Manulea (Tortrilema) nubes, Volynkin, 2021

Volynkin, Anton V., 2021, Tortrilema, a new subgenus of the genus Manulea Wallengren with description of a new species from Vietnam (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 48, pp. 9-17 : 12-14

Manulea (Tortrilema) nubes sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EB8B031D-8FC7-43B5-A090-FCA7FCAB60BB

( Figs 1, 2 , 9, 10 , 15 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 , 9 ): male, “N- Vietnam / Tonkin, Mt. Fan-si-pan ( Nord ), Cha-pa, Nebelwald [cloud forest] (22.15ˊN 103.45ˊE) 2.–4.III.1995, 2400m, leg. Dr. R. Brechlin”, gen. prep. No.: ZSM Arct. 2021-020 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM).

Paratypes. VIETNAM: 8 males, 9 females, the same data as in the holotype, gen. prep. Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2021-143 (male), ZSM Arct. 2021-144 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) ; 3 males, 1 female, 1600m, Mt. Fan-si-pan (north), Cha-pa, primary forest, 22°17'' N, 103°44'' E, 25–30.III.1995, V. Sinyaev & A. Schintlmeister leg. ; 1 female, Mt. Fan-si-pan, Cha pa, 2400m, 22°15'' N, 103°46'' E, 8–29. V.1993, Sinyaev & Simonov leg. (all in MWM/ ZSM).

Diagnosis. The new species is externally very similar to M. labahe known from the Sichuan Province of China but differs in the somewhat smaller size (the male forewing length is 17 mm vs. 18–19 mm in M. labahe ). In the male genital capsule of M. nubes sp. n., the uncus is broader than in M. labahe , the valva is shorter and somewhat broader (the length to width ratio is 2.35–2.65 vs. 2.80–3.05 in M. labahe ), and the distal saccular process is shorter and has a more angular dorsal basal protrusion and a more curved distal section. The aedeagus of the new species is somewhat narrower distally than in M. labahe . The vesicae of the two species display no remarkable differences. Since the female of M. labahe is unknown, the copulatory organ of the new species is compared to M. lienquan and M. postmaculosa instead. The female genitalia of M. nubes sp. n. are characterised by the narrow, curved, well-sclerotised and longitudinally rugose ductus bursae whereas the ductus bursae of M. lienquan is broad, membranous and less curved, and that of M. postmaculosa is broader, almost straight, dorso-ventrally flattened and smoothly sclerotised. The postvaginal plate of the new species is markedly shorter and narrower than in the congeners. The corpus bursae of M. nubes sp. n. is teardrop-shaped, membranous and having a long, band-shaped signum whereas the corpus bursae of the congeners is sack-like, more or less gelatinous and lacks a signum. Additionally, the appendix bursae of the new species is very short, membranous and directed posteriorly whereas the appendix bursae of M. lienquan is gelatinous and directed postero-laterally, and that of M. postmaculosa is gelatinous with a heavily sclerotised inner plate and directed laterally.

Description. Adults ( Figs 1, 2 ). Forewing length 17.0 mm in males and 18–19 mm in females. Male antenna ciliate, female antenna filiform. Head and thorax brown. Forewing elongate with postmedially strongly convex costal margin and elongate apex. Forewing ground colour brown. Antemedial and postmedial transverse line wide, dark greyish-brown, with sinuous margins, diffuse. Discal spot dark brown, small, round. Cilia brown with admixture of grey scales. Hindwing monotonous pale ochreous. Abdomen ochreous-brown with admixture of ochreous-yellow scales latero-anteriorly. Male genitalia ( Figs 9, 10 ). Uncus strongly dilated distally but tapered apically, with small claw-like tip and tiny triangular subapical protrusion ventrally. Tuba analis membranous, broad, equal in width to tegumen length; scaphium very thin, weakly sclerotised. Tegumen short but broad, with arms fused in distal two thirds. Vinculum elongate, equal in length to tegumen, with thin arms connected anteriorly by membranous commissure. Intravincular area with cluster of androconial hair-like scales. Valva with almost parallel margins and broadly lobular and apically rounded dorsal section. Costa thin. Sacculus relatively narrow basally and constricted medially. Distal saccular process with broad basal section forming triangular dorsal protrusion, and long and narrow distal section hook-like curved dorsally. Juxta weakly sclerotised, more or less trapezoid with short medial protrusion posteriorly. Aedeagus elongate and narrow, with short and rounded coecum, somewhat constricted subapically and weakly scobinated apically. Vesica short and ca. 2 times broader than aedeagus, with short bilobate diverticulum laterally and broad semiglobular ventral diverticulum bearing long, narrow and almost straight cornutus. Vesica ejaculatorius weakly scobinated basally, projected distally. Female genitalia ( Fig. 15 ). Papilla analis broad, trapezoid with rounded corners, setose. Apophyses long and thin, apophysis anterioris somewhat longer than apophysis posterioris. Postvaginal plate short, more or less trapezoid. Ductus bursae narrow, C-like curved anteriorly, heavily sclerotised and longitudinally rugose. Corpus bursae broad, teardrop-shaped, membranous with long and narrow band-like longitudinal signum somewhat dilated anteriorly. Appendix bursae very short, conical, membranous, positioned postero-dorsally, directed posteriorly.

Distribution. The new species is known only from its type locality in North Vietnam (Lào Cai Province).

Etymology. ‘Nubes’ means ‘a cloud’ in Latin. The specific epithet refers to the cloud forest habitats of the Mount Fan-si-pan where the new species was collected.

Figures

Figures 1–8. Manulea (Tortrilema subgen. n.): adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1, 2 and 5–8 in MWM/ZSM; 3 and 4 in AFM.

Figures 9–12. Manulea (Tortrilema subgen. n.): male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 9 and 10 in MWM/ZSM; 11 and 12 in AFM.

Figures 13–17. Manulea (Tortrilema subgen. n.): male (13, 14) and female (15–17) genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in MWM/ZSM.