Anarta (Trichoclea) mirabilis Volynkin

Volynkin, Anton V. & Ivanova, Maria S., 2014, A new species of Anarta Ochsenheimer, 1816 from Mongolian and Russian Altai (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3784 (5), pp. 596-600 : 596-600

Anarta (Trichoclea) mirabilis Volynkin , sp. n.

( Figs 1– 5 , 11, 12, 15 , 17 )

Type material. Holotype: male, 15–16.v.2012, W Mongolia, Hovd aimak, Dzhungarian Gobi, Arshantyn-Nuruu Ridge, h= 1700–2100 m, 46˚22’ N, 91˚15’ E, Yakovlev R.V. & Černila M. leg. Slide AV0885 Volynkin (Coll. ZISP).

Paratypes: 4 males, 1 female, with the same data as holotype (Colls AVB, MČK); 4 males, 17.v.2012, W Mongolia, Hovd aimak, Mongolian Altai Mts., Hundijn-Gol river valley (Bodonchijn-Gol river basin), h= 1800 m, 46˚07.473’ N, 92˚30.752’ E, Yakovlev R.V. leg. (Coll. AVB). 1 male, 13.vi.2010, Russia, Altai Republic, Kosh-Agach district, Kuraisky Ridge, 5 km E of Chagan-Uzun village, arid stony steppe. 50°24'27'' N, 87°35'50'' E. h = 2130 m. At UV-light trap. Volynkin A.V. leg. (Coll. AVB). Slides AV0890, AV1115 Volynkin (males), AV1114 Volynkin (female).

Diagnosis. The new species well differs externally from other members of Trichoclea ( Figs 9, 10 ) and resembles some Calocestra species, e.g. A. hoplites (Staudinger, 1901) ( Figs 6 , 15 , 19 ) and A. armata (Staudinger, 1901) ( Figs 6 , 16 , 20 ). A. mirabilis sp. n. ( Figs 1–5 ) can be distinguished externally from A. hoplites by the somewhat narrower forewing, the less dentate antemedial line, the postmedial line located farther from the reniform stigma, the smaller orbicular stigma, the narrower and less curved reniform stigma, the larger pale spot located outwardly from the claviform stigma, the subterminal line less dentated on veins M1, M2 and Cu2, the terminal line presented as a dotted line and not as row of large triangular strokes, the more concolorous hindwing; from A. armata it differs by the more dentate antemedial line, the wider medial area, the postmedial line located farther from the reniform stigma, the subterminal line less dentate on the veins M1, M2 and Cu2, the terminal line presented as a dotted line and not as row of small triangular strokes, the concolorous hindwing. The wing pattern of the new species also resembles that of the sympatric species A. dianthi (Tauscher, 1809) ( Fig. 8 ), but differs by the more monotonous colouration of forewing, the more dentate antemedial line, the narrower orbicular and reniform stigmata and the monotonous colouration of hindwing. The male genital capsule of A. mirabilis sp. n., particularly its poorly separated and broad cucullus, resembles that of the some members of the subgenus Cardiestra ( Fig. 14 ), but differs by the strongly asymmetrical saccular processes indicate its belonging to the subgenus Trichoclea . The wing pattern and the structure of the male genital capsule of A. mirabilis sp.

n. is unusual for the subgenus, so A. mirabilis sp. n. forms a well separated species-group which is more or less close only to the A. sabulorum (Alphéraky, 1882) species-group ( Figs 10 , 13 , 18 ). The structure of the male genitalia of A. mirabilis sp. n. ( Figs 11, 12 ) differs from that of the species of the A. sabulorum (Alphéraky, 1882) species-group ( Fig. 13 ) by the short, shield-like juxta, the small, triangular costal process, the broad and poorly separated cucullus, the much shorter saccular processes not reaching the ventral margin of the valva. The female genitalia ( Fig. 17 ) differ from those of A. sabulorum by the shorter and somewhat broader ductus bursae, the broader and less sclerotised appendix bursae and smaller number of signa; from A. hoplites ( Fig. 19 ) differ by the narrower antrum, the shorter ductus bursae and the larger appendix bursae; from A. armata ( Fig. 20 ) differ by the longer and narrower apophyses anteriores without ribbed sclerotised basal plates, the shorter ductus bursae, the broader and less sclerotised appendix bursae.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1–5 ). Wingspan 29–31 mm, length of forewing 14–15 mm. Head, thorax and abdomen pale brown. Forewing moderately broad, triangular; ground colour of forewing pale brown. Basal line double, blackish, dentate; antemedial line double, blackish, irregularly serrate-waved; postmedial line thin, blackish, serrated; subterminal line thin, pale, W-like serrated on the M3 and Cu1 veins; terminal line as thin dotted black line. Medial area darkened, with more or less expressed large pale serrated spot between the Cu2 and A1 veins outwardly from the claviform stigma. Claviform stigma long, dark brown, with black bordering line; orbicular stigma small, elliptical, pale ochreous-brown with dark brown core; reniform stigma narrow, almost straight, pale brown with pale brown core bordered by thin dark brown line. Subterminal area inwardly from the subterminal line has long triangular black strokes between the veins. Cilia brown. Hindwing uniformly dark brown; discal spot diffuse, dark brown, semilunar; cilia brown.

Male genitalia ( Figs 11, 12 ). Uncus broad, dorso-ventrally flattened, elliptical, with narrow base; tegumen short, moderately broad; juxta broad, shield-like; vinculum short, more or less V-like. Valva elongated, moderately broad, with broad, relatively poorly separated cucullus; corona presented; costa strongly sclerotised, with short, broad triangular extention directed apically; sacculi large, strongly asymmetrical: left one very short, while right one with long, distally narrowed and apically rounded extention completely covers the clasper; clasper almost straight, parallel the ventral margin of valva, distally broadened; harpe small, presented as a short triangular lobe. Aedeagus elongated, slightly curved; vesica with moderately long, broad diverticulum with a small, thin cornutus at the sclerotised conical base. Female genitalia ( Fig. 17 ). Ovipositor short, broad, conical. Apophyses anteriores and posteriores thin, apophyses posteriores longer than the anteriores. Ostuim bursae moderately broad, ductus bursae short, heavily sclerotised. Corpus bursae pear-like, membranous, with a few small signa. Appendix bursae relatively small, sack-like, apically rounded, weakly sclerotised, wrinkly.

Distribution and bionomics. The new species is known from southern part of the Mongolian Altai Mts. and southeastern part of the Russian Altai Mts. The species inhabits dry stony steppes ( Fig. 21 ).

Etymology. ' Mirabilis ' is 'amazing' in Latin. The species name refers to the unusual habitus and the separate position of A. mirabilis within the subgenus Trichoclea .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Anarta spp., adults. 1, A. mirabilis, holotype male, W Mongolia, Arshantyn-Nuruu Ridge (ZISP); 2, A. mirabilis, paratype male, W Mongolia, Hundijn-Gol river valley (AVB); 3, A. mirabilis, paratype male, same locality (AVB); 4, A. mirabilis, paratype male, Russia, SE Altai Mts. (AVB); 5, A. mirabilis, paratype female, W Mongolia, Arshantyn-Nuruu Ridge (MČK) (photo by M. Černila); 6, A. hoplites, male, Turkmenistan, Germob (Photo by V. S. Kononenko); 7, A. armata, female, SE Kazakhstan, Chingilsu gorge (AVB); 8, A. dianthi, male, W Mongolia, Hundijn- Gol river valley (AVB); 9, A. eremistis, male, SW Kazakhstan, Syr-Darya river (ZISP); 10, A. sabulorum, female, W Mongolia, Dzhungarian Gobi (AVB).

FIGURES 11 – 16. Anarta spp., male genitalia. 11, A. mirabilis, holotype, W Mongolia, slide AV 0885 Volynkin (ZISP); 12, A. mirabilis, paratype, W Mongolia, slide AV 0890 Volynkin (AVB); 13, A. sabulorum, SE Russian Altai, slide AV 0897 Volynkin (AVB); 14, A. eremistis, SW Kazakhstan, Baigacum, slide AV 0989 Volynkin (ZISP); 15, A. hoplites, Turkmenistan, slide AV 0975 Volynkin (ZISP); 16, A. armata, E Kazakhstan, Kiin-Kirish Mts., slide AV 0917 Volynkin (AVB).

FIGURES 17 – 21. Anarta spp., female genitalia and biotope. 17, A. mirabilis, paratype, W Mongolia, slide AV 1114 Volynkin (MČK); 18, A. sabulorum, W Mongolia, slide AV 0837 Volynkin (AVB); 19, A. hoplites, Armenia, slide AV 0977 Volynkin (ZISP); 20, A. armata, SE Kazakhstan, Ili river, slide AV 0961 Volynkin (AVB); 21, W Mongolia, Hovd aimak, Dzhungarian Gobi, Arshantyn-Nuruu Ridge, 46 ˚ 22 ’ N, 91 ˚ 15 ’ E., type locality of A. mirabilis (Photo by M. Černila).