Peucela acutativalva Qi & Li, 2020

Lotani, Narendra Singh & Negi, Chandra Singh, 2024, Peucela acutativalva Qi & Li, 2020 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae): An addition to the Indian fauna, Zootaxa 5446 (4), pp. 595-600 : 595-597

Peucela acutativalva Qi & Li, 2020

Material examined: 3 exemplaria (1 ♂, 21.v.2021, 2 ♀: 24.v.2021; 26.v.2021), village Kultham , Munsiari, Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand, 1800-2100 m, 30.17666667N 80.25500000E, Leg. Narendra Singh Lotani, Coll. Ecology & Biodiversity Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Motiram Baburam Postgraduate College, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India .

Remarks: The habitat is a mixed temperate forest dominated by Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus , Rhododendron arboreum Sm. , and Lyonia ovalifolia (Wall.) Drude. The ambient temperature ranged between 19.3°C and 21.4°C during specimen collection, with humidity between 60% and 64%.

Discussion

The specimens collected in India bear slight differences from the specimens described by Qi et al. (2020), primarily in possessing more pronounced discal spots on the forewings ( Figure 2 Bi and Bii).

Description of the species

Adult. Wingspan: 24–26 mm. Frons and vertex yellowish brown; labial palpus yellowish brown, admixed somewhat with fuscous scales; the first segment is about 1/3 of the length of the second, which is upturned; with the third segment, about the same length as the first. Maxillary palpus with first segment, similar in length as third segment; second segment constricted medially, and extending beyond the first segment of labial palpus; concolorous with labial palpus ( Figure 2A ). Male antenna with scape ovate and ventrally ciliated flagellum. Patagium and tegula yellowish brown ( Figure 2A ). Forelegs fuscous, except for the tibia, with each tarsomere tip being faintly yellowish-brown ( Figure 2 Ci). Mid-leg and hindlegs are fuscous towards the middle portion, with the distal tibia, and each tarsomere's apex being yellowish-brown ( Figure 2 Cii & 2Ciii). Forewing grayish brown; basal area fuscous except grayish brown at the posterior half; the terminal area fuscous, admixed marginally with reddish brown scales; the costal margin mostly fuscous, apart from the median area, which is interrupted with pale grayish brown spots in both sexes. The antemedial line is pale grayish brown, from basal 1/4 of costa to basal 1/3 of dorsum, anterior half arched outwardly, posterior half concave inwardly; the postmedial line concolorous with the antemedial, and edged with fuscous line on the inner side, from distal 2/5 of costa to distal 1/8 of dorsum sinuously, with a distinct pointed convex between vein M¹ and M². The median area thinly covered with fuscous scales, distal discoidal stigma fuscous; cilia fuscous along the basal half, and reddish brown distally. The hindwing concolorous with median area of forewing. Antemedial and postmedial lines pale greyish brown, arched outwardly, with the outer side of the antemedial and the inner side of the postmedial lines bordered with fuscous lines; cilia fuscous at base, and reddish brown distally.

Forewing venation. In the third part of the costal margin, where the radial vein has three branches, the subcostal veins are unbranched and merged with the costal vein. The first vein is the radial vein, which is a free vein. The radial vein's second branch, referred to as the radius sector, is further divided into the Rs1, Rs2, and Rs3 sub-branches. The radial vein's third branch is further split into the sub-branch Rs4 and Rs5. The radial and medial veins are linked by a medial cross vein and it forms the first medial vein M1, which is close to the Rs5 vein. Vein M2 is widely separated from M1 but close to M3 at the base. M1, M2, and CuA1 are situated near the outer margin of the wing. CuA2 is close to the CuP but these are fully separated from each other, the CuA1, CuA2, and CuP are situated in the posterior margin of the wing. The anal vein- A is separate from the CuP, and towards 1/4 basal part, and branches to form 1A and 2A. The A1 vein is markedly absent in the specimen reported by Qi & Li (2020). A lobe-like structure appears in the basal part of the anal vein ( Figure 3A ).

Hindwing venation. Sc+R is formed by the fusion of the sub-costal and radial veins. Rs is situated close to the Sc+R vein at the base but both are separate from each other. M1 is moderately close to Rs at the base than M2; M1 and M2 are separate but linked with the radial vein in the basal half. The medial vein M3 and anterior cubital veins are fused for half the length, then separate and form M3, while the anterior cubital vein branches into CuA1, CuA2, and CuA3. The cupitus posterior vein is completely separated from all other veins, similar to that of anal vein 1A, which is distinctly separated from both CuP and 2A. The 2 nd anal vein, situated close to the anal margin of the hindwing divides later to give rise to 2A and 3A; 4A is a single vein, slightly curved, and is situated close to the anal part, and is responsible for the folding of the anal fold of wing ( Figure 3B ). The wing venation of P. acutativalva is similar to that of P. nigra Qi & Li (2020) , except that in P. acutativalva , a difference is found in the anal vein, where there is a small branching (1A) on the anal margin which is slightly curved ( Figure 3A ).

Male genitalia. Uncus trapezoidal, flat at apex, and laterally concave at distal 1/3. Gnathos with lateral arms slim and straight; distal process tiny and rhombic; basal extension upturned at basal 1/4, about twice as long as lateral arms of gnathos, knife-shaped at the tip. Valva is broad basally, gradually narrowing towards the rounded apex; clasper flat, situated below the base of costa; sacculus progressively tapers distally, and is about 3/5 length of the valva. Juxta with the basal part sclerotized, is rhombic, with the apical part being membranous and rectangular. The saccus is U-shaped, rounded at the tip, and is about 1/3 length of the sacculus. The phallus with the basal part oval; the distal part is around 1.2 times as long as the basal half, and distally marked with granules; the cornutus is around 1/5 length of the phallus ( Figure 4 ).

Female genitalia. Anales papillae ovate. Apophyses anterior gradually taper towards the apex, and is about three times long, as compared to apophyses posteriors. The antrum is well sclerotized, marginally folded towards the apex, and is about the same length as of apophyses anteriores; the colliculus is strongly sclerotized. Ductus bursae, marked out by a wrinkled basal half, with the anterior half granular on the inner face, is nearly three times longer as compared to corpus bursae, which is rounded; with no signum ( Figure 5 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2 (A–C). Peucela acutativalva—(2. A) diagnostic features of the thorax (magnified), (2. Bi & ii, as per Qi & Li, 2020) -Adult (♂ and ♀), (2. Ci to iii) distinctive features of the foreleg, midleg, and hindleg.

FIGURE 3. A. Forewing: The anal vein 1A branching out into 1A and 2A, with 1A marked out being curved and B, the hindwing.

FIGURE 4. (A) Genitalia of P. acutativalva ♂ from India compared with (B) P. acutativalva ♂ illustrated by Qi et al. (2020).

FIGURE 5. (A) Genitalia of P. acutativalva ♀ from India compared with (B) P. acutativalva ♀ illustrated by Qi et al. (2020).