Diadochia sacimima SHIRVANI et RONKAY, 2012

Kazemi, E., Shirvani, A., Ronkay, L. & Asadi, M., 2012, A New Diadochia Püngeler, 1914 Species From Iran (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Xyleninae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (2), pp. 163-168 : 164-167

Diadochia sacimima SHIRVANI et RONKAY sp. n.

( Figs 1, 4–5)

Type material. Holotype: male, Iran, Prov. Sistan va Balouchestan , Nosratabad, 1370 m, 29°49’37”N, 59°53’15”E, 19.11.2009, leg. E. KAZEMI, slide No. AS 446m (coll. SBUK).

Paratypes: 4 males, with the same data as the holotype ; 4 males, Iran, Prov. Sistan va Balouchestan , Zahedan, 1550 m, 29°21’53”N, 69°47’50”E, 17.11.2009. leg. E. KAZEMI (coll. SBUK). Slide No AS 447m .

Diagnosis. The closest relative of D. sacimima is D. saca . The new species differs externally from the Turkestanian sister taxon by its more variegated (less uniformly pale grey) forewing with narrower, more lunulate and much sharper defined reniform stigma, better marked, dark grey orbicular stigma, darker, browngrey suffused marginal area and the darker grey irrorated hindwing with well-defined discal spot (on both surfaces).

The male genitalia of D. sacimima are very similar to those of D. saca , they differ by the following characters: basal plate of the juxta is broader in D. sacimima ; penicular lobes are broader but shorter; vinculum is considerably larger and more curved dorsad; ampulla is remarkably finer, more evenly tapered towards apex; the subbasal two small cornuti are much smaller than in D. saca (this feature is variable, the size of the small cornuti appear to be somewhat different in all specimens investigated), and the medial cornutus is somewhat shorter in D. sacimima than in D. saca .

The two sister-species are easily distinguished from the third member of the genus by their more elongate and apically more pointed forewings with less distinct forewing pattern and with more reduced crosslines and much smaller orbicular and reniform stigmata. The genitalia of the two species are also conspicuously different from those of D. stigmatica by the absence of the digitus and the thicker and straighter ampulla.

Description. External morphology ( Fig. 1) – Wingspan 31–33 mm, length of forewing 15–16 mm. Male: antenna ciliate with short, dense cilia, axis dorsally covered with greyish-white scales. Head small, frons with cap-like frontal prominence; eyes large, globular; palpi small, ventrally with long hairs, third segment short. Pubescence of head, collar, tegulae and thorax ashy-grey scattered with blackish-grey hairs; collar dorsally with fine dark line; tegulae marked with black line; thorax ventrally covered with long, fine grey hairs. Forewing ground colour ochreous-grey mixed with light ashy greybrown; narrow black basal dash present; crosslines weak, antemedial and postmedial lines obsolescent. Noctuid maculation complete, ashy-white filling of all stigmata paler than ground colour; orbicular stigma elongate, reniform stigma large, both stigmata have dark grey centres; claviform stigma elongate, outlined with dark grey scales. Subterminal line darker than ground colour, in some specimens defined by dark greyish arrowheads, terminal line present, fine, dark grey. Fringes variegated with white and grey, basal half darker. Hindwing white, finely irrorated with scattered grey scales, outer half darker greyish; discal spot present; terminal line dark, spotted along veins; fringes white, with a few ashy scales; inner margin with long, white hairs. Underside of both wings grey, that of forewing darker in costal and marginal areas; discal spots present on both wings. Male genitalia ( Figs 4–5) – Uncus short, medially curved and dilated, distally tapering, tegumen medium-long, penicular lobes well-developed, hairy and apically rounded; juxta deltoidal, with apical process tapering. Vinculum V-shaped; valva slightly tapered, basal half of costal margin and sacculus heavily sclerotised; sacculus relatively short, approximately one third length of valva; editum absent, represented by with fine hairs; ampulla thick, basally slightly curved then straight; clasper relatively short, somewhat S-shaped, fused with base of ampulla; cucullus broad triangular, apically finely pointed; corona represented by row of short, fine coronal setae and some hairs. Aedeagus curved; vesica tubular, projecting ventro-laterally with complete coiling, first half with two small diverticula, each with strong apical cornutus, each cornutus

1 3

5 7 8

9

located on basal sclerotized plate; small terminal field of short cornuti located at dorsal end of vesica, opposite to small, semiglobular terminal diverticulum.

Bionomy and distribution. Univoltine late autumnal species. The adults were collected in the second decade of November, in two locations in SE Iran. Diadochia sacimima inhabits the foothills (less than 1600 m a.s.l.) with low vegetation; this region has regularly cold and dry winters and very warm summers. Adults are strongly attracted to artificial light. Early stages and larval foodplant are unknown. The species is only known from two small areas in Balouchestan, including the type-locality.

Etymology. The scientific name indicates the close similarity of the new species to its sibling species, D. saca .