Xestia elisabetha Gyulai, Ronkay & Saldaitis, 2013

Gyulai, P., Ronkay, L. & Saldaitis, A., 2013, Two new Xestia Hübner, 1818 species from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3734 (1), pp. 96-100 : 96

Xestia elisabetha Gyulai, Ronkay & Saldaitis sp. n.

( Figs. 1, 2 , 6–9 )

Type material. Holotype: Male, China, N-Sichuan, road Barkam / Hong Yuan , 3400 m, 32 ° 10.353’N, 102 ° 29.692’E, 23.ix.2011, leg. A. Floriani, coll. Peter Gyulai (to be deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum , Budapest, Hungary); slide No. JB 1839m . Paratypes: 2 males, with the same data as the holotype , 5 males, China, N-Sichuan, near Barkam , Zhe Gu Shan pass, 3300 m, 3155.625’N, 10239.290’E, 21.ix.2011, leg. A. Floriani , 1 male, China, N-Sichuan, near Moxi , 3954 m, 2953.097’N, 10200.459’E, 07.x.2012, leg. A. Floriani; coll. Alessandro Floriani (Milan, Italy). Slide Nos: PGy 3060m, PGy 3064m, PGy 3065m, PGy 3555m .

Diagnosis and description. Wingspan 29–32 mm. Morphologically the new species resembles its only known closely allied taxon, Xestia aplectoides (Draudt, 1963) which was described from Yunnan. The new species can be separated from this sister taxon by its blackish-dark brown palpi, slightly broader, more unicolorous brownish-grey forewings, and the slight reddish-brown suffusion of the medial field apparent on fresh specimens. By comparison, X. aplectoides ( Fig. 3 ) has lighter palpi with a white edge and pure grey forewing ground colour with dark greyish (sometimes blackish) suffusion. The transverse lines of X. elisabetha ( Figs. 1, 2 ) are finer, generally simple and more obsolescent with only the antemedial line clearly visible and the wavy postmedial line less serrated. External diagnostic features are clearly recognizable only in newly emerged specimens so that further genitalic investigation is required for worn individuals. The female is still unknown. The male genitalia ( Figs. 6–9 ) are most similar to those of X. aplectoides ( Figs. 10, 11 ) but with certain conspicuous differences, as follows: the uncus of the new species is much broader and differently shaped distally, being lanceolate and pointed apically; the vinculum is about half as long as in X. aplectoides ; the juxta is more elongated-triangular dorsally; the valvae are less elongated, having larger flap-like terminal extensions on the ventral side; the vesica is ventrally recurved, ample, with two (basal and subbasal) cornuti fields with numerous sparsely arranged cornuti compared to X. aplectoides which has a larger basal cornutus or a short, slightly serrated sclerotised field with 1–2 tiny cornuti.

Bionomics and Distribution. Known only from the Barkam and Moxi areas in northern Sichuan Province on the east edge of the Tibetan plateau. Nine males were collected at lights on cold nights on 21, 23 September 2011 and 7 October 2012 at an elevation of 3300–3950 m in shrubby, swampy areas. Sympatry with X. aplectoides is unknown, but the latter is generally on the wing somewhat later through October in Yunnan and West Sichuan provinces.

Etymology: Dedicated to Mrs. Elisabeth Rau (Grafing, Germany) for her contributions to entomology.

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Xestia ssp. adults. 1. X. elisabetha sp. n., male, holotype, China, Sichuan (coll. P. Gyulai); 2. X. elisabetha sp. n., male, paratype, China, Sichuan (coll. P. Gyulai); 3. X. aplectoides, male, China, Yunnan (coll. P. Gyulai); 4. X. rimas sp. n., male, holotype, China, Sichuan (coll. P. Gyulai); 5. Mixed forest – the biotope of X. rimas sp. n., China, N-Sichuan, road Songpan/Jiuzhaigou.

FIGURES 6–11. Xestia ssp. males genitalia. 6. X. elisabetha sp. n., holotype, capsule, prep. BJ1839; 7. X. elisabetha sp. n., holotype, aedeagus, prep. BJ1839; 8. X. elisabetha sp. n., paratype, capsule, prep. PGy3060; 9. X. elisabetha sp. n., paratype, aedeagus, prep. PGy3060; 10. X. aplectoides, capsule, prep. PGy3079; 11 X. aplectoides, aedeagus, prep. PGy3079.