Tatargina (Tatargina) picta (Walker, 1865)

Singh, Harsimranjeet, Kirti, Jagbir Singh & Singh, Navneet, 2023, A new record of the genus Tatargina Butler, 1877 (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Erebidae) from India, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 123 (3), pp. 261-264 : 261-263

Tatargina (Tatargina) picta (Walker, [1865] 1864): 263

Type-locality: Moulmeine [Mawlamyine: Myanmar]

Material examined: Mizoram: 01 ♂, Serchhip district, Thenzawl , 783 m, 92.7567 E, 23.3209 N, 6-iv-2017, Harsimranjeet Singh leg. (Coll. NZCZSI) . Nagaland: 01 ♂, Kohima district, Kohima , 1444m, 94.1049 E, 25.6716 N, 23-iv-2017, Harsimranjeet Singh leg. (Coll. NZCZSI) .

Diagnosis: Externally, Tatargina (T.) picta is closely similar to T. (T.) erythromelaena from Cambodia, but is distinct by the larger black spots of patagium ( Bayarsaikhan et al. 2020). In the male genitalia, T. (T.) picta is distinct by the presence of three processes in the right valva (two in T. (T.) erythromelaena ) and in vesica by the smaller spines (Figure 3). Tatargina (T.) picta is unmistakable from other two Indian species i.e. T. (Hindargina) pannosa and T. (Hindargina) sipahi by the adults having forewing with the ground colour red and six rows of irregular, black margined, grey bands/ patches.

Distribution: India (Kohima (Nagaland), Thenzawl (Mizoram )) (Present Study), Cambodia, China, Taiwan, Japan (Ryukyu Is.), Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand ( Bayarsaikhan et al. 2020).

Remarks: The Chinese population of T. picta bears six rows of irregular, black-margined grey fascia on the forewing ( Dubatolov 2006: 286, colour plate-6, Figure 1 ) whereas, the Indian population of T. picta studied from Nagaland and Mizoram have continuous and thick fascia (in form of bands) on the forewing ( Figure 1 ). In the male genitalia of Indian T. picta , apical and ventral processes of the right valva are longer and narrower (Figure 2), which are shorter in the Chinese T. picta ( Dubatolov 2006: 213, Figure 1 ). We are considering the differences as a part of population variations. However, further studies on some larger samples, coupled with DNA barcodes may shed more light on the better understanding on the microtaxonomy of T. picta .

Figures

Figure 1. Habitus of T. picta. Figure 2. Male genitalia of T. picta. Figure 3. Aedeagus of T. picta.