Aschistophleps zamesovi O. Gorbunov, 2021

Gorbunov, Oleg G., 2021, Review of the genus Aschistophleps Hampson, 1893 (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae) of Laos, Zootaxa 5020 (2), pp. 384-396 : 388-391

Aschistophleps zamesovi O. Gorbunov , sp. nov.

( Figs 13–24 , 29–30 )

Holotype ♂ ( Figs 13–14 ), “ Laos, Kammouang Prov. , / Ban Khounkham (Nahin). / 18˚13΄N, 104˚31΄E, 200 m, / 29.IV.2005, / O. Gorbunov leg.”; “ SESIIDAE / Pictures №№ / 0045–0046-2021 / Photo by O. Gorbunov ”; “ HOLO- TYPUS ♂ / Aschistophleps zamesovi / O. Gorbunov, 2021 / O. Gorbunov des. 2020” ( COGM).

Paratypes (22 ♂♂; all in COGM), 1 ♂, same locality as holotype, 09.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0043-0044–2021); 1 ♂, same locality, 16.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0041- 0042–2021); 1 ♂, same locality, 18.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg.; 6 ♂♂, same locality, 19.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0293-0294–2013, 0297-0298–2013, №№ 0047-0048–2021) ( Figs 21–24 ); 2 ♂♂, same locality, 20.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg.; 2 ♂♂, same locality, 23.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0851-0852–2014) (genitalia preparation № OG–066-2018) ( Figs 15–16 ); 1 ♂, same locality, 24.IV.2005, O. Gor- bunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0195-0196–2021) ( Figs 19–20 ); 3 ♂♂, same locality, 25.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0049-0050–2021, 0197-0198–2021) ( Figs 17–18 ); 4 ♂♂, same locality, 27.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0853-0854–2014, 0051-0052–2021); 1 ♂, same locality, 28.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg.

Description. Male (holotype) ( Figs 13–14 ). Alar expanse 23.0 mm; body length 12.0 mm; forewing 11.0 mm; antenna 2.8 mm.

Head with antenna black dark violet sheen dorsally and orange ventrally, scapus black with dark violet sheen with a few orange scales anteriorly; frons yellow-orange with strong golden glitter and a few dark brown scales medially; vertex black with dark blue-violet sheen; labial palpus entirely yellow to yellow-orange; pericephalic hairs orange with an admixture of black hair-like scales dorsally.

Thorax with patagia entirely orange; tegula, meso- and metathorax black with dark violet sheen densely covered with orange scales masking background colouration; thorax laterally dark brown to black with greenish-blue sheen and a large lemon-yellow spot anteriorly and a few lemon-yellow scales on metathorax; posteriorly both metepimeron and metameron lemon-yellow with lemon-yellow hair-like scales. Legs with neck plate and fore coax entirely lemon yellow; fore femur black with bright greenish-bronze sheen; fore tibia and fore tarsus entirely yellow-orange; mid coxa and mid femur black with greenish-blue sheen; mid tibia yellow-orange with a few black scales exteriordistally; spurs yellow-orange; mid tarsus yellow-orange with a few black scales dorso-distally on four basal tarsomeres; hind coxa black with greenish-blue sheen; hind femur black with greenish-blue sheen externally and lemon yellow internally; hind tibia narrowly yellow-orange basally, then lemon yellow to base of mid spurs and then black with dark purple sheen and with two small spots of silvery scales with electric-blue glitter dorsally both at level of mid spurs and distally; spurs black with dark purple sheen and a few orange scales externally; hind tarsus black with dark purple sheen and a small spot of silvery scales with electric-blue glitter dorso-basally on basal tarsomere. Forewing dorsally with basal part orange; costal and anal margins, CuA-stem, discal spot, veins within external transparent area dark brown to black with dark purple sheen; costal margin with a narrow orange line between veins Sc and R-stem; ventrally orange with bright golden glitter, discal spot, surface between veins R 1 –R 3, scales on veins within external transparent area and sparse scales between veins R 3 –CuA 1 dark brown to black with dark violet sheen; cilia dark brown with bronze sheen; transparent areas well-developed but densely covered with orange translucent scales with golden glitter; posterior transparent area exceeding distal margin of discal spot; external transparent area extremely large, divided into six cells between veins R 3 –CuA 2, cells between veins R 3 –CuA 1 divided into two parts by a thin, broadened distally, sparse scales; outer margin undeveloped. Hindwing transparent but distal half densely covered with orange translucent scales with golden glitter; veins, discal spot and outer margin dark brown with dark violet sheen; discal spot extremely narrow consisting of one row of scales, reaching to common stem M 3 –CuA 1; outer margin narrow, about one third as broad as cilia; cilia dark brown with bronze sheen, anally orange.

Abdomen dorsally black with dark blue-violet sheen; tergites 1–2 each covered with a few narrow orange scales; tergite 4 with a few lemon yellow scales; ventrally lemon yellow with a few black scales on distal half; anal tuft small dark brown to black with greenish sheen.

Male genitalia (paratype, genital preparation № OG–066-2018) ( Figs 29–30 ).

Female. Unknown.

Individual variability. Slightly varying in the number of orange scales on the thorax, forewing and hind tibia. Besides this, this new species is rather variable in individual size: alar expanse: 17.8–24.0 mm; body length 8.2– 12.4 mm; forewing 7.9–11.2; antenna 4.5–6.8 mm.

Differential diagnosis. This new species seems to be closest to A. lampropoda Hampson, 1893 and A. longipoda Arita & O. Gorbunov, 2000 . From the first species compared, A. zamesovi sp. nov. can be distinguished by the colouration of the frons and labial palpus (frons and labial palpus black in A. lampropoda , vs. frons yellow-orange with strong golden glitter and a few dark brown scales medially and labial palpus entirely yellow to yellow-orange in A. zamesovi sp. nov.), hind leg tuft (hind tibia in distal half and basal tarsomere orange with a narrow black stripe exteriorly in A. lampropoda vs. hind tibia in distal half and basal tarsomere black in A. zamesovi sp. nov.). From A. longipoda , A. zamesovi sp. nov. clearly differs by the colouration of the hind leg tuft (distal half of hind tibia and hind basal tarsomere orange in A. lampropoda vs. distal half of hind tibia and hind basal tarsomere black with dark purple sheen in A. zamesovi sp. nov.; compare Figs 1–12 with Figs 13–24 ). From A. nahinensis sp. nov., A. zamesovi sp. nov. is distinguishable by the colouration of the frons (grey-brown with blue-violet sheen and a few whitish scales at eye margin ventrally in A. nahinensis sp. nov., vs. yellow-orange with strong gonden glitter and a few dark brown scales medially in A. zamesovi sp. nov.), thorax laterally (dark grey-brown blue-violet sheen, with a large whitish spot with yellowish glitter anteriorly in A. nahinensis sp. nov., vs. dark brown to black with greenish-blue sheen and a large lemon-yellow spot anteriorly in A. zamesovi sp. nov.) and hind tibia (basal hail white with golden glitter in A. nahinensis sp. nov., vs. lemon yellow in basal half in A. zamesovi sp. nov.). From all other congeners, this new species is separable by the presence of orange scales on the thorax, legs and wings.

Bionomics. The host plant is unknown. The type series was collected during April. Males were mud-puddling.

Habitat. Like the previous species, this new species was collected on wet soil on the banks of the Nam Sanam stream in a primary, monsoon, semi-deciduous, lowland, tropical forest.

Distribution. The new species is known from the type locality in Laos only.

Etymology. This new species is named after my friend Alexei Nikolaevich Zamesov (Moscow, Russia), an excellent lepidopterist who always helps me in my research.

Figures

FIGURES 13–18. Variability of males Aschistophleps zamesovi O. Gorbunov, sp. nov. Laos, Khammouang Prov., Ban Khounkham (Na Hin), 18˚13΄N, 104˚31΄E, 200 m, O. Gorbunov leg. 13) holotype, upside. 29.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0045–2021. Alar expanse 23.0 mm; 14) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0046–2021; 15) paratype, upside. Same locality, 23.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0851–2014. Alar expanse 24.0 mm; 16) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0852–2014; 17) paratype, upside. Same locality, 25.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0197–2021. Alar expanse 17.8 mm; 18) ditto underside. Sesi- idae picture № 0198–2021.

FIGURES 19–24. Variability of males Aschistophleps zamesovi O. Gorbunov, sp. nov. Laos, Khammouang Prov., Ban Khounkham (Na Hin), 18˚13΄N, 104˚31΄E, 200 m, O. Gorbunov leg. 19) paratype, upside. 24.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0195–2021. Alar expanse 22.0 mm; 20) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0196–2021; 21) paratype, upside. Same locality, 19.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0293–2013. Alar expanse 19.4 mm; 22) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0294–2014; 23) paratype, upside. Same locality, 19.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0297–2013. Alar expanse 17.8 mm; 24) ditto underside. Sesi- idae picture № 0298–2013.

FIGURES 29–30. Male genitalia of Aschistophleps zamesovi O. Gorbunov, sp. nov. Genital preparation № OG–066-2018. 29) ventral view; 30) aedeagus. Scale bar: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 1–6. Variability of males Aschistophleps longipoda Arita & O. Gorbunov, 2000. Laos, Khammouang Prov., Ban Khounkham (Na Hin), 18˚13΄N, 104˚31΄E, 200 m, O. Gorbunov leg. 1) upside. 09.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0053–2021.Alar expanse 19.8 mm; 2) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0054–2021; 3) upside. Same locality, 09.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0057–2021. Alar expanse 21.8 mm; 4) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0058–2021; 5) upside. Same locality, 16.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0065–2021. Alar expanse 23.1 mm; 6) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0066–2021.

FIGURES 7–12. Variability of males Aschistophleps longipoda Arita & O. Gorbunov, 2000. Laos, Khammouang Prov., Ban Khounkham (Na Hin), 18˚13΄N, 104˚31΄E, 200 m, O. Gorbunov leg. 7) upside. 16.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0067–2021.Alar expanse 20.9 mm; 8) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0068–2021; 9) upside. Same locality, 14.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0073–2021. Alar expanse 15.5 mm; 10) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0074–2013; 11) upside. Same locality, 15.IV.2005. Sesiidae picture № 0079–2021. Alar expanse 18.0 mm; 12) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0080–2021.