Bembecia (s. str.) khovdensis O. Gorbunov, 2023

Gorbunov, O. G., 2023, Two new species of the genus Bembecia Hübner, 1819 [“ 1816 ”] (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae) from Western Mongolia, Russian Entomological Journal 32 (2), pp. 198-206 : 199-202

Bembecia (s. str.) khovdensis O. Gorbunov , sp.n.

Figs 1–2 , 5–9 , 15

MATERIAL. Holotype ♂ ( Figs 1–2 ) with labels: “ Mongolia, Khovd Aimag, / 8 km N Uyench , / 1800 m, 46°07´N, 092°03´E, / 22.VI.2007, / O. Gorbunov leg.”; “ SESIIDAE / Pictures Nos / 0033- 0034–2023 / Photo by O. Gorbunov ”; “Genitalia examined / by O. Gorbunov / Preparation No OG–008-2023”; “ HOLOTYPUS ♂ / Bembecia khovdensis / O. Gorbunov, 2023 / O. Gorbunov des., 2022”.

DESCRIPTION. Male (holotype) ( Figs 1–2 ). Alar expanse 14.9 mm; body length 9.0 mm; forewing length 6.9 mm; antenna length 3.8 mm.

Head: antenna black with dark blue shine, scapus black exterior-dorsally and pale yellow interior-ventrally; frons pale yellow with few gray-brown scales medially; labial palpus with long hair-like scales ventrally, pale yellow and narrowly black exterior-ventrally; vertex black with dark blue shine; occipital fringe pale yellow to white; neck plate pale yellow with few gray-brown scales with blue shine distally.

Thorax: patagia black with blue-violet shine, admixture of pale yellow scales anteriorly and small pale yellow spot laterally; tegula black with blue-violet shine, small pale yellow spot at base of forewing and few pale yellow scales both posteriorly and at inner margin anteriorly; both meso- and metathorax black with dark greenish-blue shine; besides this, tegula, meso- and metathorax densely covered with white, long, hair-like scales; thorax laterally dark gray-brown with bright blue shine and large yellow spot with golden shine anteriorly; both metepimeron and metameron posteriorly black with dark violet shine densely covered with white, long, hair-like scales.

Legs: fore coxa dark brown to black with blue-bronze shine, densely covered with white, long, hair-like scales and narrowly pale yellow at margins; fore femur dark brown to black with blue-bronze shine and dense admixture of pale yellow scales and white, long, hair-like scales at posterior margin; fore tibia pale yellow to yellow with few black scales dorsally; fore tarsus pale yellow to yellow with golden shine; mid coxa dark brown to black with blue-bronze shine; mid femur dark brown to black with blue-bronze shine and dense admixture of pale yellow scales and white, long, hair-like scales at posterior margin; mid tibia dark brown to black with bronze shine and large yellow with golden shine spot exterior-medially and admixture of pale yellow scales internally; spurs pale yellow with golden shine; mid tarsus completely pale yellow to yellow with golden shine; hind coxa dark brown to black with blue-bronze shine and admixture of pale yellow scales; hind femur dark brown to black with blue-bronze shine and dense admixture of pale yellow scales and white, long, hair-like scales at posterior margin; hind tibia pale yellow to yellow with golden shine and dark brown to black scales with bronze shine basally, ventrally from base to base of mid spurs and at base of apical spurs; spurs pale yellow with golden shine; hind tarsus completely pale yellow to yellow with golden shine.

Forewing dorsally with basal part black with bright greenish shine; costal margin brown with bronze shine and thin pale yellow line between veins Sc and R-stem; Cu-stem and anal margin yellow with golden shine and admixture of brown scales with bronze shine; discal spot trapeziform, black with dark violet shine; veins distally of discal spot yellow with admixture of brown scales distally; ventrally forewing yellow, discal spot and surface between veins R 1 and R 3 dark brown with bronze shine; transparent areas undeveloped, completely covered with yellow scales with golden hue; cilia dark brown with bronze shine.

Hindwing transparent but densely covered with translucent and yellowish scales with light golden hue dorsally and bluish hue ventrally; dorsally veins, discal spot and outer margin brown with bronze shine and admixture of individual yellow scales; ventrally veins, discal spot and outer margin yellow with admixture of brown scales with bronze shine, more dense on Cu-stem and veins M 3 and CuA 1; discal spot cuneiform, reaching base of common stem M 3 –CuA 1; outer margin relatively broad, about 0.5 times as broad as cilia; cilia dark brown with bronze shine.

Abdomen dark brown to black with bright blue shine; dorsally tergite 2 with narrow yellow stripe with golden shine distally; tergites 4 and 5 each with broad yellow stripe with golden shine distally; tergites 6 and 7 each nearly completely yellow with golden shine; ventrally sternite 1+2 with narrow yellow stripe with golden shine distally; sternite 3 with few yellow scales medially; sternite 4 completely yellow with golden shine; sternites 5–7 each with broad yellow stripe with golden shine distally; anal tuft well-developed, dorsally lateral parts black with bronze-violet shine, medial part yellow with golden shine; ventrally yellow with golden shine.

Male genitalia (paratype; genital preparation No OG– 008-2023) ( Figs 5–9 ). Tegumen-uncus complex relatively narrow; scopula androconialis well-developed, about 0.6 times as long as tegumen-uncus complex ( Fig. 5 ); crista gnathi medialis semicircular, long, broad and poorly sclerotized in basal half; crista gnathi lateralis subcordiform, about half as long as and slightly narrower than crista gnathi medialis ( Fig. 5 ); valva ( Fig. 6 ) trapeziform-ovoid, crista sacculi oblique, covered with apically pointed setae anteriorly and flat-topped ones posteriorly; caudal part of row of setae bent towards ventral margin; saccus ( Fig. 7 ) relatively narrow, long, about twice as long as vinculum; phallus ( Fig. 8 ) rather narrow, straight, about as long as valva; vesica with numerous small cornuti ( Fig. 9 ).

Female. Unknown.

INDIVIDUAL VARIABILITY. Unknown.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. Both superficially and by the structure of the male genitalia, this new species seems to be closest to B. volgensis O. Gorbunov, 1994 (type locality: Russia, Ulianovsk Region, 160 km S of Ulianovsk, Ryabina), from which it can be distinguished by the colouration of the vertex (black mixed with yellow scales in B. volgensis , vs. completely black in the new species), patagia (black with violet shine dorsally and pale yellow laterally in B. volgensis , vs. black with blue-violet shine, admixture of pale yellow scales anteriorly and small pale yellow spot laterally in B. khovdensis sp.n.), fore coxa (black with violet shine, densely covered with yellow, long, hairy-like scales and broadly white at exterior margin in the species compared, vs. dark brown to black with blue-bronze shine, densely covered with white, long, hair-like scales and narrowly pale yellow at margins in B. khovdensis sp.n.), abdomen (black with greenish-violet shine; dorsally tergite 2 with narrow pale yellow stripe distally; tergites 4, 6 and 7 each with broad pale yellow to yellow stripe distally; tergite 5 with admixture of pale yellow scales medially; ventrally sternites 1+2 and 3 each with few pale yellow scales; sternites 5–7 each with more numerous pale yellow scales; sternite 4 entirely pale yellow in B. volgensis , vs. dark brown to black with bright blue shine; dorsally tergite 2 with narrow yellow stripe with golden shine distally; tergites 4 and 5 each with broad yellow stripe with golden shine distally; tergites 6 and 7 each nearly completely yellow with golden shine; ventrally sternite 1+2 with narrow yellow stripe with golden shine distally; sternite 3 with few yellow scales medially; sternite 4 completely yellow with golden shine; sternites 5–7 each with broad yellow stripe with golden shine distally in B. khovdensis sp.n.) and in the shape of the transparent areas of the forewing (well-developed but densely covered with colourless and yellowish scales in the species compared, vs. transparent areas undeveloped, completely covered with yellow scales with golden hue in the new species; cp. Figs 1– 2 in this publication with pl. XVIIIb, figs 1–2 in Gorbunov, 1994 or with figs 5i–k in Gorbunov, Efetov, 2018). These two species have nearly no differences in the structure of the male genitalia (cp. Figs 5–9 in this publication with figs 1–4 in Gorbunov, 1994).

From B. tancrei (Püngeler, 1905) (type locality: “… aus dem Altyn-Tagh.” [Püngeler, 1905: 270] [= China: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Altyn Tagh Mts.]), B. khovdensis sp.n. differs in markedly smaller size (wing span about 25 mm in B. tancrei , vs. 14.9 mm in the new species) and colouration of the abdomen dorsally (black with bluish shine, tergites 2, 4 and 6 each with yellow, narrow, posterior margin in B. tancrei , vs. dark brown to black with bright blue shine; dorsally tergite 2 with narrow yellow stripe with golden shine distally; tergites 4 and 5 each with broad yellow stripe with golden shine distally; tergites 6 and 7 each nearly completely yellow with golden shine in B. khovdensis sp.n.; cp. Fig. 1 in this article with pl. 25, fig. 194 in Špatenka et al., 1999).

From all other Mongolian congeners, B. khovdensis sp.n. is easily separable by the smaller size (not less than 18 mm in all species compared, vs. 14.9 mm in B. khovdensis sp.n.) colouration of various parts of the body and wings (compare Fig. 1 in this article with figs 196, 198, 218 and 287 in Špatenka et al., 1999).

BIONOMICS. The host plant and larval bionomics are unknown. The holotype was collected using non-specific artificial sex attractants in late June. It was active slightly before noon at about 11 a.m. local time.

HABITAT. Rocky semi-desert or even desert with very little grass cover ( Fig. 15 ).

DISTRIBUTION. This species is known only from the type locality in the vicinity of Uyench Somon in the southern part of Khovd Aimag, Mongolia, at an altitude of about 1800 m above sea level .

ETYMOLOGY. This new species is named after the Khovd Aimag of Mongolia, where it inhabits.

Figures

Figs 1–4. Bembecia spp. 1–2 — Bembecia khovdensis O. Gorbunov, sp.n., holotype ♂, alar expanse 14.9 mm. Sesiidae picture Nos 0033- 0034–2023; 3–4 — Bembecia yakovlevi O. Gorbunov, sp.n., holotype ♂, alar expanse 21.4 mm. Sesiidae picture Nos 0027-0028–2023. 1, 3 — dorsal view; 2, 4 — ventral view. Рис. 1–4. Bembecia spp. 1–2: Bembecia khovdensis O. Gorbunov, sp.n., голотип ♂, раЗмах крыльев 14.9 мм. Sesiidae снимки №№ 0033-0034–2023; 3–4 — Bembecia yakovlevi O. Gorbunov, sp.n., holotype ♂, раЗмах крыльев 21.4 мм. Sesiidae снимки №№ 0027-0028– 2023. 1, 3 — вид сверху; 2, 4 — вид сниЗу.

Figs 5–9. Genitalia of Bembecia khovdensis O. Gorbunov, sp.n., holotype ♂. Genital preparation No OG–008-2023: 5 — tegumen-uncus complex; 6 — valva; 7 — saccus; 8 — phallus; 9 — vesica. Scale bar 0.5 mm for 5–8 and 0.2 for 9. Рис. 5–9. Гениталии Bembecia khovdensis O. Gorbunov, sp.n., голотип ♂. Препарат гениталий № OG–008-2023: 5 — тегумен- ункусный комплекс; 6 — вальва; 7 — саккус; 8 — фаллюс; 9 — веЗика. МасШтаб 0,5 мм длЯ 5–8 и 0,2 длЯ 9.

Fig. 15. The type locality of Bembecia khovdensis O. Gorbunov, sp.n.: Mongolia, Khovd Aimag, 8 km N Uyench, 1800 m, 46°07´N, 092°03´E, 22.VI.2007. Photo by O. Gorbunov. Рис. 15. Типовое местонахождение Bembecia khovdensis O. Gorbunov, sp.n.: МонголиЯ, Кобдоский аймак, 8 км С Уенча, 1800 м, 46°07´с.Ш., 092°03´в.д., 22.VI.2007. Фото О. Горбунов.