Pyrophleps Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000

Gorbunov, O. G., 2021, A new species of the genus Pyrophleps Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000 (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) from Laos, with remarks on the genus, Russian Entomological Journal 30 (2), pp. 166-174 : 167-169

Pyrophleps Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000

“ Pyrophleps Arita & Gorbunov , gen. nov. ” — Arita, Gorbunov, 2000: 64. Type species: Pyrophleps nigripennis Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000 , by original designation.

LITERATURE. Pühringer, Kallies, 2004: 19 ( Pyrophleps ); Xu et al., 2015: 151 ( Pyrophleps ); Skowron et al., 2015: 426 ( Pyrophleps ); Skowron Volponi, Volponi, 2017: 129, 130 ( Pyrophleps ); Kallies, Štolc, 2018: 596, 599 (as a synonym of Aschistophleps Hampson, 1893 ); Pühringer, Kallies, 2021 (as a synonym of Aschistophleps Hampson, 1893 ).

REDESCRIPTION. Brightly-coloured, small-sized, longlegged clearwing moths with alar expanse 13–19 mm. Superficially resembling the genus Aschistophleps Hampson, 1893 .

Head with antenna strongly clavate, without cilia in male; frons smooth-scaled; labial palpus ( Figs 1–4 ) long, directed ahead, tufted with long hair-like scales on mid joint; compound eyes distinctly bean-shaped; proboscis well-developed, long, functional; vertex covered with short hair-like scales. Thorax smooth-scaled, both metepimeron and metameron with long hair-like scales posteriorly. Fore tibia tufted with long hair-like scales at posterior margin; hind leg with distal half of tibia and 1–2 basal tarsomeres tufted with long hair-like scales. Abdomen smooth-scaled, anal tuft nearly undeveloped. Forewing with transparent areas rather well-developed, cells of external transparent area divided into two cells by a scaled line; veins R 1 and R 2 parallel, veins R 3+4 and R 5 arising from a common point. Hindwing transparent, discal spot narrow, reaching base of vein M 3; vein M 3 arises from vein CuA 1 slightly basal to cross-vein.

MALE GENITALIA ( Figs 23–26 ). Uncus with a semi-oval plate of long hair-like setae lateral-apically, covering tuba analis like a collar; gnathos narrow, long, distinctly protruding caudally; valva gradually widens towards the center, and then narrows rather sharply towards the apex, making distal half spear-shaped, densely covered with short and very thin hair-like setae; saccus short but broad, about as long as vinculum, straight basally; aedeagus relatively long, about 1.5 times as long as valva; vesica with numerous, minute cornuti.

FEMALE. Unknown.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS.With their elongated legs, representatives of this genus are slightly similar to those of genus Aschistophleps Hampson, 1893 . From this genus compared, Pyrophleps can be distinguished by the structure of the labial palpus (longer, directed ahead, tufted with long hair-like scales on mid joint in Pyrophleps , vs. rather shorter, turned-up, without a tuft of hair-like scales on mid joint in the genus compared), shape of the compound eyes (distinctly bean-shaped in Pyrophleps , vs. slightly bean-shaped in Aschistophleps ). Additionally all these genera clearly differs from each other by the shape of the valva in the male genitalia [compare Figs 23 and 25 with fig. 17b in Arita, Gorbunov, 2000].

LIFE HISTORY. Nothing is known about the host plants and the biology of the preimaginal stages of all species of this genus. Males have a mud-puddling behaviour and they can be found among bees and wasps on wet soil.

COMPOSITION. I currently include the following four species in the genus: P. nigripennis Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000 (type locality: V. Vietnam, Ninh Binh Prov., Gia Vien, Cuc Puong , 250 m) , P. vitripennis Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000 (type locality: V. Vietnam, Ninh Binh Prov., Gia Vien, Cuc Puong , 250 m) , Pyrophleps ellawi Skowron Volponi, 2017 (type locality: Malaysia: Pahang, Merapoh , 04°39.04´N, 102°01.80´E ”, and P. zamesovi O. Gorbunov , sp.n. (type locality: Laos, Kammouang Prov., Ban Khounkham ( Nahin ), 18°13´N, 104°31´E, 200 m).

RANGE. Oriental realm from Laos and North Vietnam in the north to Malaysia in the south.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Labial palpus of Pyrophleps spp. 1 — P. zamesovi sp.n., holotype. Sesiidae picture № 0107-0108–2021; 2 — P. zamesovi sp.n., paratype. Sesiidae picture № 0095-0096–2021; 3 — P. nigripennis Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000, paratype. Sesiidae picture № 0113-0114– 2021; 4 — P. vitripennis Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000, paratype. Sesiidae picture № 0121-122–2021. Рис. 1–4. Губные Щупики Pyrophleps spp. 1 — P. zamesovi sp.n., голотип. Sesiidae снимок № 0107-0108–2021; 2 — P. zamesovi sp.n., паратип. Sesiidae снимок № 0095-0096–2021; 3 — P. nigripennis Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000, паратип. Sesiidae снимок № 0113- 0114–2021; 4 — P. vitripennis Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000, паратип. Sesiidae снимок № 0121-122–2021.

Figs 23–24. Male genitalia of Pyrophleps zamesovi sp.n. Paratype. Genital preparation № OG–006-2021; 23 — ventral view; 24 — aedeagus. Scale bar: 0.5 mm. Рис. 23–24. Гениталии самца Pyrophleps zamesovi sp.n. Паратип. Препарат гениталий № OG–006-2021; 23 — сниЗу; 24 — Эдеагус. Масштаб: 0,5 мм.

Figs 25–26. Male genitalia of Pyrophleps nigripennis Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000. S. Vietnam, Dong Nai, Cat Tien National Park, 11°26.439´N, 107°24.747´E, 150 m, 23.IV.2018, O. Gorbunov leg. (COGM). Genital preparation № OG–008-2021; 25 — ventral view; 26 — aedeagus. Scale bar: 0.5 mm. Рис. 25–26. Гениталии самца Pyrophleps nigripennis Arita et O. Gorbunov, 2000. Ю. Вьетнам, Донг Най, Национальный парк Кат Тьен, 11°26.439΄ с.ш., 107°24.747´в.д., 150 м, 23.IV.2018, О. Горбунов leg. (COGM). Препарат гениталий № OG–008-2021; 25 — вид сниЗу; 26 — Эдеагус. Масштаб: 0,5 мм.