Asclerobia sinensis (Caradja, 1937)

Yepishin, Viktor, 2023, Additional information on the taxonomy of genus Asclerobia Roesler, 1969 (Lepidoptera; Pyralidae), Zootaxa 5336 (2), pp. 247-258 : 251-258

Asclerobia sinensis (Caradja in Caradja & Meyrick, 1937)

( Figs 7–12 , 14–15 , 19 , 22 , 27–30 )

Sclerobia sinensis Caradja in Caradja & Meyrick, 1937: 148. TL: Tai Shan [Shandong prov., E China]

Etiella yangtseella Caradja, 1939: 20 . TL: Batang (Tibet), Tal Yangtze (2800 m) [ Batang Town , Batang County, Sichuan Prov., Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, China] syn. nov.

Asclerobia sinensis ( Caradja, 1937) ; Roesler 1969: 245, figs 1–2, transferred to Asclerobia

Epischnia yangtseella (Caradja) ; Whalley 1973: 5, transferred to Epischnia

Asclerobia gilvaria Yamanaka, 2006: 180–181 , figs 1, 5, 9, 13. TL: Japan, Hokkaido, Isoya-gun, Rankoshi-cho, Minatomachi; Streltzov 2010: 549, synonymized

Material examined. Paralectotype of yangtseella ♁, [ China, Sichuan prov.], “[round label with yellow edge] Para- | type” || “Batang. (Tibet). Im Tal | des Yangtze (ca. 2800 m) | 6.8 1936. H. Hӧne. “ || “ E. yangtseella | Caradja | Paratype “ || „ Etiella | yangtseella Car. | U. Roesler / Paratypus“ || [gen. prep.] “Slide | № 622.21 ♁ | V. Yepishin” || [antenna prep.] „Slide | № 622.21a23 ♁ | V. Yepishin“ ( SMNK) .

Paralectotype of yangtseella ♀, [ China, Sichuan prov.], “[round label with yellow edge] Para- | type” || “Batang. (Tibet). Im Tal | des Yangtze (ca. 2800 m) | 8.6 1936. H. Hӧne. “ || “ E. yangtseella | Caradja | Paratype. “ || „ Etiella | yangtseella Car. | U. Roesler / Paratypus“ || “Slide | № 621.21 ♀ | V. Yepishin” ( SMNK) .

Topotypes of sinensis 2♁, [ China, Shandong prov., Mount Tai] Tai-Shan , Prov. Shantung , 1550 m, 10[?]. v.1934 and 12.v.1934, H. Hӧne [leg.]; gen. prep. 11004 M. Horak, antenna prep. 11004a23s V. Yepishin ( SMNK).

1♀, [ China, Shaanxi prov., Qinling Mountains, Taibaishan ] Tapaishan im Tsinling , Sued-Shensi, Ca. 3000 m, 14.vi.1936, H. Hӧne [leg.] ( SMNK) .

1♁, China, Ningxia Hui AR, Yanchi Counti, 2 km NW Majia Houzhuang, 1452 m, 37.70°N 107.04°E, 15.vi.2019, O. Bidzilya leg.; gen. prep. 387.20s V . Yepishin ( ZMKU).

1♀, China, Ningxia Hui AR, Yanchi Counti, 1 km S Erdao Lake, 1407 m, 37.65°N 107.29°E, at light, 13.vi.2019, O. Bidzilya leg.; gen. prep. 457.20s V . Yepishin ( ZMKU).

1♀, Afghanistan, Nuristan [prov.], Bashgultal , 1100 m, 9.iv.[19]53, J. Klapperich [leg.]; gen. prep. in glycerol vial 710.23g V. Yepishin .

1♀, SO- Afghanistan, [Kandahar prov.], Safed Koh, S-Seite, Kotkai , 2350 m, 19–23.vi.1966, H. G. Amsel leg.; gen. prep. in glycerol vial 730.23g V. Yepishin .

1♁, 1♀, SO- Afghanistan, [Kandahar prov.], Safed Koh, S-Seite, Kotkai , 2350 m, 20.vi.[19]67; gen. prep. in glycerol vial ♁ 732.23g V. Yepishin .

1♁, 1♀, SO- Afghanistan, [Kandahar prov.], Safed Koh, S-Seite, Kotkai , 2350 m, 1 and 23.vi.1968, M. Müller leg.; gen. prep. in glycerol vial ♁ 733.23g , ♀ 731.23g V . Yepishin (all SMNK).

Diagnosis. Asclerobia sinensis is characterized by the comparatively narrow light-yellow forewings and almost the same non-prominent ante-medial line that is edged inwardly with yellowish-red raised scales, and distinct grey streak along costal margin ( Figs 7–12 ). Labial palpi are from light-grey to grey-brown and dorsally yellow, which in A. flavitinctella in various shades of yellow, and from yellow to grey in A. alexandrae . Middle segments of male antenna are elongated in width, 2× as wide as long ( Figs 14, 15 ), in related species middle segments of antenna are almost square, 1.4–1.5× as wide as long. In male genitalia ( Fig. 19 ) the saccus is rounded apically and the outer edge of the sacculus is slightly S-shaped crooked, distinguishing this species from A. alexandrae ; in the form of false cornutus, A. sinensis differs from A. flavitinctella . In female genitalia ( Fig. 22 ) the length of VIII segment is 1.5× its width (2.2× its width in A. alexandrae ), and corpus bursae is narrowly egg-shaped (broadly egg-shaped in A. flavitinctella ).

Remark. Etiella yangtseella was described based on an unspecified number of specimens from “Batang (Tibet)”, now a village in China, Sichuan province. Some specimens from type series are stored in Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History (MGAB), Bucharest, in particular: Lectotype with labels from which it follows that it was designated by E. Munroe in 1964, prep. gen. “GU 6166” by U.-R. Roesler; “ Allolectotype ”, prep. gen. “GU 6167” U.-R. Roesler; Paralectotype, with label “ Asclerobia yangtseella Car. , det. U. Roesler”; and two more Paralectotypes ( National Cultural Heritage 2023). The remaining two specimens ( Figs 11, 12 ), the male and the female, studied in this work are stored in SMNK. As far as I know, these designations of types have not been published.

Despite the fact that the specimens from Batang have a darker colour (thought due to the harsher climate of this location), they have an identical colour scheme of the forewings pattern, as well as the structure of the genitalia of both sexes, the structure of male antennae and the tympanal organs ( Figs 27–30 ), and therefore they are conspecific with A. sinensis . Hence, the following synonymy is proposed: Etiella yangtseella Caradja, 1939 syn. nov. of Asclerobia sinensis (Caradja in Caradja & Meyrick, 1937).

Distribution. E Afghanistan: Nuristan prov., Kandahar prov.; China: Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Shandong prov., Shaanxi prov., Yunnan prov., Beijing ( Roesler 1969; He & Huang 2010; Ren 2012; iNaturalist 2023); S Korea ( Qi et al. 2014); Japan ( Yamanaka 2006: as gilvaria ); Russia: Primorsky Krai, Amur region ( Streltzov 2010).

Figures

FIGURES 7–12. Adults of A. sinensis: 7. China, Tai-Shan, 19 mm, ♁11004; 8. China, Tai-Shan, 18.5 mm, ♁; 9. China, Tapaishan, 19.5 mm, ♀; 10. Afghanistan, Kotkai, 21.5 mm, ♁732.23; 11. yangtseella PLT, 18 mm, ♁622.21; 12. yangtseella PLT, 19.5 mm, ♀621.21.

FIGURES 13–17. Head structures. 13–15. Male antennae. 16, 17. Heads of flavitinctella, lateral view: 16. Iran, Bandar-Abbas- Sirjan, ♁711.23; 17. India, Silent Valley, ♀636.22.

FIGURES 18–19. Male genitalia: a. ventral view, aedeagus is separated; b. editum of left valva, enlarged; c. editum of right valva, enlarged; d. aedeagus; e. culcita and tergum VIII. 18. flavitinctella, Iran, Bandar-Abbas-Sirjan, ♁711.23. 19. yangtseella PLT, ♁622.21. (Scale bars = 1mm. 18d—vesica is partially everted. 19d—vesica is everted)

FIGURES 20–22. Female genitalia: a. general (ventral) view; b. base of ductus seminalis, enlarged. 20. tchahabarella PLT, ♀600.21. 21. flavitinctella, India, Silent Valley, ♀635.22. 22. yangtseella PLT, ♀621.21.

FIGURES 23–30. Tympanal organs of Asclerobia spp.: 23–26. flavitinctella; 27–30. sinensis.