Sesapa (Sesapa) strandiana Volynkin, 2019

Volynkin, Anton V., 2019, A new Sesapa Walker, 1854 from Taiwan (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 20 (2019), pp. 91-96 : 92-96

Sesapa (Sesapa) strandiana Volynkin , sp. nov.

( Figs 1–3 , 11, 12 , 17 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 , 11 ): male, Taiwan, Prov. Taitung, 7 km N of Tupan , 120’51’’E 21’29’’N, 500m, 16.XII.1997, leg. S. Simonyi & A. Szabo, slide MWM 34588 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM).

Paratypes: 1 male, same data as the holotype (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 4 females, Taiwan, Prov. Taitung, Chihpen Hot Springs , 400 m, 6.IV., 9.IV.1997, leg. Csorba & Ronkay, slide MWM 34589 Volynkin (female) (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) ; 1 male, Kankau (Koshun), Formosa, H. Sauter , IV.1912 / Miltochrista koshunica m . ♂ Strand det. / Paratypus ♂ Milt. coshunica Strd. / Cotypus / Samml. F. Daniel / slide MWM 33591 Volynkin (Coll. MWM/ ZSM) .

Note. This species was confused with Miltochrista koshunica by Strand (1917) therefore the type series of koshunica is mixed. The syntype male specimen deposited in the collection of MWM/ ZSM ( Figs 3 , 12 ) is not conspecific with the lectotype of koshunica (designated below) and belongs to the new species. This specimen is included here into the type series of S. strandiana .

Diagnosis. Externally, the new species ( Figs 1–3 ) is similar to S. inscripta ( Figs 5, 6 ), but can be easily distinguished by its red hindwings (blackish or dark grey in S. inscripta ) and the presence of two black longitudinal dashes in the subbasal area of forewing (those are absent in S. inscripta ). Sesapa strandiana is more similar externally to Miltochrista koshunica ( Fig. 4 ) also occurring in Taiwan, but differs by the presence of only two longitudinal dashes in the subbasal area (whereas M. koshunica has three dashes) and the dash-shaped discal spot of forewing being almost parallel to the veins M and R (that is at an angle to the veins M and R in M. koshunica ). In addition, the new species resembles externally also Barsine honbaensis Dubatolov & Bucsek, 2013 ( Figs 9, 10 , 16, 20 ) also found in Taiwan, but differs from it by its significantly smaller size and its smoothly curved antemedial line (that of B. honbaensis is W-shaped). The male genitalia of S. strandiana ( Figs 11, 12 ) are similar to those of S. inscripta ( Fig. 13 ) and S. sanguinea ( Fig. 14 ), but can be distinguished by the absence of ampulla (present in S. inscripta and S. sanguinea ), the sclerotised plate connecting costa valvae and sacculus situated at angle to the costa (that is almost perpendicular to the costa in S. inscripta and S. sanguinea ), the more elongated aedeagus, and the vesica having two large diverticula with series of spinules (whereas in S. inscripta and S. sanguinea the vesica is globular and has series of spinules on its dorsal and ventral surfaces). The female genitalia of S. strandiana ( Fig. 17 ) differ clearly from those of S. inscripta ( Fig. 18 ) and S. sanguinea ( Fig. 19 ) by its much larger and heavily sclerotised ductus bursae (that is considerably shorter, narrower and less heavily sclerotised in S. inscripta and S. sanguinea ) and its significantly longer corpus bursae.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1–3 ). Forewing length 8.5– 10 mm in males and 12 mm in females. Antennae of both sexes ciliate. Body and both wings bright red. Forewing in female with slightly more elongated apex than in male. Forewing pattern black; basal dot small; subbasal area with two longitudinal dashes; antemedial line smoothly angled in the cell; medial line slightly wavy; discal spot dash-like, thin and short, situated almost parallel to R and M veins; postmedial line strongly zigzagged on veins; postmedial area with a series of broad dashes on veins which may be connected to zigzags of postmedial line; costal margin black in subbasal, postmedial and subterminal areas and red in medial area; cilia black. Hindwing slightly paler than forewing, with fine blackish suffusion on veins at apex; cilia black at apex and along the outer margin, red along the anal margin. Male genitalia ( Figs 11, 12 ). Uncus narrow, elongated, curved distally, pointed apically. Tegumen narrow, shorter than valva; juxta weakly sclerotised, consisted of two rhombic lobes; Vinculum short, U-shaped. Valva narrow, strongly elongated, slightly broadened distally; costa valvae short, stretches along 2/3 of valva length; distal costal process absent; distal membranous lobe large, taking up about 1/3 of valva length; sacculus narrow, its dorsal surface weakly setose; distal saccular process robust, strongly curved posteriorly, apically pointed, longer than dorsal part of valva. Aedeagus elongated, narrow, straight; vesica membranous, with two large diverticula: anterior diverticulum narrow and short, curved, granulated, with a series of 6–7 weak spinules of various length basally; posterior one broad and long, with a series of 10–12 long and robust cornuti apically; basal plate of vesica ejaculatorius heavily sclerotised, stickshaped. Female genitalia ( Fig. 17 ). Papillae anales trapezoid; apophyses thin, long, of equal length; ostium bursae broad; antrum broad, heavily sclerotised, funnel-shaped, its posterior margin rugose, strongly connected to VII abdominal sternite; ductus bursae thick, elongated, dorso-ventrally flattened, heavily sclerotised, its lateral margins less heavily sclerotised than medial part; corpus bursae elongated, laced medially, its anterior section with weak spinulose scobination and small rounded signum; medial and posterior sections with strong spinulose scobination and sclerotised area laterally at the connection with appendix bursae; appendix bursae short, narrowly conical, moderately sclerotised, situated postero-laterally.

Distribution. Sesapa strandiana is currently known only from the island of Taiwan.

Etymology. The species name is dedicated to Embrik Strand, author of the externally similar Miltochrista koshunica the new species was confused with.

Figures

Figures 1–10. Sesapa (1–3, 5–8), Miltochrista (4) and Barsine (9–10) spp.: adults. 1, S. strandiana, holotype male, Taiwan (MWM/ZSM); 2, S. strandiana, paratype female, Taiwan (MWM/ZSM); 3, S. strandiana, paratype male, former syntype of Miltochrista koshunica, Taiwan (MWM/ZSM); 4, M. koshunica, lectotype male, Taiwan (SDEI, photo by Ch. Kutzscher); 5, S. inscripta, holotype male of erubescens, China (©NHMUK); 6, S. inscripta, female, China (ZFMK); 7, S. sanguinea, male, China (ZFMK); 8, S. sanguinea, female, China (ZFMK); 9, B. honbaensis, male, Taiwan (MWM/ZSM); 10, B. honbaensis, female, Taiwan (MWM/ZSM).

Figures 11–14. Sesapa spp.: male genitalia. 11, S. strandiana, holotype, Taiwan, slide MWM 34588 Volynkin; 12, S. strandiana, paratype, former syntype of Miltochrista koshunica, Taiwan, slide MWM 34591 Volynkin; 13, S. inscripta, China, slide BMNH(E) Arct.-4660 (©NHMUK); 14, S. sanguinea, China, slide AV1918 Volynkin.

Figures 15–20. Miltochrista (15), Sesapa (17–19) and Barsine (16, 20) spp.: male (15–16) and female (17–20) genitalia. 15, M. koshunica, lectotype, slide Inoue (photo by Ch. Kutzscher); 16, B. honbaensis, Taiwan, slide MWM 31455 Volynkin; 17, S. strandiana, paratype, Taiwan, slide MWM 34589 Volynkin; 18, S. inscripta, China, slide MWM 31462 Volynkin; 19, S. sanguinea, China, slide AV1926 Volynkin; 20, B. honbaensis, Taiwan, slide MWM 31456 Volynkin.