Epimecia tekes, Benedek & Babics & Volynkin & Saldaitis, 2020

Benedek, Balázs, Babics, János, Volynkin, Anton V. & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2020, Epimecia tekes, a new species from south-eastern Kazakhstan (Lepidoptera Noctuidae, Oncocnemidinae), Zootaxa 4845 (2), pp. 288-292 : 288-291

Epimecia tekes sp. n. ( Figs 1 , 9 )

Type material. Holotype: female ( Figs 1 , 9 ), “ Kazakhstan, Prov. Almaty, 10 km N of Tekes , 2000 m, N43°56′, E079°59′, 20.VII.2009, leg. Balázs Benedek ”, slide JB1988f (coll. BBT).

Diagnosis. Externally, the new species ( Fig. 1 ) differs clearly from E. ustula ( Figs 2, 3 ) by its remarkably different forewing pattern resembling that of members of the genus Lophoterges ( Figs 4–8 ). It is most similar to the Chinese (Qinghai, Kuku Nor (type locality) and Gansu, Xiahe) L. fatua ( Fig. 4 ), but differs by its smaller size, ash-grey forewing ground colour (that is brownish in L. fatua ) and the configuration and colouration of the reniform and orbicular spots. Compared to the three other Lophoterges species occurring in Kazakhstan ( Lophoterges centralasiae ( Staudinger, 1901) , Lophoterges varians L. Ronkay, 2005 and Lophoterges radians L. Ronkay, 2005 ) ( Figs 6–8 ), E. tekes sp. n. has the more monotonous ash-grey forewing ground colour with less prominent patterns and the more elongated, narrower and oblong forewing shape. The female genitalia of the new species ( Fig. 9 ) can be distinguished from those of E. ustula ( Fig. 10 ) by the more elongated apophyses anteriores and posteriores and conspicuously more elongated sclerotized anterior section of ductus bursae with the anterior bar more strongly extending to the cervix bursae. The female genitalia of the new species are remarkably different from those of the four mentioned Lophoterges species ( Figs 11–15 ) by the much narrower ductus bursae, shorter but broader cervix bursae (only L. fatua has the smaller cervix bursae) and larger corpus bursae.

Description. External morphology of adult ( Fig. 1 ). Wingspan of female holotype 30 mm, forewing length 14 mm. Female antenna filiform. Forewing elongated, only slightly triangular, nearly regularly oblong in shape with rounded apex. Ground colour of frons, thorax and forewing pale ash-grey mixed with lighter and darker scales, terminal area slightly suffused with some fine golden shine. Antemedial and postmedial fasciae obscure, indistinct. Orbicular and reniform spots moderately remarkable, blackish, encircled with dirty-white scales. Forewing cilia short, mixed with lighter and darker scales. Hindwing lighter than forewing, dirty white, terminally widely shadowed with darker scales, veins also suffused with darker scales; discal spot indistinct; cilia light dirty-white.

Female genitalia. ( Fig. 9 ) Papillae anales oblong, not sclerotised, rather large and moderately setose. Apophyses anteriores relatively long, thin, apophyses posteriores medium-long, somewhat thicker than apophyses anteriores. Ostium bursae broad. Antrum broad, calyculate with weakly sclerotized lateral margins. Ductus bursae narrow, flattened, its posterior end at the connection with antrum membranous; sclerotized anterior section of ductus bursae elongated, heavily sclerotized with membranous left lateral margin, gently curved, its anterior bar strongly curved and extends to the cervix bursae. Corpus bursae broad, nearly globular, membranous. Cervix bursae broadly conical with rounded tip, gelatinous.

Male unknown.

Distribution and bionomics. The new species is known only from its type-locality, white gypsum-hills with scanty vegetation emerging from a vast steppe ( Fig. 16 ). The single specimen has been found early in the morning sitting on the white screen illuminated by a 125W mercury-vapour bulb. The preimaginal stages and the foodplant are unknown.

Etymology. The species name refers to its type locality, vicinity of Tekes village.

Figures

FIGURE 16. Kazakhstan, Prov. Almaty, 10 km N of Tekes, 2000 m, N43°56′, E079°59′, 20.VII.2009, the type locality of Epimecia tekes sp. n. (photo by Balázs Benedek).

FIGURES 1–8. Epimecia (1–3) and Lophoterges (4–8) spp.: adults. Depositories of specimens: 1, 2, 5–8—BBT; 3—STP; 4—AFM.

FIGURES 9–15. Epimecia (9, 10) and Lophoterges (11–15) spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of specimens: 9, 12–15—BBT; 10— HNHM (photo by V.S. Kononenko); 11—AFM.