe, 6 Nov. 2020, J. Wu et al. leg., genit. prep. GB-294-2; 1 ♀, Prov. Yunnan, Tengchong City, Jietou town, Shanxintou, 8 Nov. 2020, J. Wu et al. leg., genit. prep. GB-296-2 (coll. NEFU).

Diagnosis.

This new species is superficially similar to H. cuprina (see Figs 30 , 32 , 34 ), but can be distinguished from the latter one by the following characters. In the adult: the basal, antemedial and postmedial lines with double yellowish brown lines (in H. cuprina they are whitish); the subterminal line is thin (in H. cuprina it is distinct); the terminal line is solid (in H. cuprina it is as dotted line); the orbicular spot is short and drop-shaped (in H. cuprina it is long). In the male genitalia: the top of the uncus is large, shovel-shaped apically; the uncus is smaller in the new species (in H. cuprina it is somewhat larger again); the cucullus is rounded apically (in H. cuprina it is tapering); the juxta is three leaved dart-shape (in H. cuprina it is morning glory-shaped); the carina process is small and triangular (in H. cuprina it is large, band-shaped). In the female genitalia: the 8th segment has a swollen membranous sac (in H. cuprina it is absent); the antevaginal plate is concave (in H. cuprina it is less concave); ductus bursae is relatively broad (in H. cuprina it is narrow); corpus bursae is elongated S-shaped (in H. cuprina it is curved medially only).

Description.

Adult (Figs 28 , 29 ). Wingspan 39-41 mm. Head reddish brown; labial palps more orange; thorax reddish brown, patagia with white central spots; abdomen dark reddish brown, abdominal tuft distinct. Forewing ground colour dark reddish brown; transverse double lines with pale brown inside; basal line black, dotted; antemedial line black, bending at Sc+R1, incurved to 2A, then excurved inwardly; median line indistinct; postmedial line wavy, dark brown mixed with black; subterminal line thin; terminal line solid, thin; orbicular spot drop-shaped, framed with yellow; reniform spot short, broad bean-shaped, edged with pale scales; terminal area somewhat paler than ground colour. Hindwing dark brown; discal spot weak, arc-shaped; vein reddish brown; fringe grey. Male genitalia (Fig. 31 ). Uncus medium long, sclerotised, flat, shovel-shaped in apical 1/3. Tegumen wide, as long as uncus. Juxta three leaved, dart-shaped. Valva broad medially, gradually narrower to apex; cucullus bluntly round; left harpe smooth, incurved (genitalia slide slightly fractured), right one excurved; sacculus same width basally in left valva, in right valva narrower. Saccus long, U-shaped. Aedeagus upcurved, slightly wavy; caecum ~ 1/8 × length of aedeagus; carina serrated, with sclerotised medium triangle-shaped process; vesica membranous, densely covered with small cornuti dorsally. Female genitalia (Fig. 33 ). Papillae anales short, slightly sclerotised. The 8th segment with swollen membranous sac. Apophyses slender and long, anteriores apophyses ~ 1/2 × length of posteriores. Ostium broad and flat, antevaginal plate concave-shaped, with deep cut medially, strongly sclerotised. Ductus bursae short, tubular. Corpus bursae very long, S-shaped, ~ 4 × length of ductus bursae; corpus bursae slightly sclerotised anteriorly, wrinkled, bearing two strongly sclerotised signa bands, right signum ~ 2/3 × length of left one.

Etymology.

The name of the new species refers to its deep brown wing colouration compared with copper-brown colouration of its related species H. cuprina .

Distribution and biology.

Hermonassa brunneocuprina is known only from Linzhi mountain range in Aut. Reg. Xizang, the Southwest China. The species occurs in grassland meadows in coniferous forest at altitude range 2000-6200 m. Adults have been collected in early November.

Figures

Figures 28 - 34. Hermonassa spp., adults (28 - 30), male (31 - 32) and female (33 - 34) genitalia 28 H. brunneocuprina sp. nov., ♂, holotype 29 Ditto, ♀, paratype 30 H. cuprina ¸ Nepal (after Sugi 1995) 31 H. brunneocuprina sp. nov., holotype, genit. prep. GB- 283 - 1 32 H. cuprina (after Sugi 1995) 33 H. brunneocuprina sp. nov., paratype, genit. prep. GB- 322 - 2 34 H. cuprina, India (after Sugi 1995).