Orthosia (Orthosia) ronkayorum Volynkin & Titov

Volynkin, Anton V. & Titov, Sergey V., 2014, A new species of Orthosia Ochsenheimer, 1816 from North-East Kazakhstan (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3753 (5), pp. 494-500 : 494-495

Orthosia (Orthosia) ronkayorum Volynkin & Titov , sp. n.

( Figs 1–4 , 11, 12 , 17 , 21, 22 )

Type material. Holotype: male, 08.v.2013, NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar area, Ekibastuz district, 12 km NW Shiderty village, coast of Shiderty Reservoir, 51°47'54.21" N, 74°35'11.57" E, Volynkin A.V. & Titov S.V. leg. (Coll. Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia [ ZISP]). Slide AV0855 Volynkin. Paratypes: 1 female, with the same data as holotype (Coll. A. V. Volynkin, Barnaul, Russia [ AVB]); 15 males, 1 female, 19.iv.2012, NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar area, Ekibastuz district, 11–12 km NW Shiderty, 51°48' N, 74°35' E, S.V. Titov leg. (Colls. ZISP; AVB; S. V. Titov, Pavlodar, Kazakhstan [STP]). Slides AV0845 Volynkin (male), AV0846 Volynkin (female).

Diagnosis. The species belongs to the O. incerta species-group. It is the northernmost species of the O. picata lineage which includes five described species: O. picata (Bang-Haas, 1912) ( Figs. 5 –7 ), O. faqiri Hreblay & Plante, 1994 , O. feda Hreblay & Plante, 1994 , O. ariuna Hreblay, 1991 ( Fig. 8 ) and O. reshoefti Hreblay, 1994 . O. ronkayorum is closely related to Central Asian O. picata and O. ariuna . It is the smallest species of the group. As well as other members of the group, it is an externally variable species, and other than its small size the remaining differences are in the genitalia; in addition, O. ronkayorum has relatively smaller eyes than the related species O. picata . The male genitalia of O. ronkayorum ( Figs 11, 12 ) are most similar to those of O. picata ( Figs 13, 14 ), but differ by longer and medially broader uncus, narrower juxta, longer vinculum, somewhat narrower apical part of cucullus, narrower basal part of pollex, smaller clavus, broader distal part of clasper and somewhat shorter thorn of carina; from other Central Asian species of the group – Mongolian O. ariuna ( Fig. 15 ), the male genitalia of the new species differ by broader medial part of uncus, narrower juxta, somewhat shorter vinculum, smaller cucullus with narrower neck, narrower and longer pollex, smaller clavus, broader distal part of clasper, broader lateral bar of carina and longer thorn of carina; from Pakistanian O. faqiri and O. feda (figured by Hreblay & Plante 1994) the male genitalia of O. ronkayorum differ by broader medial part of uncus, somewhat narrower juxta, longer vinculum, narrower valva, smaller cucullus with narrower neck, narrower basal part of pollex, smaller clavus, broader distal part of clasper, larger lateral bar of carina and longer thorn of carina; from O. incerta (Hufnagel, 1766) ( Figs. 9, 10 , 16 ) which occur sympatrically in North-East Kazakhstan, the male genitalia of O. ronkayorum differ by apically pointed uncus, shorter and narrower juxta, longer vinculum, smaller and narrower cucullus, narrower pollex, smaller clavus, broader lateral bar of carina and shorter thorn of carina. In the female genitalia O. ronkayorum ( Fig. 17 ) differs from O. picata ( Fig. 18 ) by less sclerotised ostium bursae, somewhat shorter ductus bursae, shorter and less sclerotised appendix bursae and larger corpus bursae; from O. ariuna ( Fig. 19 ) differs by less sclerotised ostium bursae with shorter lateral crests, larger broad posterior part of ductus bursae, shorter and stronger sclerotised appendix bursae, broader corpus bursae and longer signa; from O. faqiri differs by larger broad posterior part of ductus bursae, shorter and stronger sclerotised appendix bursae; from O. reshoefti (figured by Hreblay & Plante 1994) differs by larger broad posterior part of ductus bursae, larger corpus bursae and longer signa; from O. incerta ( Fig. 20 ) differs by shorter and less sclerotised ostium bursae with shorter, less sclerotised and not dentate lateral crests, broader ductus bursae with much more strongly broadened posterior part, stronger sclerotised appendix bursae, somewhat broader corpus bursae.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1–4 , 21, 22 ). Wingspan 28–32 mm, length of forewing 12–15 mm. Antennae biserrate on males, dentate on females. Head, thorax and abdomen brown or dark brown. Forewing elongated, with pointed apex. Ground colour of forewing monotonous brown or dark brown. Antemedial, postmedial and terminal lines indistinct. Submarginal line slightly wavy, pale, with dark borders inwards. Claviform absent. Reniform and orbicular brown, with dark borders, reniform with shadow posteriorly. Cilia brown or dark brown. Hindwing pale, brownish-grey. Discal spot semilunar, indistinct. Cilia pale brownish-grey. Male genitalia ( Figs 11, 12 ). Uncus narrow, medially broadened, apically pointed. Tegumen moderately long, penicular lobes narrow. Juxta rectangular, with two narrow apical processes. Vinculum long, V-shaped. Valva elongated, medially curved, with S-shaped costal margin. Cucullus small, triangular, apically rounded, with narrow, apically pointed pollex. Corona absent. Sacculus large, long, distally strongly sclerotised. Clavus small, rounded, lobe-like. Ampulla long, curved, apically pointed, strongly sclerotised. Clasper moderately long, distally strongly broadened, with small, digitus-like harpe. Aedeagus long, slightly curved. Carina with elliptical lateral bar and strong, long, narrow, acute thorn. Vesica tubular, elongated, ventro-laterally recurved, with conical, apically rounded medial diverticulum. Female genitalia ( Fig. 17 ). Ovipositor short, conical. Apophyses posteriores and anteriores long, thin. Ostium bursae broad, trapezoidal, with sclerotised lateral crests. Ductus bursae long, anteriorly curved; its posterior part heavily sclerotised, strongly broadened; posterior part rugose. Appendix bursae moderately long, broad, twisted, apically rounded, with long sclerotised plate. Corpus bursae membranous, sack-like, with four long band-like signa.

Etymology. The specific name is dedicated to László and Gábor Ronkay.

Distribution and bionomics. Known only from the coast of Shiderty Reservoir in North-East Kazakhstan. The species inhabits the edges of ponds with Salix , in the steppe zone ( Fig. 23 ). Adults were collected in April, 2012 and May, 2013, at mercury vapor light.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Orthosia spp., adults. 1, O. ronkayorum, holotype male, NE Kazakhstan (ZISP); 2, O. ronkayorum, paratype male, same locality (AVB); 3, O. ronkayorum, paratype male, same locality (AVB); 4, O. ronkayorum, paratype female, same locality (AVB); 5, O. picata, male, SE Kazakhstan (AVB); 6, O. picata, male, SW Mongolia (AVB); 7, O. picata, male, SW Mongolia (AVB); 8, O. ariuna, paratype male, Mongolia, Bulgan aimak (HNHM); 9, O. incerta, male, Russia, Altai Mts. (AVB); 10, O. incerta, female, Slovenia (AVB).

FIGURES 11 – 14. Orthosia spp., male genitalia. 11, O. ronkayorum, holotype, slide AV 0855 Volynkin; 12, O. ronkayorum, paratype, slide AV 0845 Volynkin; 13, O. picata, SE Kazakhstan, Almaty, slide AV 0854 Volynkin; 14, O. picata, SW Mongolia, Hovd aimak, slide AV 0684 Volynkin.

FIGURES 15 – 20. Orthosia spp., male and female genitalia. 15, O. ariuna, male genitalia, paratype, Mongolia (photo by V. S. Kononenko); 16, O. incerta, male genitalia, Russia, Altai Mts., slide AV 0342 Volynkin; 17, O. ronkayorum, female genitalia, paratype, slide AV 0846 Volynkin; 18, O. picata, female genitalia, SE Kazakhstan, Bakanas, slide AV 0852 Volynkin; 19, O. ariuna, female genitalia, paratype, Mongolia (photo by V. S. Kononenko); 20, O. incerta, female genitalia, Slovenia, Kamnik, slide AV 0860 Volynkin;

FIGURES 21 – 23. Orthosia ronkayorum, adults in nature and biotope. 21, adult, NE Kazakhstan; 22, adult, NE Kazakhstan; 23, NE Kazakhstan, 12 km NW Shiderty village, coast of Shiderty Reservoir, 51 ° 47 ' 54.21 " N, 74 ° 35 ' 11.57 ", biotope of O. ronkayorum and O. incerta.