Nishada pseudochilomorpha Joshi & Singh

Joshi, Rahul, Kirti, Jagbir S. & Singh, Navneet, 2016, A new species of genus Nishada Moore, 1878 (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae) from India, Zootaxa 4179 (1), pp. 128-132 : 130-131

Nishada pseudochilomorpha Joshi & Singh , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1–5 )

Type material. Holotype: Male, India, Assam, Jatinga , 24.VIII.2010. (Coll. Joshi, R.)(Reg. No. PUP /RJ—109).

Paratypes: 6 males, India, Assam, Jatinga , 21.ix.2008. (Coll. Joshi, R.) (Reg. No. PUP /RJ – 110) Etymology. The name of the species refers to its close resemblance to N. chilomorpha .

Description. Adult. Wing span 32 mm (male). Head: frons black; vertex light yellow, tinged with brown. Antennae yellow dorsally, brown ventrally. Labial palpi covered with brown scales, tip naked. Proboscis long. Collar and thorax yellow; patagia and tegulae buff. Forewing yellowish-brown, costa arched beyond middle, apex acute, inner margin with long brown hairs; underside identical with brownish scales near base of costa, inner margin membranous, terminal area black from apex to vein Cu2. Hindwing pale yellow with membranous area below androconial patch, inner margin with long hairs; in males, underside with costal fold fringed with large scales from near base to beyond middle. Legs brownish-yellow; fore coxae covered with fuscous scales; hind leg with two pairs of long tibial spurs. Abdomen orange yellow.

Male genitalia. Uncus long, broad, slightly curved, setose, tip pointed. Tegumen as long as uncus. Vinculum absent. Valvae well differentiated; costal process long, strongly curved, swollen at base, reaching beyond level of uncus, another whip-like process arising from before its centre; saccular process shorter than costal process, sickle-shaped, setose with long setae; valvula membranous, flap-like, longer than saccular process, covered with setae. Juxta short, rectangular. Transtilla membranous. Aedeagus long, sclerotized with narrow and indented apex; vesica membranous, cornuti absent; ductus ejaculatorius entering sub apically.

Diagnosis. Nishada pseudochilomorpha sp.nov., together with N. impervia , N. chilomorpha and N. rotundipennis is distinct from its congeners in the presence of a black marginal zone on the underside of the forewing. Among these four, N. impervia is easily recognized by the black colour of the head, tegulae and patagia bases. On its turn, in N. rotundipennis presents a more pronounced black marginal zone of forewing and in male genitalia, the saccular process is long and evenly curved. Hence, N. pseudochilomorpha sp.nov is most closely similar to N. chilomorpha and its subspecies N. chilomorpha adunca Holloway but is distinguished by the following attributes: pale vertex; forewings paler; vinculum absent; aedeagus narrow and indented at apex. In contrast, N. chilomorpha and N.chilomorpha adunca presents a brown vertex; forewings brownish; vinculum well developed, long; aedeagus broad and straight at apex.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Nishada pseudochilomorpha Joshi & Singh. 1, Adult male. 2, Forewing. 3, Hindwing. 4, Male genitalia. 5, Phallus.