Cragandhara, Volynkin, 2023

Volynkin, Anton V., 2023, Cragandhara, a new genus for two new species from India (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 69, pp. 84-90 : 85-87

Cragandhara gen. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AC162C76-3135-4435-9C0D-C8AD97229149

Type species: Cragandhara himalaya sp. n., by present designation.

Diagnosis. Species of the new genus ( Figs 1–3 ) are externally reminiscent of the genera Gandhara ( Figs 4, 5 , 13 , 16 ) and Collita Moore, 1878 ( Figs 6, 7 , 14 , 18 ) but differ clearly in their genitalia structures. In the male genitalia of Cragandhara gen. n. ( Figs 10, 11 ), the following features are characteristic of the genus. (1) The anellus bears two dense lateral bunches of spinules (vs. a couple of serrulate plates in Gandhara and a membranous anellus in Collita ). (2) The ventral plate of the costa (‘clasper’) bears a swollen longitudinal crest densely covered with minute spinules. (3) The dorsal surface of the distal saccular process is densely setose. (4) The phallus has a pair of weakly sclerotised and longitudinally rugose distal processes, which are unknown in other Asiatic Lithosiina but found in several Afrotropical genera, and are most similar to those of the genus Cragia Birket-Smith, 1965 , which is fundamentally different from the new genus in its external appearance as well as the male genital capsule and female genitalia structures ( Figs 8, 9 , 12 , 17 ). Unlike in Cragandhara gen. n., in the latter genus, those processes are situated laterally and the vesica is elongate, bearing granulation and lacks cornuti whereas the new genus has a single robust cornutus in the short and membranous vesica. The vesica configuration of Cragandhara gen. n. is also vaguely reminiscent of certain species of Gandhara , namely G. vietnamica Dubatolov, 2012 ( Fig. 13 ), but distinguished by the broader main chamber and the considerably larger cornutus situated on the lateral diverticulum whereas Gandhara has a cornutus on the tip of the distal diverticulum. The female genitalia of Cragandhara gen. n. ( Figs 15 ) are reminiscent of Gandhara (Gig. 16) but differ in the membranous posterior section of the corpus bursae bearing a heavily sclerotised pocket anterio-laterally whereas the posterior section of the corpus bursae of Gandhara is gelatinous and bears a weakly sclerotised pocket anterio-laterally.

Description. External morphology of adults ( Figs 1–3 ). Sexual dimorphism limited: female somewhat larger and with slightly longer forewing and narrower yellow costal stripe than male. Antenna ciliate in both sexes. Head ochreous yellow. Thorax greyish-brown, patagia ochreous yellow, tegula edged with ochreous yellow scales. Forewing distally dilated, its costal margin posteriorly convex. Forewing ground colour greyish-brown or brown, with ochreous yellow costal stripe tapering distally. Forewing cilia ochreous yellow. Hindwing unicolorous pale ochreous yellow. Abdomen pale ochreous yellow proximally and intense ochreous yellow distally. Male genitalia ( Figs 10, 11 ). Uncus moderately long, slender, cylindrical, proximally straight and distally downcurved, with tiny claw-shaped tip. Tegumen short, weakly sclerotised, its arms fused in posterior ¾. Vinculum somewhat shorter than tegumen, with caliciform saccus bearing small trapezoidal tip. Valva lobular, its dorsal section apically rounded. Ventral plate of costa bears longitudinal swollen crest densely covered with spinules at base of distal saccular process. Sacculus narrow, its distal process short but robust, rostrum-shaped, gently upcurved, its dorsal surface setose. Juxta weakly sclerotised, inverted V-shaped. Anellus membranous, bearing a couple of lateral dense bunches of spinules. Phallus short and broad, somewhat medially dilated, with two distal-lateral, weakly sclerotised, longitudinally rugose, ribbon-like processes. Vesica short and broad, membranous, with several broad conical diverticula, subbasal diverticulum bearing long and robust, spike-like cornutus. Female genitalia ( Fig. 15 ). Papilla analis trapezoidal with rounded corners, weakly setose. Apophyses long and thin, equal in length. Postvaginal area long and broad, with weakly sclerotised plate. Ostium bursae broad. Antrum short, caliciform, gelatinous. Ductus bursae tubular, narrow and short. Corpus bursae pyriform and membranous, its posterior section bearing conical heavily sclerotised lateral pocket on left side. Anterior section of corpus bursae strongly dilated and bearing elliptical signum medially. Appendix bursae shortly conical, membranous, situated postero-laterally.

Distribution. Both known species of the genus are distributed in Northeast India.

Etymology. The new genus name is an aggregate of the genus-group names Cragia and Gandhara . Gender is feminine.

Figures

Figures 1–9. Lithosiina spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1–3 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 4 in MfN; 5 in MWM/ZSM; 6, 8 and 9 in ANHRT; 7 in ZFMK (photo by S.-Y. Huang).

Figures 13–14. Lithosiina spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 13 in MWM/ZSM; 14 in ANHRT.

Figures 15–18. Lithosiina spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 15 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 16 in MWM/ZSM; 17 and 18 in ANHRT.

Figures 10–12. Lithosiina spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 10 and 11 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 12 in ANHRT.