Cyana shirakawai, Volynkin & Saldaitis & Huang, 2021

Volynkin, Anton V., Saldaitis, Aidas & Huang, Si-Yao, 2021, Cyana shirakawai, a new species from south-eastern Xizang, China (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 48, pp. 28-33 : 29-32

Cyana shirakawai sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A081B217-6637-44A6-A31D-B9B4A5357734

(Figs 1, 2, 9, 12)

Type material. Holotype: male ( Figs 1, 9), “ China, Xizang, Motuo County, Laohanmi (10 km from Hanmi to Lage), Duoxiongla Valley, 2400m, 20–27.VII.2005, local collectors leg.”, gen. prep. No.: AV6497 (prepared by Volynkin) ( WIGJ).

Paratypes. CHINA: 2 males, 5 females with the same data as in the holotype ; 1 male, 2 females, Xizang, Motuo County, north of Ani bridge, 1800m, 25–30.VII.2005, local collectors leg., gen. prep. No. : AV6498 (female) (prepared by Volynkin ) ; 4 males, 2 females, Xizang, Motuo County, north of Ani bridge, 1800m, 5–6.VIII.2005, local collectors leg .; 2 males, 1 female China, Xizang, Motuo County, Hanmi, Duoxiongla Valley , 2200m, 20-24.VII.2005, local collectors leg .; 2 males, 3 females Xizang, Motuo County, Hanmi, Duoxiongla Valley , 2200m, 9-12.VIII.2005, local collectors leg. ( ASV, GMF-B, RMB & WIGJ) ; 1 male, 9.VIII.2019, Tongmai Town , Bomi County, Xizang, Jun-ru Hou leg. ( SCAU) ; 1 female, 4.X.2010, altitude 1390 m, 96K, Motuo County, Xizang, Hai-ming Xu leg. ( SCAU) ; 1 male, 1 female, 8.IX.2018, Yigong Town , Bomi County, Xizang, Run-fa Zhou leg. ( CHSY) .

Diagnosis. The new species (Figs 1, 2) is externally reminiscent of C. divakara (Figs 3–6) but the male differs in the somewhat wider forewing and the almost entirely separated discal black spots whereas those spots are fused in a drop-shaped dash in C. divakara . The distal section of the abdomen of the new species is white with a slight admixture of ochreous scales while it is pale ochreous in C. divakara . The female of C. shirakawai sp. n. is distinguished from that of C. divakara by the narrower medial white spot and the posterior black spot positioned more inwardly, between the anterior ones, while the posterior spot of C. divakara is positioned outwards from the anterior ones. Additionally, both sexes of the new species differ from those of C. divakara in the somewhat darker orange thorax and forewing ground colour. Compared to the other similar species, C. britomartis (Figs 7, 8), C. shirakawai sp. n. has a wider forewing with a less elongate apex, the darker orange forewing ground colour, the narrower subbasal and medial white spots, and thee larger discal black spots touching each other. The male of C. shirakawai sp. n. has a white distal half of the abdomen with a slight admixture of ochreous scales while the abdomen of C. britomartis has a more intense admixture of ochreous scales only in the distal quarter. The male genital capsule of C. shirakawai sp. n. ( Fig. 9 ) is similar to that of C. divakara ( Fig. 10 ) but in the new species, the distal section of the valva is longer and subapically broader, the medial crest of the valva is longer, and the distal saccular process is thicker. Compared to C. britomartis ( Fig. 11 ), the male genital capsule of C. shirakawai sp. n. has a somewhat shorter and apically narrower distal section of the valva. The phalli of the three species are almost identical. The vesica of the new species is similar to that of C. divakara but the medial diverticulum is narrower and bears a narrower cluster consisting of thinner spinules, and the subdistal diverticulum bears a shorter and narrower cluster of spinules. Compared to C. britomartis , the vesica of C. shirakawai sp. n. is shorter and narrower, has a longer dorsal diverticulum, a markedly shorter and narrower distal diverticulum bearing a much smaller cluster of spinules, a smaller distal diverticulum bearing a cluster of more robust spinules, and a narrower cluster of spinules on the subdistal diverticulum. The female genitalia of the new species (Fig. 12) differ from those of C. divakara (Fig. 13) and C. britomartis (Fig. 14) in the longer and broader sclerotised area in the posterior section of the corpus bursae, and the smaller signum bursae. Additionally, the appendix bursae of the new species is shorter and narrower than in C. divakara and has a narrower subbasal section, and is somewhat broader than in C. britomartis .

FIigures 1–8. Cyana spp. : adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1 and 2 in WIGJ; 3 and 4 in MFN; 5–8 in MWM/ZSM.

Description. External morphology of adults. Male (Fig. 1). Forewing length 19.5–20.5 mm. Antenna brown, ciliate. Head white. Thorax white with orange spots medially and posteriorly; tegula and patagia orange with white margins. Forewing ground colour dark orange. Basal half of costal margin black. Basal section of forewing white. Antemedial area with thin white longitudinal stripe along R and white trapezoid spot at anal margin. Medial area with elliptical white spot anteriorly connected to costal margin by narrow triangular white stripe and containing three more or less elliptical discal black spots, of which inner one well-separated while outer ones touching each other. Additional thin longitudinal dash along anal margin. Postmedial line white, thin, irregularly zigzagged, disappearing at anal margin, dilated and having small black spot at costal margin. Postmedial area white along costa, terminal area white along outer margin. Cilia white. Hindwing white with diffuse semilunar grey discal spot. Abdomen white with slight admixture of ochreous scales in posterior half. Female (Fig. 2). Forewing length 25 mm. Antenna brown, filiform. Similar to male, but white medial spot smaller and containing round black spots, of which inner and posterior ones touching each other while distal anterior one well-separated. Postmedial line more strongly zigzagged than in male, without black spot at costal margin. Abdomen monotonous white. Male genitalia ( Fig. 9 ). Uncus short, slender, distally tapered, apically rounded. Tuba analis moderately broad, weakly setose. tegumen with narrow arms dilated and fused in posterior half. Vinculum equal in length to tegumen, robust, U-shaped. Valva lobular, medially dilated, distally tapered and apically rounded, with submedially convex costal margin. Ventral plate of costa with elongate and short sclerotised crest. Sacculus relatively narrow, dilated medially. Distal saccular process robust, curved dorsad, apically tapered with thin thorn-like tip. Transtillae wide, band-like, weakly sclerotised, fused. Juxta broad, trapezoid with triangular weakly sclerotised medial anterior area. Phallus tubular, dilated medially, with short and apically rounded coecum. Vesica short, more or less globular, membranous. Dorsal diverticulum broad, bilobate with elongate dorsal lobe. lateral diverticulum short, conical, apically rounded, granulose. Medial diverticulum more or less globular, broad, granulose, bearing broad elliptical cluster of numerous spinules. Subdistal diverticulum positioned ventrosubbasally, short but broad, bearing narrow cluster of short spinules. Distal diverticulum short with elongate cluster of numerous spinules of various sizes. Vesica ejaculatorius relatively broad, directed ventrally, with elongate and narrow basal plate. Female genitalia ( Fig. 10 ). Papilla analis trapezoid with rounded corners, weakly setose. Apophyses elongate and thin, apophysis posterioris somewhat longer than apophysis anterioris. Ductus bursae membranous, shorter than ovipositor, tubular, with calyculate posterior end. Posterior section of corpus bursae narrow, more or less pyriform, moderately sclerotised and medially rugose. Anterior section of corpus bursae globular, broader than posterior one, membranous, bearing small, round, serrulate signum. Appendix bursae originates postero-ventrally; basal section narrowly conical, weakly sclerotised and rugose; medial section ‘neck’-like, narrow, tubular, weakly gelatinous and rugose. Distal section of appendix bursae elliptical, broader than corpus bursae, membranous.

Distribution. The new species is known only from Motuo County of the Xizang Autonomous Region of China.

Etymology. The species is named after Kuniomi Shirakawa (Chiba, Japan), Lepidoptera collector who kindly provided specimens for study.

Figures

Figures 9–11. Cyana spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 9 in WIGJ; 10 and 11 in MWM/ZSM.