Pyrophleps zamesovi O. Gorbunov, 2021

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 : 169-173

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.15298/rusentj.30.2.10
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:278A111E-62AA-4340-B035-9733B6CA7EDE
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D85909-FFFB-FFAE-2546-FBAFFDB4FC1F
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Pyrophleps zamesovi O. Gorbunov
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Pyrophleps zamesovi O. Gorbunov View in CoL , sp.n.

Figs 1–2 View Figs 1–4 , 5–6 View Figs 5–10 , 11–24 View Figs 11–16 View Figs 17–22 View Figs 23–24 .

MATERIAL. Holotype ♂ ( Figs 1–2 View Figs 1–4 ), “ Laos, Kammouang Prov. , / Ban Khounkham (Nahin), / 18°13´N, 104°31´E, 200 m, / 28.IV.2005, / O. Gorbunov leg.”; “ SESIIDAE / Pictures №№ / 0107–0108-2021 / Photo by O. Gorbunov ”; “ HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Pyrophleps zamesovi / O. Gorbunov, 2021 / O. Gorbunov des. 2020”. GoogleMaps

Paratypes (71 ♂♂), 6 ♂♂, same locality as holotype, 01– 02. V.2002, V. Tuzov leg. GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, same locality, 13.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. GoogleMaps ; 10 ♂♂, same locality, 16.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0083-0092–2021) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂♂, same locality, 17.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0083- 0092–2021) GoogleMaps ; 1 ♂, same locality, 18.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. GoogleMaps ; 10 ♂♂, same locality, 19.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0109-0110–2021) GoogleMaps ; 6 ♂♂, same locality, 23.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. GoogleMaps ; 4 ♂♂, same locality, 24.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. GoogleMaps ; 16 ♂♂, same locality, 25.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0093-0096–2021) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂♂, same locality, 26.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0105-0106–2021) ( COGM) GoogleMaps ; 11 ♂♂, same locality, 27.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0097-0104–2021) ( COGM) GoogleMaps ; 2 ♂♂, same locality, 28.IV.2005, O. Gorbunov leg. GoogleMaps ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0107-0108–2021).

DESCRIPTION. Male (holotype) ( Figs 1–2 View Figs 1–4 ). Alar expanse 18.9 mm; body length 12.1 mm; forewing 8.6 mm; antenna 5.7 mm.

Head with antenna dorsally black with dark violet sheen, ventrally light brown with admixture of reddish-brown scales with golden hue basally on each joint; scapus black with blueanthracite sheen; frons entirely black with greenish-violet sheen; labial palpus interior-ventrally white, exterior-dorsally mixed with black with greenish-violet sheen and reddish-orange scales; vertex black with greenish-violet sheen, densely covered with dark orange scales; pericephalic hairs white laterally and orange dorsally.

Thorax with patagia black with dark violet sheen and a few reddish-orange scales laterally; tegula black with dark blue-violet sheen and a few reddish-orange scales at base of forewing; meso- and metathorax black with greenish-violet sheen; thorax laterally dark brown to black with greenish-violet sheen and a few reddish-orange and white scales medially under forewing; posteriorly dark grey-brown with blue-violet sheen covered with long white hair-like scales.

Legs with neck plate white with a few dark brown to black scales with blue-violet sheen externally; fore coxa white with a narrow, broadened basally, dark brown to black with blue-violet sheen stripe in basal half externally; fore femur entirely dark brown to black with blue-violet sheen; fore tibia dark brown to black with blue-violet sheen, dorsally with a few white scales with electric-purple hue at base and a tuft of elongated brick-red scales externally; fore tarsus ventrally dark brown to black with bronze sheen, dorsally black with blue-violet sheen and a few white scales with electric-purple hue at base of three basal tarsomeres; mid coxa white internally and dark grey-brown with bronze-purple sheen externally; mid femur black with blue-violet sheen; mid tibia dark brown to black with blue-violet sheen, dorsally with a narrow white stripe in basal half and a few brick-red elongated scales medially; spurs externally dark brown to black with blue-violet sheen, internally white; mid tarsus dark brown to black with blue-violet sheen, four basal tarsomere narrowly white basally and with a small white spot with electric-purple hue dorsally at base; hind coxa dark grey-brown with bronze-purple sheen with a few white scales internally; hind femur black with blue-violet sheen; hind tibia black with greenish-blue sheen, a tuft of elongated brick-red and a few white scales medial-dorsally and brick-red scales exterior-distally; spurs externally dark brown to black with blue-violet sheen, internally white; hind tarsus black with greenish-violet sheen with a few white scales with electric-purple hue basally and brick-red elongated scales exteriorly on basal tarsomere, ventrally with a few white scales basally on three basal tarsomeres.

Forewing dorsally black with dark greenish-violet sheen; ventrally dark brown to black with dark violet sheen; transparent areas well-developed, in distal half covered with brownish semi-hyaline scales with electric-blue hue; anterior and posterior transparent areas long, exceeding level of discal spot of hindwing; external transparent area rather large, divided into ten cells between veins R 3+4 –CuA 2 (cells between veins R 5 –CuA 1 divided into two additional cells by a narrow scaled stripe); apical area narrow, about as broad as cilia; cilia dark brown with dark bronze sheen dorsally and bronze sheen ventrally.

Hindwing transparent; dorsally distal half covered by brownish semi-hyaline scales with electric-blue hue; veins, discal spot and outer margin black with dark violet sheen; ventrally veins, discal spot and outer margin black with dark violet sheen; discal spot narrow, reaching vein M 3; outer margin narrow, about as broad as cilia; cilia dark brown with dark bronze sheen dorsally and bronze sheen ventrally, anally white.

Abdomen dorsally black with dark violet sheen; distal row of scales of tergites 3, 7 and 8 each whitish; distal row of scales of tergites 4–6 each with whitish scales laterally; ventrally abdomen dark grey-brown with greenish-violet sheen and admixture of individual whitish scales; anal tuft very small black with dark violet sheen.

Male genitalia (paratype) (genital preparation № OG– 006-2021) ( Figs 23–24 View Figs 23–24 ). Tegumen-uncus complex narrow laterally but broad ventrally; uncus with a semi-oval plate of long hair-like setae ventro-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 1.2 times as long as valva; vesica with numerous, minute cornuti.

Female. Unknown.

INDIVIDUAL VARIABILITY. Slightly varying in the number of reddish-orange scales on the labial palpus ( Figs 1– 2 View Figs 1–4 ) and brick-red scales on the fore tibia and hind leg tuft ( Figs 5–6 View Figs 5–10 , 11–22 View Figs 11–16 View Figs 17–22 ). In addition, the size of the transparent areas of the forewing slightly varies. Besides this, this new species is rather variable in size: alar expanse: 15.2–18.9 mm; body length 9.0–12.0 mm; forewing 7.0–8.5; antenna 4.2–5.8 mm.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. By the structure of the transparent areas of the forewing this new species is closely related to P. vitripennis and P. ellawi . From the first species P. zamesovi sp.n. differs by the colouration of the labial palpus (exterior-dorsally dark brown with green-bronze sheen in P. vitripennis , vs. exterior-dorsally mixed with black with greenish-violet sheen and reddish-orange scales in P. zamesovi sp.n.; cp. Figs 1–2 View Figs 1–4 with Fig. 4 View Figs 1–4 ), fore tibia (dark brown to black with green-violet sheen and a large white spot dorso-basally in the species compared, vs. dark brown to black with blue-violet sheen, dorsally with a few white scales with electric-purple hue at base and a tuft of elongated brick-red scales externally in P. zamesovi sp.n.) and hind tibia (dark brown to black with strong green sheen, with a narrow white stripe interior-ventrally from base of tibia to base of mid spurs, a narrow white ring at base of mid spurs, and with brick-orange scales interior-distally in P. vitripennis , vs. black with greenish-blue sheen, a tuft of elongated brick-red and a few white scales medial-dorsally and brick-red scales exterior-distally in P. zamesovi sp.n.; cp. Figs 5–6 View Figs 5–10 with Figs 9–10 View Figs 5–10 ), and by the narrow discal spot of the hindwing (visibly broader in P. vitripennis , cp. Fig. 5 View Figs 5–10 with Fig. 9 View Figs 5–10 ). In addition, these two species are clearly distinguished by the structure of the male genitalia, especially by the shape of the valva [compare Figs 23–24 View Figs 23–24 with figs 15a–d in Arita, Gorbunov, 2000a].

From P. ellawi View in CoL , P. zamesovi View in CoL sp.n. can be separated by the colouration of the pericephalic hairs (white with several orange scales dorsally and black ventrally in the species compared, vs. orange dorsally and white laterally in P. zamesovi View in CoL sp.n.), tegula (black with blue sheen and a narrow orange inner margin in P. ellawi View in CoL , vs. black with dark blue-violet sheen and a few reddish-orange scales at base of forewing in P. zamesovi View in CoL sp.n.), hind tibia (black with admixture of white and brick-orange scales interior-distally in P. ellawi View in CoL , vs. black with greenish-blue sheen, a tuft of elongated brick-red and a few white scales medial-dorsally and brick-red scales exterior-distally in P. zamesovi View in CoL sp.n.; cp. Figs 5–6 View Figs 5–10 , 11–22 View Figs 11–16 View Figs 17–22 with fig. 3 in Skowron Volponi, Volponi, 2017) and by the shape of the valva in the male genitalia [compare Fig. 23 View Figs 23–24 with fig. 4 in Skowron Volponi, Volponi, 2017].

From P. nigripennis View in CoL , P. zamesovi View in CoL sp.n. can be easily distinguished by the colouration of the labial palpus (without reddish-orange scales in the species compared), fore tibia (dark brown to black with bronze-purple sheen, dorsally with a few pale yellow-orange scales posterior-basally in P. nigripennis View in CoL , vs. dark brown to black with blue-violet sheen, dorsally with a few white scales with electric-purple hue at base and a tuft of elongated brick-red scales externally in P. zamesovi View in CoL sp.n.),by the smaller transparent areas of the forewing (compare Figs 5–6 View Figs 5–10 and 11–22 View Figs 11–16 View Figs 17–22 with Figs 7–8 View Figs 5–10 ) and by the structure of the male genitalia (compare Figs 23–24 View Figs 23–24 with Figs 25–26 View Figs 25–26 ).

BIONOMICS. The larval host plant is unknown. The specimens of the type series exhibited a typical mud-puddling behaviour. All of them were found among bees and wasps on wet soil on the bank of a small stream.

HABITAT. The type series was collected on wet soil on the banks of the Nam Sanam stream in a primary, monsoon, semi-deciduous, lowland, tropical forest with Dipterocarpus alatus Roxb. ex G.Don , Hopea odorata Roxb. , H. ferrea Laness. ( Dipterocarpaceae ), Lagerstroemia cochinchinensis Pierre ex Laness. ( Lythraceae ), Afzelia xylocarpa (Kurz) Craib ( Fabaceae ) and Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br. ( Apocynaceae ) as the most dominant species.

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

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

Acknowledgements. I would like to express my cordial thanks to Mr. Alexey N. Zamesov (Moscow, Russia) for the company and help during our successful trip to Laos in 2005, Dr. Marta A. Skowron Volponi (Warsaw, Poland) for a very productive discussion about Oriental Osminiini, Dr. Vasily K. Tuzov (Moscow, Russia) for the gift of material, and Mr. Vlad V. Proklov (London, England) for carefully checking the English of an advanced draft.

The study was conducted using the equipment of the Joint Usage Center “Instrumental methods in ecology” at the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia).