Ovipennis regina Volynkin, Černý, S., 2024

Huang, Si-Yao, Volynkin, Anton V., Černý, Karel, Li, Zhi-Hong & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2024, Review of the bicolora Fang and binghami Hampson species-groups of the genus Ovipennis Hampson with descriptions of five new species from Southwestern China and Indochina (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini), Zootaxa 5399 (5), pp. 540-554 : 546-548

Ovipennis regina Volynkin, Černý, S. -Y. Huang & Saldaitis, sp. n.

( Figs 4–6 , 18–20 , 25, 26 , 35, 36 )

Ovipennis binghami [nec Hampson 1903]: Černý & Pinratana 2009: 101, fig. 200 (female); S.-Y. Huang et al. 2021: fig. 3, for the sample LHSY151.

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 4 , 18 ): male, “ 10–12.VIII.2012 | N Thailand, Chiang Mai Prov., | Thong Chai Range, near Queen | Sirikit Botanical Garden , 700 m, | 18°54'10.59''N 98°51'46.05''E, | edge of secondary forest, | local collector leg. | Coll. A. V. Volynkin” / “Slide | AV7290♁ | A. Volynkin ” ( WIGJ, ex CAV).

Paratypes. THAILAND: 14 males, 18 females, same data as holotype, gen. prep. Nos.: AV2362 (♁), AV7291 (♀) ( CAV) ; 1 male, 16 females, Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep , 400m, 10–30.X.2016, T. Ihle leg., gen. prep. Nos.:AV7292 (♁), AV7293 (♀) ( CKC) ; 2 females, Changwat Chiang Mai, Mt. Doi Inthanon, NP, 2300m, 17.X.2000, local collector leg., gen. prep. No.: MWM 31.451 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM & CKC) ; 1 female, Changwat Chiang Mai, 20 km NW of Mae Ai , 1650m, 21.IX.1999, A. Szabó & Z. Czere leg., gen. prep. No.: MWM 31.453 (prepared by Volynkin) ( MWM / ZSM) ; 4 males, 2 females, Chiang Rai, 1090m, road 1150, km 17 from Wiang Pa Pao, 19°18′45″N 99°23′24″E, 27. V.2011, K. Černý leg., gen. prep. No.: AV7294 (♁) ( CKC) ; 3 females, Chiang Rai, 1090m, road 1200, 19°18′39″ N, 99°21′47″E, 28. V.2011, K. Černý leg., gen. prep. No.: AV7295 ( CKC) ; 1 male, 5 females, Nan Prov., Ban Luang , 525m, 18°56′01″N 100°27′39″E, 30. V.2011, K. Černý leg., gen. prep. Nos.: AV7296 (♁), AV7297 (♀) ( CKC) . CHINA: 1 female, 28.VII.2019, Yunxian Town, Pu’er City, Yunnan Province, Zheng-bang Xu leg., unique number: LHSY151 ( CHSY) .

Diagnosis. The forewing length is 8.0 mm in males and 9.5–10.0 mm in females. Ovipennis regina sp. n. is most similar superficially to O. bicolora and the male is distinguished by the somewhat narrower forewing, the broader ochreous orange proximal field of the forewing, and the apically somewhat more rounded hindwing with a basal yellow patch, which is absent in the congener. Compared to O. bicolora , the female of O. regina sp. n. has a narrower and darker proximal ochreous orange field of the forewing, and a brownish outer patch gradually brightened around the margins whereas it is darker and unicolorous brownish-grey in the congener. In the male genital capsule, O. regina sp. n. can easily be distinguished from O. bicolora in the valva structure, viz. the smooth costa lacking the dentate medial dorsal process, the broader but shorter, crest-like medial costal process (it is lobelike and directed distally in O. bicolora ), the lack of the distal membranous lobe, the markedly narrower sacculus with a slightly convex dorsal margin (whereas it is more convex and protruding beyond the dorsal margin of the valva in the congener), and the broader distal saccular process with shorter lobes. Additionally, the distal section of the uncus of O. regina sp. n. is broader, and the vinculum is shorter and narrower than the corresponding structures of O. bicolora . The phallus of O. regina sp. n. is thicker and somewhat less downcurved than in O. bicolora . Compared to O. bicolora , the vesica of O. regina sp. n. is broader and bears three clusters of short and robust cornuti situated proximally, medially and ventro-distally whereas O. bicolora has two large and separated cornuti on the left side, and a small cluster of shorter cornuti on the right side subapically. In the female genitalia of the new species, the antevaginal plate has a broader but shallower medial incision and a posteriorly trapezoidal and medially folded lateral lobe (it is rounded in the congener), the ductus bursae is markedly broader, the posterior sclerotised section of the corpus bursae is considerably longer and broader, and the anterior membranous section of the corpus bursae is broader and longer than the corresponding structures of O. bicolora . Additionally, the signum bursae of O. regina sp. n. is smaller and rounded whereas it is elongate elliptical in O. bicolora .

Distribution. Southwestern China (Yunnan) and Northern Thailand (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and Nan Provinces).

Etymology. The specific epithet means ‘queen’ in Latin and refers to the spectacular appearance as well as the type locality of the new species in the vicinity of the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.

Figures

FIGURES 1–15. Ovipennis spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1 in IZCAS; 2, 3 and 11 in CHSY; 4 in WIGJ (ex CAV); 5, 8 and 14 in CKC; 6 in CAV; 7, 13 and 15 in MWM/ZSM (7 ex CKC); 9 and 12 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 10 in SCAU (ex CHSY).

FIGURES 16–19. Male genitalia of Ovipennis spp. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 16 in CHSY; 17 in SCAU; 18 in WIGJ (ex CAV); 19 in CAV.

FIGURES 20–23. Male genitalia of Ovipennis spp. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 20 and 23 in CKC; 21 in MWM/ ZSM; 22 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

FIGURES 24–29. Female genitalia of Ovipennis spp. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 24 and 29 in CHSY; 25, 27 and 28 in CKC; 26 in CAV.

FIGURES 33–38. Live adults (Figs 33–37) and habitat (Fig. 38) of Ovipennis spp. 33 and 34, O. bicolora, China, Mt. Omei (photo by Si-Yao Huang); 35 and 36, O. regina sp. n., China, Yunnan (photo by Hong-wei Zhang); 37, O. hanae sp. n., China, Yunnan (photo by Hong-wei Zhang); 38, Qingyinge, Mt. Emei, Sichuan, the habitat in the type locality of O. bicolora.