Athaumasta arida Volynkin & Saldaitis, 2019

Volynkin, Anton V., Saldaitis, Aidas, Titov, Sergey V. & Truuverk, Andro, 2019, Six new species of Athaumasta Hampson, 1906 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Bryophilinae) from the mountains of Kazakhstan, Russian Altai and Mongolia, Ecologica Montenegrina 22, pp. 1-26 : 17

Athaumasta arida Volynkin & Saldaitis , sp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CDE0C4E5-F009-4F8F-B201-7347185C72CE

( Figs 16–19 , 54, 55 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 16 , 54 ): male, ― 13.VI.2010, Russia, Altai Republic, Kosh- Agach district, Kuraisky Ridge , 5 km E of Chagan-Uzun village, 50°24‘27‘‘ N, 87°35‘50‘‘ E. 2130 m. Volynkin A. V. leg.‖, GenBank voucher MN023144 , slide AV4912 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. NHMUK).

Paratypes. 11 males, same data as in the holotype, GenBank vouchers MN023145 , MN023146 , MN023147 , MN023173 , MN023174 & BOLD voucher AVLEP074-11 , slide AV4913 ♂ Volynkin; 4 males, same locality, but 1. VI .2009, A. V. Volynkin & M.S. Ivanova leg. (Coll. CAV) ; 2 males, same locality, but 3–5. VI .2008, R. V . Yakovlev leg. (Coll. CAV) ; 1 male, 13.VII.2009, Russia, Altai Republic, Kosh-Agach distr., 15 km NE of Tashanta village, Chuya steppe, Zhalpakkoby hole, valley of Yustyt riv., left bank of Yustyt riv., steppe. h = 2300 m. By light. Volynkin A. V ., Černila M., Nakonechnyi A.N. leg. (Coll. CAV) ; 2 males, 17. V .2012, W Mongolia, Hovd aimak, Mongolian Altai Mts., Hundijn-Gol river valley ( Bodonchijn-Gol river basin), h= 1800 m, 46˚07.473‘ N, 92˚30.752‘ E, Yakovlev R. V . leg., GenBank voucher MN023151 , slides AV4915 ♂, AV5318 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. CAV) ; 1 male, 15– 16.05.2012, W Mongolia, Hovd aimak, Dzhungarian Gobi, Arshantyn-Nuruu Ridge , h= 1700–2100 m, 46˚22‘ N, 91˚15‘ E, Yakovlev R. V . leg., GenBank voucher MN023150 , slide AV4914 ♂ Volynkin (Coll. CAV) ; 2 males, 07. VI .2009, Altai Republic, Kosh-Agach district , Chagan Uzun, Krasnaja Gorka, 1 800 m . 50°05‘ N, 88°24‘ E, Nakonechny A. leg. (Coll. MDS) ; 2 males, Mongolia, Hovd Ajmag, Arshantin Nuruu Mtns. , 1730–2000 a.s.l., 14–16. V .2012, 46°22‘08‘‘N 91°13‘52‘‘E, Černila M., Yakovlev R. V ., Nakonechny A.N. (Coll. MCK) ; 3 males, Mongolia, Hovd Ajmag, Mongol Altai , r. Bodonchiin Gol, 1720m a.s.l., 18. V .2012, 46°07‘28‘‘N 92°30‘45‘‘E, Černila M., Yakovlev R. V ., Nakonechny A.N. (Coll. MCK) .

Diagnosis. Forewing length 13.5–15 mm in males (14.5 mm in the holotype). Specimens from Mongolia ( Fig. 19 ) are slightly smaller in size than those from the Russian Altai ( Figs 16–18 ). Athaumasta arida ( Figs 16–19 ) is very similar externally to A. expressa ( Figs 35–45 ) and can be distinguished by the genitalia structures only. In the male genitalia, A. arida ( Figs 54, 55 ) differs from A. expressa ( Figs 64– 68 ) by its longer harpe, slightly longer valva with more massive distal section, and smaller cornutus in vesica. Compared to those of A. kuchinichi ( Figs 62, 62 ), the male genitalia of A. arida have longer harpe and slightly broader vesica. The male genitalia of A. arida are also similar to those of A. siderigera ( Fig. 69 ), but the vinculum is more robust, the ventral margin of valva is less convex, the harpe is slightly shorter, and the vesica is much broader. The moths of A. arida ( Figs 16–19 ) differ clearly from A. siderigera ( Fig. 34 ) by their more robust body and orange or olive green forewing ground color (that is blackish in A. siderigera ).

Female unknown.

Molecular data. COI 5‘ sequences of nine specimens of A. arida from three localities were compared with COI 5‘ sequences of eleven specimens of A. expressa from six localities, three specimens of A. kuchinichi from one locality, six specimens of A. tarbagata from two localities and two paratype specimens of A. argillacea from one locality. The infraspecific variation of COI 5‘ sequences of A. arida is 0.00–0.62%; that of A. expressa is 0.00–0.77%. The distance between specimens of A. arida and A. expressa is 4.11–4.99%; that between A. arida and A. kuchinichi is 3.78–4.15%; that between A. arida and A. argillacea 3.62–3.98%; that between A. arida and A. tarbagata is 3.86–4.65%. The COI 5‘ sequences of A. arida are characterized by the combination of two character states unique for the genus, 19(C) and 87(A), and a character state unique for the species-group, 274(T) ( Table 3).

Distribution. The species is widespread from the Chuya Steppe in the southeastern Russian Altai to the southern part of Mongolian Altai. It inhabits dry stony steppe slopes and semi-deserts at medium altitudes (1700–2300m) ( Figs 78 , 79 ).

Etymology. The species‘ name refers to its habitat in dry biotopes.

Figures

Figure 78. Russia, Altai Republic, Kosh-Agach district, Chuya Steppe at foothills of Kuraisky Ridge, 5 km E of Chagan-Uzun village, 2100m, 50°24‘27‘‘N 87°35‘50‘‘E, 10.VI.2010, the type locality of A. arida (photo by A.V. Volynkin).

Figure 79. West Mongolia, Khovd aimak, Mongolian Altai Mts., Hundijn-Gol river valley (Bodonchijn-Gol river basin), 1800 m, 18.V.2012, the type locality of A. etugen and the habitat of A. arida (photo by M. Černila).

Figures 16–30. Athaumasta expressa species-group: adults. 16, A. arida, HT male, Russian Altai (NHMUK); 17, ditto, PT male, Russian Altai (CAV); 18, ditto, PT male, Russian Altai (CAV); 19, ditto, PT male, W Mongolia (CAV); 20, A. etugen, HT male, W Mongolia (NHMUK); 21, ditto, PT male, W Mongolia (CAV); 22, A. tarbagata, HT male, E Kazakhstan (NHMUK); 23, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 24, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 25, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 26, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 27, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 28, A. argillacea, PT male, E Kazakhstan (ZISP); 29, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 30, ditto, PT male, E Kazakhstan (CAV).

Figures 54–57. Athaumasta spp., male genitalia. 54, A. arida, HT, Russian Altai, slide AV4912 Volynkin; 55, A. arida, PT, W Mongolia, slide AV4915 Volynkin; 56, A. etugen, HT, W Mongolia, slide AV4924 Volynkin; 57, A. etugen, PT, W Mongolia, slide AV1445 Volynkin.

Figures 31–45. Athaumasta expressa species-group: adults. 31, A. kuchinichi, HT male, NE Kazakhstan (NHMUK); 32, ditto, PT male, NE Kazakhstan (CAV); 33, ditto, PT female, NE Kazakhstan (CAV); 34, A. siderigera, HT male, East Sayan (ZISP) (photo by A. Matov); 35, A. expressa, ST male, E Kazakhstan (ZMB) (photo by G. & L. Ronkay); 36, ditto, topotype male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 37, ditto, male, Russian Altai (CAV); 38, ditto, male, Russian Altai (CAV); 39, ditto, male, E Kazakhstan (CAV); 40, ditto, male, Russian Altai (CAV); 41, ditto, male, Russian Altai (CAV); 42, ditto, male, Russian Altai (CAV); 43, ditto, female, Russian Altai (CAV); 44, ditto, female, Russian Altai (CAV); 45, ditto, female, E Kazakhstan (CAV).

Figures 62–65. Athaumasta spp., male genitalia. 62, A. kuchinichi, HT, NE Kazakhstan, slide AV4910 Volynkin; 63, A. kuchinichi, PT, NE Kazakhstan, slide AV4911 Volynkin; 64, A. expressa, ST, E Kazakhstan, slide RL5938 Ronkay (photo by G. & L. Ronkay); 65, A. expressa, topotype, E Kazakhstan, slide AV5315 Volynkin.

Figures 66–69. Athaumasta spp., male genitalia. 66, A. expressa, Russian Altai, slide AV0497 Volynkin; 67, A. expressa, Russian Altai, slide AV5316 Volynkin; 68, A. expressa, Russian Altai, slide AV0642 Volynkin; 69, A. siderigera, HT, Russia, East Sayan, slide ZIN 14927 (photo by A. Matov).