Ecpatia spiculivalva, Pellinen & Mutanen, 2019

Pellinen, Markku J. & Mutanen, Marko, 2019, Two new species of Ecpatia Turner, 1902, and the first records of Ecpatia sciachroa Hampson, 1926 and Ecpatia obscura Holloway, 2009 from Thailand (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Noctuinae), Zootaxa 4609 (3), pp. 574-582 : 576-577

Ecpatia spiculivalva sp. n. Pellinen

Barcode Index Number: BOLD:ADL2493

( Figs 2 a–b, 8a–b and 9)

Type material. Holotype male: Thailand, Lampang, Muban Phichai , 09.vii. 2009, 240 m, 18°18’15’’N, 99°31’06’’E, M. J. Pellinen leg., genitalia slide MJP109. In coll. Pellinen ( Finland). The holotype will be deposited in a public museum . Paratypes: 8 males and 4 females, all specimens collected by first author. Males: Chiangmai, Ban Thun Sala , 07.iv. 2005 , 350 m, 18°40’32’’N, 98°51’20’’E, Lampang, Muban Phichai , 09.vi. 2007 , 240 m, 18°18’15’’N, 99°31’06’’E, idem., 09.vii.2008 , idem., 27.iv.2009 , idem., 12.vi.2013 , Lampang, Chae Hom , 14.x. 2015 , 350 m, 18°43’25’’N, 99°32’44’’E, idem., 26.xi.2016, Lampang, Muban Phichai , 19.v. 2017 , 240 m, 18°18’15’’N, 99°31’06’’E. Females: Lampang, Muban Phichai , 29.vi. 2011 , 240 m, 18°18’15’’N, 99°31’06’’E, M. J. Pellinen leg., genitalia slide MJP110 , Lampang, Chae Hom , 23.v. 2015 , 350 m, 18°43’25’’N, 99°32’44’’E, genitalia slide MJP1020 , idem., 14.iv.2018 , genitalia slide MJP1242 , idem., 09.xii.2018 . All type specimens have red or green rectangle label, indicating the type status (holotype / paratype).

Morphological diagnosis. The new species is equal in size to other Ecpatia species except to the smaller E. grisescens . Forewing color brown-grey, slightly paler than most other species and also differing by two red blotches on the postmedial line, one close to costa and the other close to the tornus. There is also a red blotch next to subbasal line. White spot in hindwing is small and roundish and, as in E. obscura , two white sections on the fringes are clearly visible. Male genitalia differ from those of other congeners in having spikes at the base of the sacculus.

Genetic characterization. The DNA barcode sequence of E. spiculivalva differs from that of E. dulcistriga by 4.9%. Of the species occurring in Thailand, that with the most similar barcode sequence is E. grisescens (at 6.73%).

Description. External characters ( Fig. 2 a–b). Wingspan of both sexes 24–25 mm. Frons smooth, lower half whitish with narrow scales and upper half with reddish wide scales. Labial palpi upturned, medium size, covered with grey-brown scales mixed with some white, third segment less than half of the second segment. Antennae of males fasciculate, cilia about twice the length of flagellomere and filiform in females. Otherwise sexes externally alike. Thorax grey-brown, patagia and tegulae of the same color with wide scales. Legs grey-brown, with whitish tips on segments. Forewing brownish grey with darker brown patches between black lines. Orbicular stigma small and reniform reasonably clear, paler than general color of the forewing. Medial line unclear, wavy and partly double postmedial, with two reddish blotches, one close to costa and the other near tornus, third reddish blotch anterior to subbasal line. Cilia dark grey. Hindwing with clear small white centrum and two white sections on the fringe. Underside dark with white bands in the median area of both wings. Vein M2 on hindwing present, weaker compared to other veins. Abdomen same color as wings, with tufts of scales on tergites 4–7, underside color grey mixed with white scales. Male genitalia. ( Figs. 8 a–b) Uncus narrow bended, apically sharp, penicular process in tegumen blunt drop-shaped, juxta unclear rectangle, valvae without clear plate basally on costa, sacculus terminating in strong sharp harpe, cucullus almost the same width as valva with setae and strong spines, two to three strong spikes rise from middle part of sacculus with setae and strong spines, two to three strong spikes arose from middle part of sacculus. Saccus dull v-shape. Aedeagus: vesica with one strong cornutus, a spatulate sclerite and two patches of deciduous spicules. Female genitalia. ( Fig. 9 ) Papillae anales setose, concave, apophyses narrow, posteriores longer than anteriores, ostium bursae ventrally cleft, slightly broader than medium long ductus bursae, corpus bursae pyriform with bended appendix posteriorly, moderately corrugated, without basal appendix.

Etymology. The species name refers of the strong spikes in valvae of the male genitalia.

Distribution. North Thailand. The species was collected in various biotopes between 240–350 m, in April–July and November.

Biology. Preimaginal stages of the new species are unknown.

Remark. Figures of this species are illustrated in the Moths of Thailand Vol. 3, part two ( Kononenko & Pinratana 2013) as unidentified sp. Plate 42, no 51–52.

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. 1a. Ecpatia grisescens sp. n., paratype male (Thailand, Lampang, Chae Hom, 07.x.2014.), wingspan 23 mm. 1b. E. grisescens sp. n., paratype female (Thailand, Lampang, Chae Hom, 26.vi.2015), wingspan 24 mm. 2a. E. spiculivalva sp. n., paratype male (Thailand, Lampang, Muban Phichai, 12.vi.2013), wingspan 24 mm. 2b. E. spiculivalva sp. n., paratype female (Thailand, Lampang, Muban Phichai, 23.v.2015), wingspan 24 mm. 3a. E. sciachroa male (Thailand, Lampang, Muban Phichai, 30.v.2009), wingspan 27 mm. 3b. E. sciachroa female (Thailand, Lampang, Muban Phichai, 29.vi.2011), wingspan 27 mm. 4. E. obscura male (Thailand, Lampang, Muban Phichai, 02.iii.2011), wingspan 26 mm. 5. E. longinquua male (Japan, Kagoshima pref. Amamioshima Is. 08.vi.2010, Teruhiko Fukuda leg.)

FIGURES 6–9. 6a. Male genitalia of E. grisescens sp. n., slide MJP1012 (paratype, Thailand, Lampang, Chae Hom, 17. xii.2016), 6b. aedeagus slide MJP1012 (paratype). 7. Female genitalia, slide MJP825 (paratype, Thailand,Chae Hom,04.v.2015. 8a. Male genitalia of E. spiculivalva sp. n., slide MJP109 (paratype, Thailand, Lampang, Muban Phichai, 09.vii.2009), 8b. aedeagus slide MJP109 (paratype). 9. Female genitalia, slide MJP1020 (paratype, Thailand, Chae Hom, 23.v.2015).