Viridistria thoracica ( Moore, 1882 ) Behounek & V.S.Kononenko, 2012

Behounek, G. & V. S. Kononenko, 2012, A revision of the “ Belciana ” viridipicta (Hampson, 1902) species group with description of a new genus and two new species from East Asia (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae: Pantheinae). Revision of Pantheinae, Contribution VII, Zootaxa 3590, pp. 37-50 : 39

Viridistria thoracica ( Moore, 1882) , comb. n.

( Figs. 6, 7, 29)

Donda thoracica Moore, 1882 . In Hewitson & Moore, Description of new Indian Lepidopterous Insects from the Collection of the Late Mr W.S. Atkinson: 161, Pl. 5: 7. Holotype: female, North India, Prov. West Bengalia, Darjiling (NKMB, Berlin).

References: Hampson 1894: 473 ( Polydesma ); Poole 1989:326 ( Donda ); Krusek & Behounek 1996: Pl. 43:3 ( Belciana ).

Material examined. Holotype: female labelled: “Darjeeling Coll. Atkinson / Oringin / Donda Thoracica Type Moore female/ Donda thoracica det. M. Gaede ”/ Genit. Prep. 12048 GB ( MNHU). 1 female, India, Arunachal Pradesh, Distr. Along Near Rapum, 12 – 14.vii.2007 2100 m, 28˚31ʹ389ʹ N 094˚ 152ʹ21ʹ E leg. Bretschneider ex coll. Stumpf /Becher/BC ZSM Lep 48892/ Genit. prep. 8061GB coll. GB; 1 female India Arunachal Pradesh, Distr. Along Near Rapum, 19 – 21.vii.2006, 2100 m, 28˚53ʹ176ʹ N 094˚ 24ʹ941ʹ E leg. Bretschneider coll. Stumpf / Becher /BC ZSM Lep 48891 / Genit. prep. 7416GB ( AB).

Diagnosis. Adult ( Fig. 6, 7). Wingspan: female 50 – 53 mm. The species can be recognized by grassy-green ground colour of forewing with wide brown medial shadow and not interrupted brown subterminal field. Head and thorax deep grassy-green, abdomen brownish-grey with green crest. Wing pattern formed by brown patches in subbasal field, blackish-brown medial shadow (narrower in costal area, extending to inner margin of wing) and brown subterminal and terminal fields, separated by thin, diffused subterminal line; orbicular very small, formed by white bordering line; reniform as white streak, separated from orbicular by black, veins R and Cu behind reniform suffused with white. Hindwing grey-brownish, basally pale, with medial fascia thin, diffused, yellowishgrey which becomes distinct, white and strongly angled near tornal angle and with clear white tornal mark and indistinct row of yellowish-grey spots along outer margin. Female genitalia ( Fig. 30). Papillae anales quadrangular; apophyses anteriores and posteriores thin, rather short, almost equal in length; antrum weakly sclerotised, with Yshaped antemedial plate and narrow elongate-triangular postmedial plate; ductus bursae membranous, joins with knee-like sclerotised ribbed cervix bursae; corpus bursae spherical, sclerotised and ribbed in caudal part. Male unknown.

Distribution (Map 34:1). North India.

Notes. Since its original description with illustration ( Figs. 1, 2) the species was not mentioned in Hampson’s catalogue (1903–1913), nor illustrated in Seitz (1912 –1938). The holotype of thoracica was illustrated by Krusek & Behounek (1996).The species has been placed in Donda by Poole (1989) and by Holloway (2009) and in Belciana by Krusek & Behounek (1996).