Viridistria, 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 : 38

Viridistria gen. n.

Belciana auct.; Donda auct.; Ancara auct.; Chlorognesia auct.

Type species: Ancara viridipicta Hampson, 1902 ( India, Meghalaya, Khasis ), designated here .

Diagnosis. Externally the new genus is similar to Belciana , but differs by deep emerald-green or grassy-green ground colouration of thorax and forewing, which is pale bluish-green in Belciana ; 3 rd segment of the labial palps is longer than in Belciana ( Figs. 19 – 22). Main differences between the new genus and Belciana are in male genitalia, which have rather uniform structure in all species of Belciana ( Fig. 23). The male genitalia of Viridistria differ from those of Belciana by the absence of coremata structures at the base of valva (in all species of Belciana the base of valva is membranous, bearing coremata structures, gland and brush of hairs), heavily sclerotised valva (sclerotised only along costal margin in Belciana , ventral margin and tip of valva membranous or weakly sclerotised in Belciana ), elongated shape of valva with long but rather broad sacculus and thin, stick-like or spinelike harpe, and arming of aedeagus. The female genitalia of Viridistria in most cases have a weakly sclerotised antrum with expressed postvaginal plate, while in Belciana ( Fig. 24) the antrum is well formed by splitted sclerotised antevaginal plate.

Description. Adult ( Figs. 6 – 17, 20 – 22). Medium sized moths, wingspan 42 – 50 mm. Frons slightly bulging, covered with scales; labial palps long, extending frons, upwardly directed, with 3 rd segment stick-like, large, about equal in length to 2 nd segment; proboscis developed; antennae of male filiform, fasciculate with scapus covered with white scales; eye large, rounded; ocelli present; head and thorax covered with white and green scales, thoracic and abdominal crests present, formed with green and brown scales; leg segments ringed with white. Forewing venation typically quadrifine with Cu vein appearing four branched; hindwing with typical pantheine venation (i.e., M2 fully developed, arising from middle of cell). Abdomen without coremata. Male genitalia ( Figs. 25 – 28, 29). Despite rather uniform external appearance, the genitalia of the Viridistria species are quite dissimilar; therefore the genus can be divided in three distinct groups of species. Two species, V. viridipicta and V. hollowayi sp. n. are characterized by short vinculum, half as long as tegumen; thin, slender uncus, curved medially, with slender medial hook; relatively long valva extending medially, tapering apically, with small cucullus covered with strong setae; narrow sacculus, thin, short or rather long stick-like harpe; aedeagus slightly curved, vesica broadly-tubular, armed with two or three patches of cornuti, distal patch formed by thin long or very long spine-like cornuti. The other group represented by V. striatovirens has almost equally long tegumen and vinculum, relatively short uncus, split juxta, rather long valva with parallel margins and long, stick-like harpe; aedeagus with tubular vesica, projecting ventrally, bearing row of plate-like spiniform cornuti. The third group represented only by an undescribed species reported by Holloway (2009) as V. striatovirens has the vinculum half as long as tegumen, large, lobe-like valva, extended and rounded distally and small spine-like harpe; very short split uncus; aedeagus with rather short broadtubular vesica, armed with moderate spine-like cornuti. The male genitalia of V. thoracica are unknown. Female genitalia ( Figs. 30 – 33). Females of all species have rather similar genitalia structure. Papillae anales relatively small, quadrangular, apophyses anteriores and posteriors short, in most cases equal in length, antrum membranous (except V. holloway sp. n.) with sclerotised triangular or elongate-triangular postvaginal plate; in V. hollowayi sp. n. antrum formed by sclerotised split antevaginal plate; ductus bursae relatively short, membranous, corpus bursae with large sclerotised, ribbed cervix, spherical; ductus seminalis arises from the centre of one side.

Distribution. (Maps 34:1 – 4). The genus is distributed exclusively in the Oriental region from Himalaya to South China and Taiwan and in Great Sundaland in Sumatra and Borneo.

Etymology. The generic name Viridistria is formed by the combination of the first part of the specific names [viridi] picta and [stria] tovirens.

Notes. The systematic position of taxa included in the new genus have remained uncertain for some time. Poole (1989) referred thoracica and striatovirens to the genus Donda Moore, 1882 , and viridipicta to Chlorognesia Warren, 1913 . Holloway (2009) treated these species in the genus Belciana . However, these taxa and two new ones do belong to neither Donda , Chlorognesia nor Belciana .