Araeopteron maculas, Jin & Yao & Han, 2025

Jin, Yuanyuan, Yao, Chunhua & Han, Huilin, 2025, Four new and one newly recorded species of Araeopteron Hampson, 1893 (Erebidae, Boletobiinae, Araeopteronini), with the checklist of the genus from China, ZooKeys 1256, pp. 259-273 : 259-273

Araeopteron maculas sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2 , 13 , 21 Common name: 密点纤翅夜蛾

Material examined.

Holotype: China • ♂; Guizhou, Zunyi City, Xintiankan Village ; 06–07.VIII.2020; HL. Han, J. Wu leg.; genit. prep. no. hhl- 5011-1; in NEFU . Paratypes: China • 1 ♂ 1 ♀; same data as holotype; HL. Han, J. Wu leg.; genit. prep. no. hhl- 5013-1, hhl- 5012-2; in NEFU .

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to A. ussurica Fibiger & Kononenko, 2008 (Figs 5 , 14 ), but it can be distinguished by external features and the structure of the male genitalia (characters for A. ussurica are given in parentheses):

Adult. The ground color of the forewing in A. maculas sp. nov. is generally whiter, with a smoky grey to grey-brown tinge (darker grayish, strongly suffused with white scales, especially at basal and costal area); the basal line is represented by two fuzzy black dots (absent); the antemedial line is obliquely inward-slanting, discontinuous, and mixed with chrome yellow (indistinct and mixed with greenish grey); the median line is wavy, more indistinct only on the costal margin, and mixed with chrome yellow (finer in the costal area, gradually becoming broader and darker towards the remaining sections, and mixed with greenish grey).

Male genitalia. The tegumen bears two distinct, triangular, paratergal sclerites (broad and curved); the saccus is approximately square in shaped (V-shaped); the uncus is short and broad (long and narrow).

Description.

Adult (Figs 1 , 2 ). Wingspan 9.0–10.0 mm. Antennae filiform. Head, patagia, tegula, and thorax covered with grizzled scales. Abdomen brown, interspersed with grey. Forewing grayish brown, suffused with gray, scattered with pale spots of varying sizes; antemedial and median area noticeably paler than the ground color; basal line represented by two diffuse black dots; antemedial line brown, mixed with chrome yellow, bent, obliquely inward, discontinuous; median line wavy, brown, represented by a distinct black dot on costal margin, mixed with chrome yellow; postmedial line wavy, indistinct; subterminal line blackish brown, blending with the ground color; terminal line brown, appearing as a series of dots along the veins; fringe brown, intermixed with gray; reniform stigma crescent-shaped, diffuse. Hindwing grayish brown, interspersed with grizzled scales; antemedial line indistinct; median line blackish brown, broad, curved near the Cu 2 area; postmedial line slender, slightly wavy, suffused with white; terminal line same as on forewing; fringe slightly paler than forewing; discal spot scattered. Male genitalia (Fig. 13 ). Tegumen is simple at the upper half, with triangular ear-like lobe situated at basal half and having right-angled tip. Vinculum sclerotized, U-shaped. Saccus approximately square-shaped. Valva slightly sclerotized, with minute grains; costa narrow basally, gradually broadened and rounded apically; sacculus narrow, sclerotized, rounded apically, exceeding cucullus. Uncus short and broad, as long as c. 1 / 2 length of tegumen. Juxta weakly sclerotized. Aedeagus tubular; vesica with tiny sclerotized grains. Female genitalia (Fig. 21 ). Papillae anales slightly sclerotized, broad. Apophysis posterioris and apophysis anterioris slender, length of posterioris exceeding that of anterioris by 3 / 4 times. Antrum slightly hardened, bearing a few spurs, connecting ductus bursae and corpus bursae. Ductus bursae membranous, narrow. Corpus bursae oval-shaped.

Distribution.

China ( Guizhou).

Etymology.

The species name is based on the wing characteristics of the adult moth.

Figures

Figures 1–6. Adults of Araeopteron spp. 1. A. maculas sp. nov., male, holotype (NEFU); 2. A. maculas sp. nov., female, paratype (NEFU); 3. A. simaoensis sp. nov., male, holotype (NEFU); 4. A. submedogensis sp. nov., male, holotype (NEFU); 5. A. ussurica, male (after Fibiger and Kononenko 2008, ZMUC); 6. A. medogensis, male (after Han and Kononenko 2021, NEFU). Scale bars: 1 mm.

Figures 13–18. Male genitalia of Araeopteron spp. 13. A. maculas sp. nov., male, holotype (NEFU); 14. A. ussurica sp. nov., male, paratype (after Fibiger and Kononenko 2008, ZMUC); 15. A. simaoensis sp. nov., male, holotype (NEFU); 16. A. medogensis, male (after Han and Kononenko 2021, NEFU); 17. A. submedogensis sp. nov., male, holotype (NEFU); 18. A. xanthopis, male (NEFU).

Figures 19–24. Male and female genitalia of Araeopteron spp. 19. A. kononenkoi sp. nov., male, holotype (NEFU); 20. A. legraini, male (after Bippus 2018, BMNH); 21. A. maculas sp. nov., female, paratype (NEFU); 22. A. kononenkoi sp. nov., female, paratype (NEFU); 23. A. legraini, female (after Bippus 2018, BMNH); 24. A. xanthopis, female (NEFU).