Araeopteron submedogensis, 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 submedogensis sp. nov.

Figs 4 , 17 Common name: 亚墨纤翅夜蛾

Material examined.

Holotype: China • ♂; Aut. Reg. Xizang, Nyingchi City, Motuo (= Medog) County, Beibeng Township, Dergong Village ; 26.V–4.VI.2021; HL. Han leg.; genit. prep. no. hhl- 5016-1; in NEFU . Paratype: China • 1 ♂; same data as holotype; HL. Han leg.; genit. prep. no. hhl- 5018-1; in NEFU .

Diagnosis.

The new species is similar to A. medogensis (Figs 6 , 16 ), but it can be distinguished by the following morphological characters (characters for A. medogensis are in parentheses):

Adult. The background color of forewing is pale grayish to whitish (pale grayish yellow, mixed with brown); the antemedial line formed by two brown bands, luminous bright orange at costal area, and the other part slender (continuous, brown with yellow at costal area).

Male genitalia. The paratergal sclerites are absent, almost integrated with vinculum (thin, broadened apically); the saccus is wide, U-shaped, basally thickened and sclerotized (narrow U-shaped); the clasper is absent (present with a sharp and narrowing harpe in its apical 1 / 3).

Description.

Adult (Fig. 4 ). Wingspan 11.0–12.0 mm. Antennae filiform, with white scales. Head, patagia, and tegula covered with white; thorax grayish white. Forewing grayish white, suffused with many dark grey or blackish patches; basal line represented by a brown dot at the costal margin; antemedial line wavy, oblique, formed by two brown bands, with bright orange at costal area, its other part slender; median line, beige brown, with a black dot mixed luminous bright orange at costal area; postmedial line brown, indistinct, wavy, scattered; with dark brown between median and postmedial lines; subterminal line grayish white, wavy; terminal line brown, with a large dot on costal margin, other black and small; reniform stigma indicated by two black spots; fringe grey, mixed with brown. Hindwing grey, suffused with blackish; basal line blackish brown; transverse line blackish brown, with a black band on anal margin; marginal shade blackish brown; fringe same colour as on forewing. Male genitalia (Fig. 17 ). Tegumen triangular, weakly thickened. Paratergal sclerites absent. Vinculum thick, strongly sclerotized, flat, and U-shaped. Saccus wide, U-shaped, thickened and sclerotized at the base. Valva membranous, constricted at the middle; sacculus approximately 1 / 2 the width of valva, rounded apically; clasper absent; costa basally thin, swollen at 2 / 3 width of valva. Uncus short, as long as 1 / 2 of tegumen. Juxta membranous. Aedeagus long, narrow, slightly curved; vesica membranous, spineless. Female genitalia. Unknown.

Distribution.

China ( Xizang).

Etymology.

This species name is derived from the locality of the type, Motuo (= Medog), and it is closely related to the existing A. medogensis .

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).