Magnificus Yan, 2000

Grehan, John R., Mielke, Carlos G. C., Minet, Joël, Ignatev, Nikolai, Buchsbaum, Ulf & Xue, Dayong, 2021, Taxonomic composition and monophyly of the genus Magnificus (Lepidoptera Hepialoidea: Hepialidae), Zootaxa 4920 (3), pp. 339-358 : 341

Genus Magnificus Yan, 2000

Figs 1–23 , 30

Type species: Magnificus jiuzhiensis Yan, 2000 by original designation.

Magnificus Yan (2000: 1) .— Dai et al. (2019: 134)

Diagnosis. Medium sized moths from northern central China. Forewing pale greyish to yellowish or pinkish brown with mottled or ‘marbled’ texture of irregular pale and dark transverse/oblique lines and irregular patches. The wing patterns distinguish Magnificus from the other Asian genera as well as those of northern Eurasia. Monophyly of Magnificus is supported by two unique features: a narrow posteriorly angled tergosternal sclerite ( Fig. 23 ) and a channel shaped apical fusion of the pseudoteguminal arms ( Figs 12 a–c, 13b).

Etymology. Not specified by Yan (2000), presumed to refer to the ‘magnificent’ appearance of these moths.

Redescription. Wingspan: 42–72 mm (combined for sexes).

Head. Eyes prominent, almost adjacent across vertex in males (e.g. Fig. 4d ). Antennae short, do not reach base of FW.

Thorax. Covered with dense, short scales, pale yellowish to reddish brown or carmine, metathorax usually carmine. Legs. Male and female fore: mid: hind ratio 1: 1.1: 0.83. Epiphysis absent, arolium present ( Fig. 21 ). Wings. Venation ‘hepialine’ ( Fig. 20 ); FW with Sc1 present, A slightly or strongly curved; HW with 2A, 1A, and CuP complete. Forewing costal margin almost straight, curving slightly towards apex; outer margin straight or convex with distinct falcate apex in M. miniatus Chu & Wang, 1985a ; tornus weakly developed or indistinguishable. Forewing pale greyish to yellowish or pinkish brown with mottled or ‘marbled’ texture of irregular pale and dark transverse/ oblique lines and irregular patches. Hindwing unmarked, carmine red or with brown shading over outer or anterior regions with the exception of M. bouvieri where the HW entirely greyish brown ( Oberthür 1913).

Abdomen. Yellowish to greyish black with reddish brown to carmine red on anterior segments. Tergum II rectangular, anterio-posteriorly narrow ( Fig. 23a ); sternum II ( Fig. 23b ) subrectangular with broad and shallow anterior lateral arms, pair of anterior shallow spines in at least one species ( Fig. 23a ); tergum VIII rectangular ( Fig. 23d ); sternum VII of male elongate, narrower than wide ( Figs 23d, e, f ); sternum VIII variable in male, almost square with shallow posterio-lateral projection ( Fig. 23d, e ), or anteriorly narrow and rectangular ( Fig. 21e ), female sternum VIII unsclerotized in single observed specimen ( Fig. 23c ); tergosternal sclerite ( Fig. 23i, j ) with right angled dorsal and lateral brace, intermediate zone narrow; tergosternal bar continuous with intermediate zone, angled posteriorly with posterior intermediate zone almost straight with darker texture suggesting probable internal extension of the sclerite.

Male genitalia: ( Figs 10–14 ) Tergal lobes not evident, tegumen not observed. Pseudotegumen sub-triangular in ventral view, dorsal margin with medial notch, unfused, margin of anogenital field without projections, pseudotegumen arms fused medially, forming a shallow channel; valva slightly elbowed, setose, distally lobate; saccus U-shaped, broad or narrow, posterior margin medially notched, notch bordered laterally by sub-triangular flange projecting posteriorly (projection less acute in M. bouvieri ).

Female genitalia: ( Figs 16–20 ) Dorsal plate dorso-ventrally short relative to width, fused medially, broad, without distinct anal papillae; sub-anal sclerites horizontal, elongate and narrow; lamella antevaginalis forming a rectangular bar without dorsal lobes or distinction between lateral and medial lobe. Bursa copulatrix comprising a proximally narrow ductus bursae of constant width or wider distally to an enlarged ovoid corpus bursae.

Habitat, biology and host plants. Recorded from higher elevations between 2,500 and 4,600 m. Based on Yan (2000) for M. jiuzhiensis , larvae are root feeders feeding on the rhizomes of Salix oritrepha Schneid (Salicaceae) and Potentilla fructicosa L. [sometimes referred to as Dasiphora fructicosa ] ( Rosaceae ). The shrub S. oritrepha grows to 1.2 m high at elevations of 3,000 –4,300 m while D. fructicosa is a shrub of similar size ranging from 500 to 5,000 m (efloras.org). Another record referring to ‘ Triodia ’ that is also a probable Magnificus species (see discussion) lists host plants as Highland Ranunculus , Polygonum sphaerocarpa , and Small Yellow Chrysanthemum ( Chrysanthemum sp.) as hosts in Western Sichuan ( Zhu et al. 2004).

Figures

FIGURE 23. Magnificus abdominal sclerites: (a) M. regius tergite II, (MWM), photo by Nikolai Ignatev, (b) M. bouvieri holotype SII (photo by Joël Minet), (c) Magnificus sp. sternites VII-VIII, photo by Nikolai Ignatev), (d) M. bouvieri holotype sternites VII-VIII, photo by Joël Minet), (e) M. regius sternites VII-VIII, photo by Nikolai Ignatev, (f) M. regius and (g) M. roseus, photos by Ulf Buchsbaum, (h) M. bouvieri holotype abdomen, photo by Joël Minet, (i) Magnificus sp. tergosternal sclerite, (j) Magnificus regius tergosternal sclerite, photos by Nikolai Ignatev, (k) Hepialus humuli tsclerite, (l) Zenophassus schamyl tergosternal sclerite, photos by John Grehan.

FIGURE 30. Magnificus FW major banding patterns (coloured outlines). Wing veins—blue lines. FW illustrations 30g, h of limited quality. Higher resolution unavailable.

FIGURES 1–9. Adult moths: 1, Magnificus bouvieri male holotype, dorsal (MNHN); 2, M. dirschi male holotype, dorsal (MfN). Photo by Théo Léger; 3, M. miniatus female holotype, (a) dorsal, (b) ventral (IZAS). Photo by Dayong Xu; 4, M. regius: (a) female syntype (from Staudinger 1896, pl. 5, Fig. 11), (b) M. regius rubellus, male lectotype, dorsal (MfN). Photo by Théo Léger, (c) M. regius rubellus (ZSBS), Photo by Ulf Buchsbaum, (d) M. regius rubellus (MWM). Photo Nikolai Ignatev; 5, M. roseus: (a) holotype male, dorsal (MNHN). Photo by Joël Minet, (b) male, dorsal (ZSBS), Photo by Ulf Buchsbaum; 6, M. zhidu- oensis female holotype, dorsal [cropped image available only] (GAAH). Photo by Dayong Xue; 7, Magnificus sp. female, dorsal (MWM). Photo by Nikolai Ignatev; 8, Hepialus humuli, female, dorsal (Moscow, Russia SKC). Photo by Svyatoslav Knyazev; 9. Zenophassus schamyl, male, dorsal (Apsheronsk environs, Caucasus, Russia SKC). Photo by Svyatoslav Knyazev.

FIGURES 10–20. Genitalia. 10, Magnificus bouvieri male holotype genitalia, ventral view. Photo by Joël Minet; 11, Magnificus dirschi male holotype genitalia, ventral view. Photo by Théo Léger; 12, Magnificus regius genitalia: a, male syntype, ventral view, dissection ESN 2845(MfN). Photo by Théo Léger; b, male, ventral view (ZSBS). Photo by Ulf Buchsbaum; c, male, ventral (left) and lateral (right) (MWM). Photo by Nikolai Ignatev; 13, Magnificus roseus male genitalia, ventral view, (a) holotype (MNHN). Photo by Joël Minet, (b) (ZSBS). Photo by Ulf Buchsbaum; Fig. 16. Magnificus jiuzhiensis genitalia: (a) holotype male, ventral view (from Yan 2000); 15, ‘Hepialiscus sylvina Linnaeus, 1761’, male, ventral view (from Chu & Wang 1985b: fig. 31 and Zhu et al. 2004: fig. 120); 16, Magnificus jiuzhiensis, female external posterior view (from Yan 2000); 17, Magnificus miniatus female holotype external genitalia, posterior view. Photo by Dayong Xu; 18, Magnificus regius female external posterior and lateral interior view (MWM). Photo by Nikolai Ignatev; 19, Magnificus zhiduoensis female holotype external posterior view (from Yan 2000); 20, Magnificus sp. female external posterior view (MWM). Photo by Nikolai Ignatev.

FIGURES 21–22. Magnificus thoracic appendages: 21, wing venation a, Magnificus sp. female, b, M. regius male. Diagrams by John Grehan; 22, legs: left to right – pro. meso, meta (a) Magnificus sp. female (MWM), photo by Nikolai Ignatev, (b) Magnificus regius male (ZSBS), (c) Magnificus roseus male, photos by Ulf Buchsbaum.