Anchoscelis (Anchoscelis) fuscomixta noravanka, Saldaitis & Dûda & Volynkin & Kalashian, 2022

Saldaitis, Aidas, Dûda, Juozas, Volynkin, Anton V. & Kalashian, Mark, 2022, Anchoscelis fuscomixta noravanka, a new subspecies from Armenia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae), Zootaxa 5175 (2), pp. 275-284 : 276-277

Anchoscelis (Anchoscelis) fuscomixta noravanka ssp. n.

( Figs 1–3 , 13, 14 , 20 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 , 13 ): male, “ Armenia | Areni , h- 1240m | Noravank road | 39°41.8978’N | 45°12.6143’E | 5. x. 2021 | Duda & Saldaitis leg.” / “Slide | AV6662 ♂ | A. Volynkin ” ( WIGJ).

Paratypes ( Figs 2, 3 , 10 , 14 ): 25 males, 5 females, the same data as in the holotype, gen. prep. Nos.: AV6663 (male) and AV6664 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) ( AFM, ASV, CAV, BBT, GMF-B, WIGJ) .

Etymology. The subspecific epithet originates from Noravank, a famous 13th-century Armenian monastery, which the type locality is situated near.

Diagnosis. The new subspecies ( Figs 1–3 ) is externally reminiscent of the Iranian A. f. fuscomixta ( Figs 4–6 ) but is distinguished by the pale ochreous body and forewing colouration and pale grey hindwing ground colour whereas in A. f. fuscomixta , the body is brown, the forewing ground colour is brown with intense black irroration, and the hindwing is dark greyish brown. Compared to three other closely related species, the Near Eastern A. pauli ( Figs 9, 10 ), A. consueta ( Figs 7, 8 ) and the Mediterranean A. kindermanni ( Figs 11, 12 ), A. f. noravanka ssp. n. has a pale ochreous body and forewing ground colour with a less distinct forewing pattern, and the pale grey hindwing whereas the two congeners have pale brick red body and forewing colouration with a more distinct forewing pattern and the darker, brown hindwing with a reddish suffusion. The male genital capsule of the new subspecies ( Figs 13, 14 ) is very similar to that of A. f. fuscomixta ( Figs 15, 16 ) but differs in the more rounded penicular lobe, the somewhat longer cucullus, and the somewhat more distally dilated costa; from A. pauli ( Fig. 17 ) it differs in the somewhat shorter penicular lobe, the apically narrower vinculum, the somewhat longer harpe, the somewhat more prominent digitus and the somewhat narrower distal section of the valva. Compared to A. kindermanni ( Fig. 18 ), the male genital capsule of A. f. noravanka ssp. n. has a somewhat longer penicular lobe, an apically narrower vinculum, a longer harpe, and a shorter and broader distal section of the valva; from A. consueta ( Fig. 19 ) it differs in the shorter and more rounded penicular lobes, the distally thicker harpe, the straight medial costal process (it is curved in the congener), the more apically tapered and upcurved cucullus, and the shorter and basally broader digitus The phalli of the two subspecies of A. fuscomixta and A. consueta are very similar. Compared to the other two congeners, the phallus of A. f. noravanka ssp. n. has a long and broad process of the ventral plate of the carina whereas it is extremely short and narrow in A. pauli , and narrow, thorn-shaped in A. kindermanni . The vesica structure of the new subspecies is very similar to that of A. f. fuscomixta but distinguished by the shorter dorsal medial diverticulum, and the somewhat broader distal section with a somewhat longer distal cluster of spinules. Additionally, compared to A. pauli , A. kindermanni and A. consueta , the vesica of A. f. noravanka ssp. n. has a shorter distal diverticulum and bears a somewhat shorter distal cornutus. Since the female of A. f. fuscomixta is unknown, the female genitalia of the new subspecies ( Fig. 20 ) are compared to A. pauli ( Fig. 21 ), A. kindermanni ( Fig. 22 ) and A. consueta ( Fig. 23 ) only. In A. f. noravanka ssp. n., the antrum is narrower than in A. pauli and A. kindermanni but broader than in A. consueta , the posterior, dilated section of the ductus bursae is narrower than in A. pauli and A. kindermanni but longer and broader than in A. consueta , the sclerotised band of the posterior section of the corpus bursae is interrupted into two short parts, and the signa bursae are markedly smaller and more weakly sclerotised.

Description. External morphology of adults ( Figs 1–3 ). Forewing length 13.0–15.0 mm in males and 14.5– 15.0 mm in females. Antenna weakly ciliate in male and filiform in female. Head and thorax monotonous pale ochreous. Forewing triangular with somewhat elongate and rounded apex, and somewhat convex outer margin. Forewing ground colour pale ochreous, pattern brownish-grey. Subbasal line indistinct, as diffuse spot medially. Antemedial line double, sinuous, with pale ochreous-yellow inner area, oblique outwards posteriorly. Medial line irregularly dentate, wide but diffuse, angled in cell. Orbicular stigma comma-shaped with indistinct margins on veins Cu and R. Reniform stigma with deep outer medial depression, indistinct margin on vein R, and dark brownish-grey inner suffusion posteriorly. Postmedial line thin, dentate on veins, curved anteriorly. Medial and postmedial areas with brownish suffusion between medial and subterminal lines. Subterminal line diffuse, thin posteriorly and dilated medially and anteriorly, interrupted into spots between veins. Terminal line thin, diffuse, interrupted into convex spots between veins. Cilia pale ochreous with admixture of brown scales. Hindwing monotonous dark grey with ochreous-yellow costal and outer margins. Discal spot short, dash-shaped, diffuse. Cilia pale ochreous-yellow. Abdomen monotonous pale ochreous. Male genitalia ( Figs 9, 10 ). Uncus elongate, slender, laterally flattened, down curved, and apically pointed. Tegumen short with large semielliptical penicular lobe. Vinculum somewhat longer than tegumen, narrow but heavily sclerotised, V-shaped with tapered anterior tip. Valva elongate and narrow with almost parallel margins. Costa dilated distally and tapered apically, with long stick-shaped and apically rounded medial process directed ventrad. Proximal half of distal section of costa with wavy ventral margin and short and apically rounded ventral process. Cucullus more or less conical with short and somewhat down curved, apically rounded tip and corona consisting of thin setae. Clasper narrow with large, heavily sclerotized but narrow, subbasally curved harpe directed dorso-distally. Sacculus short with short, semiglobular and weakly setose clavus. Juxta shield-like with strongly elongate posterior section. Phallus tubular, moderately broad, slightly down curved, with short rounded coecum and two heavily sclerotised, elliptical distal plates of carina. Lateral plate of carina with tiny denticle distally, ventral one with short but broad, heavily sclerotised triangular process directed ventrad. Vesica tubular, twisted medially, with dilated and recurved distal section. Medial section of vesica with area of spinulose scobination, short conical and apically rounded diverticulum on outer surface and smaller, semiglobular diverticulum on inner surface. Distal section of vesica with large conical and apically rounded distal diverticulum, long but thin, straight distal cornutus, narrow elongate cluster of tiny spinules and area of granulation. Vesica ejaculatorius directed anteriorly. Female genitalia ( Fig. 14 ). Ovipositor strongly elongate and narrow. Papilla analis elongate and narrow, weakly setose. Apophyses long and thin with dilated tips. Apophysis posterioris ca. 2.5 times longer than apophysis anterioris. Antrum short, heavily sclerotised, trapezoid, with medial depression ventrally. Ductus bursae heavily sclerotised, dorso-ventrally flattened. Posterior section of corpus bursae dilated, asymmetrical with markedly more prominent left side and short and concave ventral crest medially.Anterior section of ductus bursae anteriorly tapered and slightly right curved, with lengthwise narrow membranous area on left side. Posterior section of corpus bursae broadly conical, bearing narrow and bilobate sclerotised plate fused with anterior sclerotised end of ductus bursae, and short and narrow sclerotised lateral plate slightly protruding in basal section of appendix bursae. Anterior section of corpus bursae broad, more or less globular, with broad area of weak sclerotization medio-laterally on right side, and three serrulate elliptical signa of different size medially and anteriorly. Appendix bursae equal in length to posterior section of corpus bursae, semiglobular with short, narrow conical tip, positioned ventro-laterally on right side, directed posteriad.

Distribution. The new subspecies is known only from its type locality in south-west Armenia.

Bionomics. A series of specimens of both sexes was collected at ultraviolet light during a warm night (+10 °C) in early October in the Gnishik River valley ( Fig. 24 ). Most specimens were collected in the first half of the night.

Figures

FIGURE 24. Noravank (Gnishik River) Canyon, the type locality of Anchoscelis fuscomixta noravanka ssp. n. (photo by A. Kazakevich).

FIGURES 1–8. Anchoscelis spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1 and 3 in WIGJ; 2 in CAV; 4 in PGM (photo by G. & L. Ronkay); 5 in BBT (photo by G. & L. Ronkay); 6–8 in GRB (photos by G. & L. Ronkay). 5 and 6 in MfN (photos by G. & L. Ronkay); 7 and 8 in NHMW (photos by G. & L. Ronkay).

FIGURES 13–16. Anchoscelis fuscomixta sspp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 13 and 14 in WIGJ; 15 in PGM (photo by G. & L. Ronkay); 16 in GRB (photo by G. & L. Ronkay).

FIGURES 20–23. Anchoscelis spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 20 in WIGJ; 21 in MfN (photo by G. & L. Ronkay); 22 in NHMW (photo by G. & L. Ronkay); 23 in GRB (photo by G. & L. Ronkay).

FIGURES 9–12. Anchoscelis spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 9 and 10 in MfN (photos by G. & L. Ronkay); 11 and 12 in NHMW (photos by G. & L. Ronkay).

FIGURES 17–19. Anchoscelis spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 17 in MfN (photo by G. & L. Ronkay); 18 in in NHMW (photo by G. & L. Ronkay); 19 in GRB (photo by G. & L. Ronkay).