Teulisna pallida (Volynkin, 2023)

Volynkin, Anton V., 2023, Taxonomic review of the Teulisna pallida (Moore) species-group with descriptions of two new species from the Himalayas (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 63, pp. 15-23 : 16-17

The Teulisna pallida species-group

Diagnosis. The species-group is characterised by the relatively limited sexual dimorphism. In the male genitalia, unlike a number of other Teulisna species, the vincular coremata are small, the vincular medial rod is reduced, and the distal saccular process is broad, flattened and distally bilobate. In the female genitalia, the corpus and the appendix bursae are gelatinous, which is characteristic of the species-group.

Morphological characteristic. Adults. Male. Antenna ciliate. Body from greyish-brown to dark brown. Forewing elongate and narrow with postmedially convex costa. Forewing ground colour from pale ochreous to dark brown. Costa with narrow, dash-shaped black spot antemedially and broader trapezoidal black spot medially. Discal spot black, dot-shaped. Additional, postero-medial spot present in certain species. Medial and postmedial areas with intense greyish-brown suffusion in cell and along anal margin forming shade distally terminating by irregularly dentate subterminal line. Terminal area with weak greyish-brown suffusion. Hindwing pale ochreous with dark grey suffusion medially. Abdomen from ochreous brown to brown. Male genitalia. Uncus elongate, slender, laterally flattened, smoothly downcurved and apically pointed. Tegumen short with broad arms fused in posterior three-quarters. Vinculum longer than tegumen, with thin and flexible arms anteriorly connected by thin commissure. Intravincular membrane with two small anterio-lateral coremata. Valva broad, lobular with almost parallel margins and apically rounded dorsal section. Clasper heavily sclerotised and having short spike-like ampulla in certain species. Sacculi broad and connected to each other by wide commissure fused with juxta. Distal saccular process broad, flattened, with two triangular distal lobes. Juxta pyramidal and medially membranous. Phallus broad, cylindrical, somewhat downcurved medially and with short and rounded coecum. Vesica broad, somewhat longer than phallus, directed distally, having several diverticula. Proximal ventral diverticulum large and heavily scobinated. Proximal dorsal diverticulum present in certain species, membranous. Medial ventral diverticulum conical and weakly granulose. Medial dorsal diverticulum conical or utricular, heavily granulose. Distal ventral diverticulum membranous, sack-like, with vesica ejaculatorius originating from its dorsal side. Distal dorsal diverticulum short, utricular and granulose, and having long and robust nail-like terminal cornutus. Female. Antenna ciliate. Sexual dimorphism limited: in comparison to male, female with more elongate forewing lacking proximal costal spot and, in most species, having less intense dark suffusion medially. Female genitalia. Papilla analis trapezoidal with rounded corners, setose. Apophyses elongate and thin, equal in length. Ductus bursae short, dorso-ventrally flattened, with convex lateral margins. Posterior section of corpus bursae heavily gelatinous, dilated, with semiglobular postero-lateral diverticulum, and broad dorsal sclerotised pocket in certain species. Anterior section of corpus bursae weakly gelatinous, shorter and narrower than posterior one, teardrop-shaped. Appendix bursae heavily gelatinous, conical or sack-like, situated laterally on right side.

Distribution. Species of the species-group are known from Himalaya (North and Northeast India and Nepal).

Species content of the species-group

– T. pallida ( Moore, 1878) , comb. n.

– T. ganesha sp. n.

– T. thomasi sp. n.

– T. quadrisignata ( Moore, 1878) , comb. n.

= Cossa brunnea Moore, 1878 , syn. n.