Himala ochripes (Moore, 1879) Bali & Kaleka & Singh, 2020

Bali, Gagan Preet Kour, Kaleka, Amritpal Singh & Singh, Devinder, 2020, A new combination of a tussock moth species under Genus Himala Moore (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Lymantriinae) and its range extension, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 120 (4), pp. 357-362 : 359-361

Himala ochripes (Moore, 1879) comb.n. ( Figure 2 )

1879. Stilpnotia ochripes Moore : Descr. Indian Lepid. Atkinson, (1): 45.

1892. Caviria ochripes Moore : Hampson, MothsIndia, 1: 490.

1895. Dendrophleps semihyalina Swinhoe, Trans. Ent. Soc., London, 1895: 14 .

1903. Caragola ochripes Moore : Swinhoe, Trans. Ent. Soc., London, 1903: 378.

1933. Stipnotia niveata Moore : Matsumura, Ins . Matsumur., 7: 151.

1934. Euzona ochripes Moore : Bryx, Lepid. Cat., 62: 123.

1999. Leucoma ochripes Moore : Holloway, Moths Borneo, 5: 109.

2003. Leucoma ochripes Moore : Chao, Fauna Sinica, 30: 287.

Type-locality: India (Darjeeling)

Diagnosis: Head with vertex and frons clothed with white scales. Labial palpi minute, fringed with yellowish-orange scales, antennae with scape and flagellum studded with creamish-white scales. Thorax, collar and tegula covered with white scales. Legs dressed with white scales, forelegs with orange scales. Abdomen furnished with white scales, distal end with white long scales.

Wing maculation: Forewing with ground colour pure white, without any markings, Hindwing pure white.

Wing venation: Forewing triangular; Cu 2 from two-third of cell; Cu1 well before lower angle of cell; M 3 from lower angle of cell; M 2 from above lower angle of cell; M 1 from upper angle of cell; R 5 -R 3 stalked from before upper angle of cell; R 2 from well before upper angle of cell, anastomosing at the bifurcation of R 5, (R 4 & R 3) to form an areole; R 1 from well beyond middle of cell. Hindwing with Cu 2 from three-fourth of cell; Cu 1 and M 3 shortly stalked from lower angle of cell; M 2 well above lower angle of cell;M 1 and Rs minutely stalked from upper angle of cell; Sc+R 1 from base of wing anastomosing well before middle of cell.

Wing Expanse: Male: 34mm- 36mm; Female: Not Examined.

Body Length: Male: 13mm- 15mm; Female: Not Examined.

Male genitalia: Uncus of moderate size, semi-sclerotized, basal half broad, bulb-like in lateral view, laterally and ventrally setosed, distal half curved, narrow with beaked tip; tegumen semi-sclerotized, U-shaped, medially expanded, narrow towards vinculum; vinculum narrow, semi-sclerotized, quite short, ending into prominent V-shaped saccus with rounded tip, saccus dorsally curved; juxta oblong, semi-sclerotized. Valvae simple, asymmetrical, left valva short, broad, having a bunch of prominent hairs in the middle, distal half setosed, rounded distal end, without any setosed protrusion on saccular side; right valva well developed, broad, more than 2x length of left valva, distal half setosed, distal end broad, rounded, armed with rows of prominent hairs. Aedeagus of moderate size, semi-sclerotized, proximal one-third portion flap-like; ductus ejaculatorius entering under this flap; distal one-third portion curved; distal end narrow, rounded; vesica without any distinct cornuti, armed with minute spinules.

Material examined: 15 ♂ (LYM-63i-xv): India, Himachal Pradesh, Andretta (32.040°N, 76.567°E), Alt. 1301 masl., 08.x.2013 ; 4 ♂ (LYM-63xvi-ix): India, Himachal Pradesh, Basantpur (31.212°N, 77.164°E), Alt. 1734 masl., 09.vii.2013 ; 5 ♂ (LYM-63xx-xv): India, Himachal Pradesh, Chamunda Devi (32.051°N, 76.643°E), Alt. 1000 masl., 07.ix.2013 ; 3 ♂ (LYM-63xxvi-xxviii): India, Himachal Pradesh, Dharamshala (32.219°N, 76.323°E) Alt. 1457 masl., 10.x.2013 ; 1 ♂ (LYM-63xxix): India, Himachal Pradesh, Naina Tikkar (30.805°N, 77.117°E), Alt. 1552 masl., 05.vii.2014 ; 1 ♂ (LYM-63xxx): India, Jammu & Kashmir, Lamberi (33.077°N, 74.324°E), 336 masl., 11.ix.2013 , 1♂ (LYM-63xxxi), Collected by: Gagan Bali.

Distribution: India: West Bengal, Darjeeling (Moore, 1879); Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir (Present study); North-East Himalayas; Elsewhere: China; Europe; Korea; North-America (Inoue et al., 1956); Sundaland (Borneo) (Holloway, 1999).

Figures

Figure 2. AdultHimala ochripes (Moore) comb. n.: 1. Forewing, 2. Hindwing, 3. Male Genitalia – ventral view, 4. Dorsal view of male genitalia, 5. Lateral view of male genitalia, 6. Valva, 7. Aedeagus.