Barsine dohertyi ( Rothschild, 1913 )

Bolotov, Ivan N., Spitsyn, Vitaly M., Kondakov, Alexander V. & Tomilova, Alena A., 2019, A review of Barsine (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini) from the East Nusa Tenggara Islands, Indonesia, with description of a new genus, Ecologica Montenegrina 20, pp. 207-214 : 209-212

Barsine dohertyi ( Rothschild, 1913)

Miltochrista dohertyi Rothschild, 1913: 215 . – Hampson (1914): 781, pl. 40, fig. 33; Holloway (1982): 214.

Barsine dohertyi ( Rothschild, 1913) . – Holloway (2001): 368.

Figs. 2 A-B, 4A-C

Type series. Two syntypes (male and female); Rothschild‟s collection, NHMUK – Natural History Museum, London, UK ( Rothschild 1913; Hampson 1914). The male specimen illustrated by Hampson (1914).

Type locality. “Tambora, Sambawa, 2,500-4,000 ft., June 1896 (W. Doherty)” [ Indonesia, Lesser Sunda Islands: Mount Tambora, a stratovolcano in the northern part of Sumbawa Island , alt. 762-1219 m, approx. 8.1725° S, 117.9900° E] ( Rothschild 1913) .

Material examined. INDONESIA, Lesser Sundas, East Nusa Tenggara, Flores Island: shore of Lake Sano Nggoang , secondary mountain forest with old nutmeg trees, 8.70917° S, 119.9975° E, 21-22.i.2015, 4♂, 6♀, Bolotov leg. [ RMBH, voucher nos. Sph0684, Sph0685, Sph0687, Sph0688, Sph0773–Sph0778]; shore of Lake Sano Nggoang , primary mountain rainforest, 8.7169° S, 120.0028° E, 23.i.2015, 1♀, Bolotov leg. [ RMBH, voucher no. Sph0779] .

Diagnosis. This species is externally similar to Barsine roseororatus and B. cuneonotatus but can be distinguished from these species by the vesica structure. Barsine dohertyi has a markedly scobinate vesica, with two adjacent central fields of small cornuti, while B. roseororatus does not have a clear scobination of vesica, with one field of cornuti, which are larger, less numerous and more densely packed than in B. dohertyi . Vesica of Barsine cuneonotatus has a patch of scobitation and two fields of cornuti: (1) with densely packed, moderately-sized cornuti, and (2) with one to four large triangular cornuti near a spot of very small cornuti. An external diagnostic feature of Barsine dohertyi is a yellow ground coloration of the female forewings (vs red or red-orange).

Male morphology. Wingspan 28–32 mm, forewing length 13–15 mm (N = 4). Vertex, tegula, and patagium orange with solitary black points, eye gray with black spots. Labial palpus red-orange, short (equal to eye diameter), antenna red-orange, filiform, with two short setae on each segment. Abdomen reddish, legs red-orange. Upperside of forewing red-orange, with black markings: three basal dots, concave antemedial and zigzag median wide black bands joined at middle in shape of broad 'X' figure with an orange spot in the middle, concave black postmedial band in shape of broad 'U' figure with wide streaks along veins to termen, narrow black line along outer margin. Underside of forewing red-orange, slightly lighter than upperside, with dark marks near the apex. Upperside and underside of hind wing yellowish-white, tinged with pale rose near the apex.

Female morphology. Wingspan 35–39 mm, forewing length 17–18 mm (N = 7). The general pattern resembles that of male, but head, torax, and abdomen yellow, forewing also yellow, with dark brown markings. Hind wing yellowish white.

Male genitalia. Uncus long, narrow, laterally flattened, incurved, with acute claw-like apex. Tegumen long, V-shaped. Juxta rather narrow, W-shaped with a deep recess medially, markedly sclerotized. Saccus rounded and rather narrow. Valve long and broad, costa markedly sclerotized, with long, finger-like medial process directed ventrally, and slightly curved and apically pointed medial constal extension; medial membranous lobe of valve broad; sacculus narrow, strongly sclerotized, slightly setose, with short and thick distal process curved dorsally, basal saccular process absent. Aedeagus short and broad, straight. Vesica large, broad; basal diverticulum small, sack-like, membranous; 1st medial diverticulum rather large, broad, sack-like, membranous, with dense scobination proximally; 2nd medial diverticulum very large, broad, sack-like, membranous, distally with sparse scobination, and with two fields of thick, short cornuti of different size; 3rd medial diverticulum long, broad, with dense scobination; 4th medial diverticulum short, sack-like, tapering distally, with dense scobination.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor narrow, conical; papillae anales (ovipositor lobes) broad, short, apically rounded, covered densely with short fine setae; apophyses anteriores and posteriores elongated, thin, of the same length. Antrum broad, funnel-shaped, sclerotized laterally, with large lateral rounded lobes; ductus bursae long, cylindrical, membranous, with narrow anterior section. Corpus bursae elongate-elliptical, sack-like, with dense granulation, appendix bursae broad, with two large sack-like lobes thickly covered with strong spinulose scobination.

Distribution. Sumbawa (type locality), Lombok ( Holloway 1982) and Flores (first record).

Comments. Our series from the West Flores fits well with the original description ( Rothschild, 1913) and redescription of Hampson (1914). The morphology of aedeagus and vesica agrees with a brief description of Holloway (1982).

Figures

Figure 2. Specimens of Barsine dohertyi (upper side), West Flores, Indonesia. (A) Male [RMBH no. Sph0774]. (B) Female [RMBH no. Sph0779]. Scale bar = 5 mm. (Photos: V. M. Spitsyn).