Teratoglaea hohuanshanensis Wu, 2013

Wu, Shipher, 2013, Teratoglaea hohuanshanensis sp. nov., a new Xylenini moth endemic to Taiwan (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae), Zootaxa 3722 (3), pp. 396-400 : 396-399

Teratoglaea hohuanshanensis Wu , sp. nov.

( Figs 5 –8,10,12)

Teratoglaea pacifica: Hreblay & Ronkay, 1997 , Acta Zool. Acad. Sci. Hung. 43 (1): 53, fig. 161, nec Sugi, 1958.

Type material. Holotype. Male, TAIWAN, Hualien County, Guanyuan, 2400m, 7.II.2013, leg. S. Wu (coll. TFRI); paratypes. 1male, TAIWAN, same collecting locality as holotype, 12.III.2013, leg. S. Wu; 1male, Hualien County, Ci’en , 2039m, 14.II.2010, leg. L. C. Shih (coll. ESRI); 1 male, Ci’en , 1950m, 16.IV.2013, leg. S. Wu, slide TFRI00143094 ( TFRI); 1 female, Nantou County, Yuanfeng, SW to Hohuan Mountain , at the Road No. 14, 2760 m, 24°07'24"N, 121°14'55"E, 29.XI.1999, leg. A. Kun, L. Peregovits & L. Ronkay (coll. G. Ronkay, Budapest); 1 female, Nantou County, 5km SW of Tayuling, 2900m, 7–8.XI.1996, 24°09'N, 121°17'E., leg. T. Csővári & Cs. Szab ó ky, slide No. HM 9388 (coll. Hreblay); 1 female, Nantou, Xiaofengko, 3002m, 14.III.2007, leg. L. C. Shih (coll. ESRI); 1 female, same locality, 18.III.2012, leg. S. Wu & W. C. Chang, slide TFRI138511 (coll. TFRI).

Diagnosis. The external appearance of the new species displays no distinctive features in comparison with its allopatric sister species, T. pacifica ( Figs 1 –4,9,11), except that the incision of forewing costal margin is less prominent. Despite this fact, the genital structures of both sexes show conspicuous differences. The main features of the new species are as follows: apex of uncus blunt rather than tapered; penicular lobes larger and more sclerotized; juxta trifid like in distal part rather than V-shaped; apical part of valva more elongated and tapered rather than anti-trapezoid-shaped; ampullar tip tapered rather than rounded; large cornutus stout and tapered at apex rather than narrow and slender; distal cornuti field of vesica absent; ostium bursae narrow rather than wide; sclerotized region of appendix bursae small, ovate rather than large, semi-globular.

Description. Wingspan 25–27 mm in male (n= 4); 26–28 in female (n= 4). Head. Proboscis fully developed; palpi with second fringed with long scales extending anteriorly, third segment short, porrect. Eye large; antenna ciliated in male, filiform in female, two-third as long as forewing costal length; vertex ochreous. Thorax. Clothed with dense ochreous or (in melanic form) dark iron-grey scales, long and dense scale crests arising from medial part of metathorax. Forewing narrow, 1/3 part of costal margin from apex slightly incised; outer margin incised between vein M 2 and M 3; ground coloration dark brown or black; 1/2 part of costal region tinged with orange or cream white (in melanic form) when fresh; one ochreous stripe arising along cell m 3 toward 1/3 part from base, following with one ochreous bean-like patch; orbicular and reniform stigmata distinct, with one ochreous transversal line situated inside of reniform (which is absent in melanic form); postmedial line indistinct; 1/3 part of region from outer margin ochreous or pale brown (in melanic form); marginal scales dark brown. Hindwing ground coloration pale brown; apex prominent; discal spot distinct, dark brown; marginal scales ochreous. Abdomen. Ground coloration pale brown or dark iron-grey (in melanic form); typical trifine basal hair pencil absent. Male genitalia ( Fig. 10 ). Uncus down-curved with apex blunt; scaphium membranous; subscaphium slightly sclerotized; tegumen gradually broadened from dorsal part; penicular lobes expanded, sclerotized; juxta trifid at distal part; vinculum short; saccus V-shaped; valva long, apex tapered; sacculus triangular; ampulla straight with apex tapered. Aedeagus curved ventrally, distal part slightly sclerotized; vesica tubular and curved, with one small diverticulum situating at 1/3 part from base and one large, stout cornutus at apical part. Female genitalia ( Fig. 12 ). Ovipositor truncated conical, slightly sclerotized with long setae; apophyses moderate long; ostium bursae sclerotized, plate-like, longer along longitudinal axis; ductus bursae helicoid and partially sclerotized, gradually wider from base; corpus bursae elliptical; appendix bursae small, ovate, strongly sclerotized; ductus seminalis arising from base of appendix bursae.

Distribution and Bionomics. The new species has only been recorded in mid to high altitude (1950 to 3002m) of central Taiwan. It occurs in late autumn, overwinters then appears in late winter to early spring, as does its allopatric relative T. pacifica . The native hostplant of T. pacifica is Abies species (Pinaceae) in China ( Chen 1973) and Japan (Yoshimoto 1987), as well as Pinus koraiensis in the Russian Far East ( Matov and Kononenko 2012). In Taiwan, only one Abies species , A. kawakamii , ranges in the alpine belt and the Pinus species , P. taiwanensis , is dominant in mid to high altitude forests in disturbance. These two conifer species are potential host plants of T. hohuanshanensis . The immature stages remain unknown.

Etymology. The new species is named after its type locality, Hohuanshan Mountain Area, Nantou / Hualien County, Taiwan.

Figures

FIGURE 1–8. Dorsal views of Teratoglaea spp. 1–4. T. pacifica Sugi, 1958, male, Japan (NSMT); 1,3. Male; 2,4. Female; 3,4. Melanic form; 5. T. hohuanshanensis sp. nov. male, holotype, Taiwan (TFRI); 6. ditto, female, paratype, Taiwan, photo before abdomen dissected (TFRI); 7. ditto, male, melanic form, paratype, Taiwan (ESRI); 8. ditto, female, paratype, Taiwan (ESRI). Bar scale= 10mm. Photo: Shipher Wu (1–6), Li-Chen Shih (7,8).

FIGURE 9–12. Genitalia of Teratoglaea spp. 9. T. pacifica Sugi, 1958, male, Japan, slide NSMT-SW028 (NSMT); 10. ditto, female, slide NSMT-SW029 (NSMT); 11. T. hohuanshanensis sp. nov., paratype, male, Taiwan, slide TFRI143094 (TFRI); 12. ditto, paratype, female, Taiwan, slide TFRI138511 (TFRI). Photo: Shipher Wu.