Phlogophora striatovirens ( Moore, 1867 )

Bandyopadhyay, Uttaran, Dey, Rushati, Bhattacharyya, Kamalika, Mallick, Kaushik, Mazumder, Arna, Gayen, Subrata, Das, Moumita, Raha, Angshuman, Sanyal, Abesh Kumar, Kumar, Vikas, Uniyal, Virendra Prasad & Chandra, Kailash, 2021, Taxonomy and ecology of genus Phlogophora Treitschke, 1825 (Lepidoptera Noctuidae) in Indian Himalaya with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5004 (2), pp. 311-342 : 330-331

Phlogophora striatovirens ( Moore, 1867)

[ Fig. 17 , 47, 48 ]

Euplexia striatovirens Moore, 1867 , Proc. Zool. Soc.: 58.

Euplexia discisignata Moore : Hampson, 1894, Fauna Brit. Ind., 2: 213.

Euplexia striatovirens Moore : Hampson, 1908, Cat. Lepid. Phalaenae Br. Mus., 7: 233.

Phlogophora striatovirens (Moore) : Yoshimoto, 1994, in Haruta, Tinea , 14: 111.

Type locality: Darjeeling [ India, West Bengal]

Material examined: India: 1 ♂, West Bengal, Dist. Darjeeling, Singalila National Park, Gairibas , 27.05090° N, 088.03360° E, 2494 m, 21. V. 2018; coll. K. Bhattacharyya & team .

1 ♀, Arunachal Pradesh, Dist. Dibang Valley, Dihang Dibang Biosphere Reserve, Anini , Patharnallah , 29.10532° N, 096.08074° E, 2029 m, 19. IV. 2017 ; 1 ♀, Bruni , 29.15354° N, 096.14857° E, 2436 m, 20. IV. 2017; coll. S. Gayen.

Diagnosis: Wing expanse: Male: 28–30 mm, female: 30–32 mm. Although being very distinctive morphologically, it was earlier considered as a junior subjective synonym of P. discisignata by Hampson (1894). In 1908, he treated both the species as different which was confirmed recently as Gyulai et al. (2015) discussed significant differences in morphology between the two species. P. striatovirens differs mainly in the ground colour of forewing being rusty brown to greenish in fresh or live specimens. Presence of a double, sinuous basal line with black inner edge and an antemedial double line with black outer edge; postmedial line double, sinuous, black-edged enclosing the reniform mark which is partly filled with black on inner half; submarginal line pale yellowish-green, highly dentate with a pale patch on its inner edge between veins 7 and 4; marginal area dark purplish fuscous.

Male genitalia: Uncus spatulate, valva broad with strongly sclerotised harpe bearing multiple irregular spines; the dorsal margin of sacculus also heavily sclerotised but lacks spines; aedeagus slender, carinal region sclerotised with minute spines; vesica long with small cornuti in the basal part.

Distribution: India: Sikkim, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland ( Moore 1867; Hampson 1908).

Global: Nepal, China ( Yoshimoto 1994; Han et al. 2008).

Bionomics: Distributed in Central to Eastern Himalaya and North-Eastern Hills, the species was recorded to fly within altitudinal zone of 2000–2500 m, preferably in Temperate and Coniferous forests. Individuals were found to be active in early pre-monsoon months of April–May in a narrow range of average trap night temperature at 9–11 ºC and an annual precipitation range of 1200–2200 mm.

Figures

FIGURES 11–18. Habitus images of Phlogophora spp. 11. Phlogophora albovittata (Moore, 1867); 12. Phlogophora pectinata (Warren, 1888); 13. Phlogophora subpurpurea Leech, 1900 (dorsal); 14. Phlogophora subpurpurea Leech, 1900 (ventral); 15. Phlogophora calamistrata (Moore, 1882); 16. Phlogophora plumbeola (Hampson, 1894); 17. Phlogophora striatovirens (Moore, 1867); 18. Phlogophora discisignata (Moore, 1867)*. *Image procured from Dr Péter Gyulai, Hungary, through personal correspondence.

FIGURES 47–50. Male genitalia images of Phlogophora spp. 47–48. Phlogophora striatovirens (Moore, 1867), West Bengal, Gen. prep. SN/GAR24_2/2/21.V.18/42; 49–50. Phlogophora discisignata (Moore, 1867), Mechi, Nepal, Gen. prep. GYP 3412*. * Image procured from Dr Péter Gyulai, Hungary, through personal correspondence.