Chelis kashmirica ( Ferguson, 1985 )

Saldaitis, Aidas & Volynkin, Anton V., 2020, On the taxonomy of the Chelis glaphyra (Eversmann, 1843) species-group, with description of a new subspecies of Chelis gratiosa (Grum-Grshimailo, 1890) from Kyrgyzstan, brachipterous females of Chelis kashmirica (Ferguson, 1985) and Chelis golbecki (Dubatolov, 1996), and the checklist of the species-group (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Arctiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 38, pp. 51-62 : 56-61

Chelis kashmirica ( Ferguson, 1985) , stat. & comb. nov.

( Figs 10–12 , 21 , 26 )

Palearctia kashmirica Ferguson, 1985 , Entomography, 3: 222, figs 44, 101, 102 (Type locality: [ Pakistan, Azad Kashmir ] “ Baltistan ”).

Material examined. 26 males, 2 females, Pakistan, Kashmir , Himalaya Mts., Kashmir Deosai pass., 4250– 4800 m, 5.VII.2000, leg. Z. Varga & G. Ronkay, gen. slide Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2019–915 (male), ZSM Arct. 2019–916 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) (MWM/ ZSM).

Diagnosis. Male of the species is smaller than those of subspecies of Ch. gratiosa . In the male genital capsule of Ch. kashmirica , the uncus is narrower medially, the vinculum is rather V-shaped (while that of Ch. gratiosa is U-shaped), the juxta is conspicuously shorter and narrower, the valva is less elongate and the cucullus is noticeably smaller than those structures of Ch. gratiosa . The aedeagus of Ch. kashmirica is much shorter than in Ch. gratiosa . In the aedeagus vesica of Ch. kashmirica , the medial diverticulum is C-like curved (in Ch. gratiosa , it is globular), and the distal section is conspicuously shorter than that of Ch. gratiosa . Female of Ch. kashmirica is brachipterous and has very short and narrow wings with strongly elongate and pointed apex, while all the subspecies of Ch. gratiosa have normal winged females. In the externally similar Ch. golbecki , the both female wings are much longer and broader than those of Ch. kashmirica and the forewing apex is more rounded. The female genitalia of Ch. kashmirica differ from those of Ch. gratiosa by the much narrower posterior section of the corpus bursae and the conspicuously smaller signa bursae.

Description of female. External morphology ( Figs 11, 12 ). Forewing length 8 mm. Antenna short, thick, shortly serrate whitish basally and medially and blackish apically. Body robust, brown. Forewing narrow, elongate, with nearly parallel costal and anal margins and pointed apex. Forewing ground color and cilia pale brown. Pattern reduced to two elongate blackish brown spots in the cell connected to each other by thin and diffuse line, longitudinal blackish stroke in subbasal area, intense brown suffusion along the anal margin, and two small diffuse dots in subterminal area. Hindwing pale brown with intense dark brown suffusion basally and along the anal margin, with three diffuse dark brown spots in terminal area. Cilia brown. Female genitalia ( Fig. 26 ). Papillae anales wide, trapezoid with rounded corners, setose. Apophyses posteriores elongate, narrow. Apophyses anteriores fully reduced. Postvaginal area of 8 th sternite sclerotized laterally, with narrow and short medial pocket-like incision. Ostium bursae broad. Ductus bursae long, narrow, dorso-ventrally flattened, narrowed subposteriorly and dilated around ostium, sclerotized medially and posteriorly and membranous anteriorly. Corpus bursae ovoid, membranous, with weak spinulose scobination at the base of appendix bursae and two smalls round signa bursae medially. Appendix bursae broadly conical, membranous, situated postero-ventrally, directed to the left side.

Distribution. The species is known from Pakistan (Azad Kashmir) ( Ferguson 1985) and North India (Himachal Pradesh) ( Reich 1932, as Micrarctia glaphyra ab. nebulosa Reich, 1932).

Figures

Figures 10–16. Chelis spp.: adults. The specimens are deposited in MWM/ZSM.

Figures 21–23. Chelis spp.: adults. The specimens are deposited in MWM/ZSM.

Figures 24–28. Chelis spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 24 in ASV; 25–28 in MWM/ZSM.