Pieris tadokoroi, Das & Eitschberger & Singh & Chandra, 2021

Das, Gaurab Nandi, Eitschberger, Ulf, Singh, Navneet & Chandra, Kailash, 2021, A new species of the genus Pieris Schrank, 1801 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae: Pierinae) with taxonomic notes on the Pieris napi group from India, Zootaxa 5004 (4), pp. 501-520 : 503-507

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5004.4.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1F52E880-A352-4949-A937-802A462D9689
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6F918F4B-96DE-43D6-891B-DF4FD2FD78ED
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:6F918F4B-96DE-43D6-891B-DF4FD2FD78ED
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Pieris tadokoroi
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pieris tadokoroi , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–6 View FIGURES 1–6 , 17 View FIGURES 17–21 , 22 View FIGURES 22–27 , 28 View FIGURES 28–30 , 31–33 View FIGURES 31–39 , 40–42 View FIGURES 40–48 , 49–51 View FIGURES 49–57 , 58, 59 View FIGURES 58–64 , 65–67 View FIGURES 65–73 , 74, 75 View FIGURES 74–81 , 82, 83 View FIGURES 82–83 )

Material examined. Holotype. 1♂, India, Himachal Pradesh, Kullu, GHNP, Dhel Pool , 2800 m, 09.iv.2018, leg. Mallick & Sajan (gen. vern.) (28704/ H9 , NZCZSI).

Paratype. India, Himachal Pradesh, Kullu , GHNP : 1♂, Ropa FRH, 1515 m, 02.iv.2018, leg. Mallick & Sajan (gen. vern.) (28705/ H9 , NZCZSI) ; 4♂♂, Denga Pool, 1970 m, 04.iv.2018, leg. Mallick & Sajan (gen. vern.) (28706/ H9 , NZCZSI) ; 2♂♂, 2♀♀, Dhel Pool, 2800 m, 09.iv.2018, leg. Mallick & Sajan (gen. vern.) (28707/ H9 , 28708 / H9 , NZCZSI) ; 1♂, 2♀♀, Shakti, 2137 m, 13.iv.2018, leg. Mallick & Sajan (gen. vern.) (28709/ H9 , 28710 / H9 , NZC- ZSI) ; 1♀, Denga Pool, 1970 m, 26.v.2018, leg. Mallick & Thakur (gen. vern.) (28711/ H9 , NZCZSI) ; 1♂, Kherchar, 2761 m, 30.v.2018, leg. Mallick & Party (gen. vern.) (28712/ H9 , NZCZSI) ; 1♀, Marrorh, 2480 m, 02.vi.2018, leg. Mallick & Thakur (gen. vern.) (28713/ H9 , NZCZSI) ; 1♂, Riush Thatch, 2425 m, 06.vi.2018, leg. Mallick & Thakur (gen. vern.) (28714/ H9 , NZCZSI) .

Description of Holotype ( Figs 1, 2 View FIGURES 1–6 ). Head, Thorax, Abdomen and Cilia. Labial palpi with transverse black and white bars; antenna black, weakly ringed with white, club black with reddish yellow tip; thorax white ventrally, and brown dorsally; leg broadly washed with white; abdomen dark blackish brown ventrally and, white dorsally. Cilia white on both wings, except at vein ends and forewing apex.

Spring form (gen. vern.). Forewing length 23.54 mm. Upperside: ground colour pale yellowish-white, suffused with black scales at base, and the suffusion continues along forewing costa up to apex; a broad, black apical patch narrowing to just beyond vein 3; a postdiscal spot in space 3, but reduced in form, and space 1b with fewer black scales. Hindwing having a heavily suffused cell base; a postdiscal, diffused black spot in space 6; all veins with black ends. Underside: Forewing white with yellowish apex, with heavily suffused cubital vein of cell, cell base slightly black scaled; postdiscal spots prominent, spot in space 1b narrower. Hindwing yellowish with a black streak at upper half of cell; a very diffused postdiscal spot in space 6, and space 8 with a prominent bright yellow basal spot.

Summer form (gen. aest.). unknown.

Variation in Paratype males ( Figs 3, 4 View FIGURES 1–6 ). Spring form (gen. vern.). Forewing length 19.99–25.11 mm (n = 9). All male paratypes are largely similar to holotype, including the overall colour pattern. Paratypes exhibit the following variations: on the forewing, the upperside black apical patch may be less developed, and the postdiscal spots in spaces 3 and 1b vary from prominent to indistinct on both surfaces. On the hindwing, the marginal spot at space 6 vary from prominent to indistinct on both surfaces.

Description of Paratype female ( Figs 5, 6 View FIGURES 1–6 ). Spring form (gen. vern.). Forewing length 22.40–25.32 mm (n = 6). Upperside: ground colour and markings as in male but prominent, additionally, an elongated black band along inner margin, joined to a postdiscal spot between veins 1b and 2. Underside: similar to male with markings more prominent.

Summer form (gen. aest.). unknown.

Variations in Paratype females. All markings and wing patterns are almost constant in females.

Male genitalia ( Figs 31–33 View FIGURES 31–39 , 40–42 View FIGURES 40–48 , 49–51 View FIGURES 49–57 , 58, 59 View FIGURES 58–64 , 65–67 View FIGURES 65–73 ). Tegumen (0.89–0.90 mm) flat in lateral view and dorsally convex; uncus 0.84–0.87 mm long, with smoothly curved tip ( Figs 49–51 View FIGURES 49–57 ); gnathos absent; valva parallelogram in lateral view with ventral margin convex ( Figs 40–42 View FIGURES 40–48 ); juxta U-shaped, weakly sclerotized with a pair of long arms ( Figs 58, 59 View FIGURES 58–64 ); saccus bulbous, 2/3 the length of uncus (0.53–0.62 mm); phallus 1.3 mm long, curved at base with a small trochanter ( Figs 65–67 View FIGURES 65–73 ).

Female genitalia ( Figs 82, 83 View FIGURES 82–83 ). Papilla analis nearly oval, covered with hairs; apophysis anterior smaller and broad; apophysis posterior slender; lamella antevaginalis membranous; Inner genital plate bilobed, upper lobe slen- der and acute, lower lobe broader, and a smooth U-shaped furrow between two lobes ( Figs 82d, 83d View FIGURES 82–83 ); ductus bursae membranous, straight, and relatively shorter; corpus bursae balloon shaped; signum bilobed, cordiform and concave at terminal margin with a moderately long tail (flagellum) which barely touch cervix bursae, and each lobe with prominent, sharp teeth like projections ( Figs 82e, 83e View FIGURES 82–83 ); appendix bursae small, membranous and globular, attached to corpus bursae in close proximity.

Androconia ( Figs 74, 75 View FIGURES 74–81 ). Similar to other members of P. napi -group; lamina with average 137.5 μm, head brush like, base bulbous (average 54.5 μm) with long opened arms; scent gland globular in shape with average width 31.8 μm.

Diagnosis. Spring form (gen. vern.). P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. along with P. ajaka and P. melaina are distinct from all the other known species of the P. napi group in having a broad, prominent, black apical patch on the upper surface of the forewing. Morphologically, P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. is closely similar to P. ajaka and P. melaina , but is smaller in size (forewing length 19.99–25.11 mm, whereas in P. ajaka , forewing length is 26.87–28.25 mm, and in P. melaina 27.55–29.84 mm). Furthermore, the new species is distinct from P. ajaka and P. melaina in having a reduced postdiscal spot at space 3 on upperside of the forewing (prominent and larger in P. ajaka and P. melaina ). Also, the female of P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. is less thickly suffused with black scales on the upper surface compared to P. melaina . The male genitalia of P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. is distinct from its closely similar species in having narrow and flat tegumen, and compact, parallelogram shaped valva. Additionally, the juxta of P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. is having a pair of long arms and weakly sclerotized plate which is robust in P. melaina . The female genitalia of P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. is distinct from its relatives in having a slender lobe on upper part of the inner genital plate.

Etymology. The specific name tadokoroi is named after Mr. Teruo Tadokoro, a Japanese lepidopterist, well known for his pierid works.

Distribution. India (GHNP, Kullu, Himachal Pradesh).

Note. Based on historical data, Pieris ajaka is broadly distributed in Himalaya, from Kumaon to NW Pakistan, under cca. 3500 m elevations. Thus, below 2800 m elevation, the distributional range of P. ajaka is overlapped with P. tadokoroi , sp. nov. (1515–2800 m).