Spilarctia dzyta Saldaitis, Volynkin & Dûda, 2024

Dûda, Juozas, Saldaitis, Aidas & Volynkin, Anton V., 2024, Two new Spilarctia Butler from Southwestern China (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Arctiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 75, pp. 67-73 : 70-73

Spilarctia dzyta Saldaitis, Volynkin & Dûda , sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:08376013-FD19-42AF-B7DB-4C6F9F4D324D

( Figs 5, 6 , 11 , 13 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 5 , 11 ): male, “ China, W. Sichuan, | 25km. N from Batang | H- 3100m, dry valley | N 30°12.049’ | E 099°14.078’ | 16.vi.2015 | Floriani & Saldaitis” / ‘Slide | AV7537 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( WIGJ).

Paratypes. 5 males, same data as holotype, gen. prep. No.: AV7532 ♂ ( ASV, WIGJ) ; 1 male, same data as holotype, but 05.v.2016, Saldaitis ( WIGJ) .

Diagnosis. Spilarctia dzyta sp. n. ( Figs 5, 6 ) is similar to S. gianellii (Oberthür, 1911) ( Figs 7, 8 ) but distinguished by its somewhat larger size, the pink beige forewing ground colour (it is pinkishbrown in the congener), the more curved antemedial line, and the continuous postmedial line, which is interrupted between M 1 and M 2 in S. gianellii . The male genital capsule of the new species ( Figs 11 , 13 ) differs from S. gianellii ( Fig. 12 ) in the broader valva, the more asymmetrical cuculli with shorter ventral crests, and the broader sacculus. The phallus of S. dzyta sp. n. is slightly distally narrower and its carina bears larger denticles than in S. gianellii . Compared to S. gianellii , the vesica of S. dzyta sp. n. has a markedly shorter distal section, and its distal diverticulum bears smaller spinules.

Description. Adult male ( Figs 5, 6 ). Antenna black, shortly bipectinate. Head and thorax pink with admixture of beige scales. Forewing length 20.5–22.5 mm. Forewing ground colour pale yellowishpink, markings black. Subbasal costal spot elongate, dash-like, distally dilated. Medial posterior spot dash-like with ante- and postmedial lines originating from its anterior and posterior ends, respectively. Antemedial line medially curved outwards and narrowed. Postmedial line nearly parallel with outer margin posteriorly and smoothly curved inwards and dilated at costal margin. Discal spot commashaped, posteriorly connected to postmedial line. Submarginal area with thin oblique row of indistinct grey spots medially, and grey suffusion at tornus. Hindwing ground colour similar to forewing. Discal spot elliptical, blackish-grey. Cilia of both wings concolorous with ground colour. Abdomen pale scarlet with black spots on each segment dorsally and laterally. Male genitalia ( Figs 11 , 13 ). Uncus broadly triangular, swollen but dorso-ventrally flattened, with rectangular tip. Arms of tegumen moderately sclerotised, ribbon-like. Tuba analis broad and membranous. Vinculum somewhat shorter than tegumen, U-shaped. Valva gradually tapered distally. Costa thin with dilated distal section forming convex subapical dorsal crest. Cuculli asymmetrical: left one larger and bearing larger ventral lobe; each cucullus short and narrow, upcurved and apically rounded, with short but broad, petal-like ventral lobe on its inner surface. Sacculus moderately broad (ca. half of valva width), with short thorn-like postmedial process on it inner surface; distal sclerotisation of sacculus reaching cucullus. Juxta heavily sclerotised, broad, trapezoidal with V-shaped medial dorsal depression. Phallus cylindrical, slightly downcurved subanteriorly and upcurved posteriorly, somewhat shorter than annulus, with short and rounded coecum and dilated distal section; ventral carina bearing row of denticles gradually enlarging distally and protruding into short, utricular and granulose basal diverticulum. Vesica sack-like with broad semiglobular dorsal diverticulum bearing short stripe-like longitudinal dense cluster of minute spinules. Distal diverticulum airship-shaped, bearing two clusters of minute spinules dorsally and ventrally (lesser and larger one, respectively).

Female unknown.

Distribution. Currently known only from its type locality in western Sichuan Province (Southwestern China).

Etymology. The species is named after “DZYTA”, Lithuanian painter artist.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Alessandro Floriani (Milan, Italy) and Günter Müller (Freising, Germany) for their help in preparing the manuscript. The third author expresses his sincere thanks to Alberto Zilli and Geoff Martin (NHMUK) for their kind assistance during visits to the collection under their care.

References

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Figures

Figures 1–8. Spilarctia spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1, 2 and 5 in WIGJ; 3, 4, 6 and 7 in ASV; 8 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK

Figures 9–12. Spilarctia spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 9 and 11 in WIGJ; 10 and 12 in ASV.

Figures 13–14. Spilarctia spp.: male (13) and female (14) genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 13 in ASV; 14 in WIGJ.