Fragilonola, László, Gyula M., Ronkay, Gábor & Ronkay, László, 2015

László, Gyula M., Ronkay, Gábor & Ronkay, László, 2015, Contribution to the knowledge on the Palaearctic and Oriental taxa of the Meganola s. l. (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea, Nolidae, Nolinae) generic complex with descriptions of 4 new genera and 11 new species, Zootaxa 4052 (2), pp. 251-296 : 288

Fragilonola gen. n.

(Plate 5, Fig. 8 , Plate 6, Figs 1–6 ; gen. figs 35–40)

Type species: ‘Meganola’ igorkostjuki László, Ronkay & Witt, 2010, Esperiana 15: 51, pl. 7, fig. 7; gen. fig. 45. Type-locality: North Thailand, Prov. Chiang Mai, 1100 m, 4 km SE of Pang Faen. Holotype: male in coll. MWM.

Diagnosis. The external appearance of the members of the new genus is rather conspicuous; all known taxa are colorful, tiny species with the wingspan 12–16 mm. The forewings of Fragilonola have broad orange-brown or pale brownish basal field, red-brown or greyish-brown terminal area and dark costal margin, the postmedial line is conspicuous, almost straight, oblique, broad, and whitish. Fragilonola species are easily recognizeable due to this combination of characters, while the configuration of their genitalia shows close relationship with Nanola, sharing the characteristic origination of the harpe at the ventral margin of valva in both genera.

The main distinctive character between Fragilonola and Nanola is the considerably longer and narrower uncus and the fine but conspicuous, needle-like apical carinal process of the aedeagus of the former genus, while Nanola has generally shorter, more robust uncus and the carina of aedeagus lacks the apical process. In the female genitalia, the differences are even larger as Fragilonola has the longer, thinner, less sclerotized ductus bursae and double signum, while the species of Nanola have rather thick, swollen, strongly sclerotized ductus bursae and a single signum of very variable shape.

Comparing the hindwing venation of the two genera, the hindwing of Fragilonola is “trifine” with the vein M3+CuA1 being entirely fused, while in Nanola it is “quadrifine” as the vein M3+CuA1 is variably long stalked.

Description. Wingspan 12–16 mm, length of forewing: 6–8 mm. Head relatively small; eyes relatively large; male antenna bipectinate with ciliae gradually shortening towards tip, female antenna filiform. Forewing relatively narrow, apically rounded, ground colour brownish-grey, basal and terminal area lighter grey or orange-brown, costal margin dark brown. Transverse lines deleted, except postmedial line which is rather broad, oblique, more or less straight, and whitish. Hindwing pale grey, without discal spot and transverse lines.

Male genitalia. Uncus relatively long, thin, slightly arcuate, apically pointed. Tegumen rather broad, medially slightly dilated. Harpe bifurcate, erected at the ventral margin of valva. Vinculum long and pointed in the type species, relatively short, rounded in F. fragilis . Aedeagus tubular, medium-long, relatively thin, apical carinal process, if present, straight, thorn-like apical; vesica without cornuti but with fine scobination.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor short, conical, apophyses medium-long, relatively thin, eighth tergite very short, ostium bursae narrow, cup-shaped, ductus bursae long or relatively short, corpus bursae large, ovoid, signum bursae double, represented by a pair of rather remote, rounded, scobinated plates or short triangular processes.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 9. Genitalia of Meganola and Hampsonola species.

FIGURES 1 – 3. Male genitalia of Meganola species.

FIGURES 4 – 6. Genitalia of Meganola species.