Belciades koenigi Kononenko, 1997

Behounek, Gottfried, Han, Hui-Lin & Kononenko, Vladimir, 2011, A review of the genus Belciades Kozhanchikov, 1950 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Pantheinae), with descriptions of two new species from China and Thailand. Revision of Pantheinae, contribution II, Zootaxa 3070, pp. 40-50 : 42

Belciades koenigi Kononenko, 1997

( Figs. 3, 4 , 18 , 24 )

Belciades koenigi Kononenko, 1997 , Tinea 15(2): 113, figs 3, 4, 15, 21, 22 (Type-localty: China, [Prov. Zhejiang], "West-Tienmu-Shan”).

Material examined. Type series, including holotype. Additional material examined: 1 male, China, Shaanxi, South Taibaishan, Tsinling Mts., Houzhenzi, 1900 m, 33˚53ʹN 107˚49ʹE, 1–12.viii.1999, leg. Siniaev & Plutenko; 1 male, same locality, June–October 1999, leg. local collector, 1 male, same locality 15.vi–15.x. leg. local collector (Coll. GR); 1 male, China, Sichuan, Qingchenghu, 70 km W Chengdu, 1700 m, 6– 11.xi, leg. local collector (coll. AB).

Diagnosis. Adult ( Figs. 3, 4 ). Wingspan 39–42 mm. B. koenigi is externally similar in color and pattern of the forewing to B. niveola , but differs in more intensive cyan-bluish-green tint of ground color of forewing and grayish-brown hindwing with two traceable pale transverse lines. In forewing pattern it differs in shape of basal band, absence of white border around inner and outer lines and less expressed grey suffusion in medial field. In male genitalia ( Fig. 18 ) it differs mainly by more proportional shape of valva (the neck of cucullus less expressed), shape of juxta and completely reduced harpe. The vesica is similar to that of niveola , differing by the absence of cornuti on basal part (a row of spines is on ventral lobe of carina). The female genitalia ( Fig. 24 ) have prominent differences in shape of ostial part: antrum oval, without the folk-like antevaginal plate.

Distribution and biology. Known from two localities in northern and eastern part of Central China, where it seems to be sympatric with niveola .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Belciades spp., imagines. 1, 2 – B. niveola (1 – Russian Far East, 2 – Korea); 3, 4 – B. koenigi, China (3 – holotype), 5, 6 – B. hoenei, China, (5 – holotype, 6 – paratype); 7, 8 – B. sugii (7 – Thailand, 8 – China).

FIGURES 17 – 20. Belciades spp., male genitalia. 17 – B. niveola, Russian Far East, genit. prep. 1641 ZFMK; 18 – B. koenigi, paratype, China, genit. prep. 1641 ZFMK; 19 – B. hoenei, paratype, genit. prep. 1639 ZFMK; 20 – B. sugii, Thailand, genit. prep. 7277 GB.

FIGURES 21 – 26. Belciades spp., male and female genitalia. 21 – B. cyana, male genitalia, paratype, China, HHL- 1964 - 1; 22 – B. cyanobrunnea, male genitalia, holotype, Thailand, genit. prep. 7410 GB; 23 – B. niveola female genitalia, Russian Far East, genit. prep. 1641 ZFMK; 24 – B. koenigi female genitalia 1160 ZFMK; 25 – B. hoenei female genitalia, genit. prep. 1652 ZFMK; 26 – B. cyanobrunnea, paratype, female genitalia, China, Jianxi / Fujian, 7408 GB.