Ammathella Volynkin, 2019

Yin, Xiong-Yan, Volynkin, Anton V., Zhang, Yu-Long, Chen, En-Yong, Huang, Si-Yao & Pan, Zhao-Hui, 2022, Taxonomic review of the genus Ammathella Volynkin, 2019 with descriptions of three new species from southeastern Xizang, China (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini), ZooKeys 1114, pp. 167-182 : 167

Genus Ammathella Volynkin, 2019

Ammatho (Ammathella) Volynkin in Volynkin, Huang & Ivanova 2019, Ecologica Montenegrina 26: 19, figs 7, 8, 107, 163.

Type species.

Barsine garo Volynkin, 2018 [type locality: Garo Hills, Assam, India], by original designation.

Diagnosis.

Externally, species of the genus display a wing pattern typical of members of the Asura / Miltochrista generic complex and consisting of a dull yellowish ground color of the forewing with reddish lengthwise streaks and blackish transverse lines, reminiscent of the genera Sarbine , Processine , Ammatho , and Moorasura Volynkin & Huang, 2019. In male genitalia, Ammathella is characterized by the narrow and elongated valva, the weakly sclerotized medial costal process which is short, swollen and strongly broadened basally, and the small and apically rounded distal costal process. The phallus vesica of Ammathella is rather unique within the genus in bearing a cluster of strong and short cornuti on its ventral side. The female genitalia of Ammathella are characterized by the densely spinulose corpus bursae and the relatively short and sclerotized appendix bursae positioned postero-ventrally and directed posteriorly ( Volynkin et al. 2019; Huang et al. 2020).

Description.

External morphology of adults. Forewing length 7.5-14 mm in males and 9.5-14 mm in females. Antenna long, weakly ciliate in both sexes. Sexual dimorphism limited: female with broader forewing and paler abdomen. Head and thorax coloration varying from pale orange to reddish-orange, tegula with blackish spot medially. Forewing broad, triangular with rounded apex. Forewing ground color varying from pale orange to orange-red with yellow streaks on veins and yellow irregular spot in discal area; markings dark brown. Costal margin edged with black scales. Basal spot small and round. Antemedial area with dark brown streak on costa (except A. shingwa ), in certain species with two spots subbasally. Transverse lines dilated medially and anteriorly. Antemedial line smoothly convex outwards anterio-medially. Medial line sinuous, X-like fused with antemedial line in cell. Medial area between medial and postmedial lines with irregular spot in cell. Postmedial line smoothly convex outwards anterio-medially, in most species touching medial line at costa. Veins in postmedial area with lengthwise dark brown streaks and intense yellow suffusion. Terminal line blackish-brown, thin with short triangular denticles on veins. Cilia blackish-brown. Hindwing ground color pale pinkish-red or ochreous, paler subbasally and deeper or with blackish suffusion subapically. Cilia blackish around apex and pinkish or ochreous, scattered with black medially and at tornus. Abdomen covered with pale pinkish or ochreous hair-like scales, in males, with admixture of blackish scales in distal half or third.

Genitalia. Male. Uncus long and slender, smoothly down curved, distally tapered and apically pointed. Tuba analis moderately broad (ca 1/3 of tegumen length) with thin and weakly sclerotised scaphium and setose subscaphium. Tegumen triangular, moderately sclerotised. Vinculum shorter than tegumen, robust, V- or U-shaped. Valva elongate and relatively narrow. Costa with swollen and apically rounded medial process (vestigial in A. longicornuta sp. nov.) and narrow and apically rounded distal process (broad in A. longicornuta sp. nov.). Membranous lobe of valva large and broad. Sacculus well-sclerotized, dorsally setose in certain species. Distal saccular process short and narrow, rounded or pointed apically, up curved (but directed distally in A. longicornuta sp. nov.). Juxta broad, plate-like with medial membranous commissure, in certain species also with apical process. Phallus moderately broad, tubular, more or less straight or in a somewhat S-like curve. Vesica broad with large sack-like or conical subbasal diverticulum in certain species bearing small cluster of cornuti distally or laterally. Medial diverticulum large, semiglobular, bearing broad cluster of numerous short cornuti. Ventro-lateral medial diverticulum with cluster of small and short cornuti of various sizes and shapes. Ventral diverticulum elongate, covered with numerous small cornuti or spinules. Basal plate of vesica ejaculatorius short and narrow. Female. Papilla analis trapezoid with rounded corners. Apophyses long and thin, more or less equal in length. Ostium broad. Antrum broad and heavily sclerotized, in certain species bearing subostial ligula. Ductus bursae broad and very short, with sclerotized posterior and membranous anterior sections. Corpus bursae large, sack-like, densely covered with numerous spinules medially and posteriorly. Anterior section of corpus bursae densely covered with spinulose scobination, with round or elliptical signum (absent in A. longicornuta sp. nov.). Appendix bursae small, sclerotized, elliptical or conical, positioned postero-ventrally.

Distribution.

Species of the genus are known from northeast India, northern Myanmar and southwestern China (Xizang) ( Volynkin 2018; Volynkin et al. 2019; Huang et al. 2020).

Species content of the genus Ammathella

- A. longicornuta S.-Y. Huang, Yin & Volynkin sp. nov. (China: SE Xizang)

- A. lhoba S.-Y. Huang, Yin & Volynkin sp. nov. (China: SE Xizang)

- A. monpa S.-Y. Huang, Yin & Volynkin sp. nov. (China: SE Xizang)

- A. gesar S.-Y. Huang & Volynkin, 2020 (China: SE Xizang)

- A. garo (Volynkin, 2018) (NE India: Assam)

- A. midzhan (Volynkin, 2018) (N Myanmar: Kachin State)

- A. shingwa Volynkin & S.-Y. Huang, 2020 (N Myanmar: Kachin State)