Xestia ( Raddea ) herrichschaefferi ( Alphéraky, 1895 ), Alpheraky, 1895

Kononenko, Vladimir S., Volynkin, Anton V. & Yu, Alexei, 2012, A revision of the Xestia (Radddea) alexis (Kozhanchikov, 1928) species-group with a checklist of subgenus Raddea Alphéraky, 1892 and description of brachipterous females (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae), Zootaxa 3590, pp. 51-62 : 60-61

Xestia ( Raddea) herrichschaefferi ( Alphéraky, 1895)

( Figs. 6 , 8, 17–24 , 36, 38 , 41 )

Agrotis herrichschaefferi Alphéraky, 1895 , Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift Iris , 8:191 ( Lectotype, hereby designated: male, ZI, St. Petersburg. Type locality: Mongolia, [Ulan-Baator], Ourga).

References: Corti & Draudt 1931 –1938: 74, Pl. 10k [ Estimata herrichschaefferi ]; Kozhanchikov 1937: 221, Pl. 4:4, male gen. P. 78 ( Estimaja herrichschaefferi ); Boursin 1963:71, 72, Pl. 18:67, male genitalia ( Estimata ); Remm & Viidalepp 1979: ( Estimata );—( Estimata militzae , misident); Kononenko 1981: 11, fig. 11, male genitalia;—1984: 34:—2005:110, 192 ( Estimata ); Matov et al. 2008:295 ( Estimata ). Note. The species, reported by Remm & Viidalepp (1979) from Tuva as Estimata militzae in fact is the worn specimen of E. herrichschaefferi .

Material examined. Lectotype, male, Urga, Leder / coll. Great Duke Nikolai Mikhailovich, designated herewith, Paralectotypes: 11 males, 1 female, with same data, genit. slide male, AV 0098 [ ZISP]. 7 males, foot of Munku-Sardyk, East Sayan/ Coll. Lichatzev; 2 male, [ Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar], Urga, coll. N. Filipjev; 1 male, N Mongolia, 1964, leg. V. Solyanikov (coll. A.V. Nekrasov); 1 male, East Sayan, bottom of Munku-Sardyk Mt. ( ZISP); 2 males, Mongolia, Lamyn-Gegen, SE Hangai, 16.vii.1926, 17.vii.1926, leg. Kirichenko; 1 male, [ Mongolia] Urga, Ladov, Coll. Meinhard; 1 male, Mongolia, Bayanhongor aimak, Mts. Ih Bogd Uul, 2150 m, valley of Pitut river, 100o13’ E 45o00’ N, M. Hreblay, T. Stéger, slide AV 103 [ ZISP]; 1 male, [Tuva] Chawir, Tannu–Ola / coll. Duske [ FNM]; 2 males, Munku–Sardyk / coll. Duske [ FNM]; 1 male, 1 male, Mongolia, Bayanhongor aimak, Mts. Ih Bogd Uul, 2150 m, valley of Pitut river, 100o13’ E 45o00’ N, 25.vii.1987, leg. M. Hreblay, T. Stéger [PG]; 1 male, Mongolia, Zavkhan aimak, Khangai Mts., 8 km SSW of Zagastayn Davaa, 2290 m, 6.vii.2005 [PG]; 8 males, 13–14.vii.2008, Russia, Altai Republic, Kosh-Agach distr., Sailyugem Ridge, 8 km ESE Tashanta vill., 2650 m. 49º42’ N, 89º16’ E. Volynkin A.V., Nakonechny A.N. leg. (AV); 1 male, 15.vii.2009, Russia, Altai Rep., Kosh-Agach distr., 10 km WSW Tashanta vill., Bol. Shibety valley, 2200 m. 49º40’ N, 89º04’ E. Volynkin A.V., Černila M., Nakonechny A.N. leg. (AV); 1 male, 19–21.vii.2010, SW Mongolia, Gobi-Altai aimak, Mongolian Altai Mts., Khasgt-Khirkhan Mts., 17 km SSW Zhargalan, 2500–2900 m, 46 48'N, 95 49'E. R. Yakovlev & E. Guskova leg. (AV); 1 male, 10.vii.2009, SW Mongolia, Gobi-Altai aimak, Mongolian Altai Mts., upper stream of Urd-Hudd-Gol riv., 3 km SW of Sondzhtijn-Duh Mt., 2900 m, R.Yakovlev & E.Guskova leg. (AV); 1 male, 06.vii.2007, W. Mongolia, Hovd aimak, Uenchin-Gol Valley, 50 km N. of Uench vill., 1500 m. Yakovlev R.V. & Guskova E.V. leg. (AV); 3 females,. Russia, Altai Republic, Ukok plateau, Maitobe Mt., 2400–2500 m,, 49º64’N, 87º43’E. (R. Dudko leg.); 1 female, Russia, Altai Rep., plateau Ukok, Kaldzjin lake, 2400 2550 m, 49º19’ N, 87º26’ (R. Dudko leg.).

Diagnosis. Male, adult. ( Figs. 6 , 17–24 ). Somewhat larger than X. alexis , wingspan 28–29 mm. Body stout, vesture of head and thorax formed by brown and grey hairs; antennae of male shortly bipectinate, those of female strongly setose; labial palps short, like in X. alexis . Ground colour of male forewing pale grey or brownish-grey, in old specimens brownish grey; basal streak distinct, black; cell before orbicular and between stigmata filled with black; costal area with pale greyish suffusion; subbasal line distinct; subterminal line blackish, distinct, diffused inwardly; terminal field pale grey, terminal line blackish, cilia dark grey; hindwing unicolorous grey, with dark traceable discal spot, cilia pale. Wing colouration and pattern vary considerable. Male genitalia ( Fig. 36 ). Uncus short and broad, diamond-shaped, shorter than in X. alexis ; tegumen broad, shorter than vinculum, juxta shieldlike, with hat-like central extension; valva short, broad basally, tapered apically without pollex, costa strong, ended by slightly curved finger-like extension; clasper rather long, harpe short, flattened, deposited in distal fourth of the valva. Aedeagus relatively long, strong, slightly curved, carina with large elongate dentate plate; vesica short, projecting dorsally, bearing patch of small cornuti. Female, adult. ( Figs. 8 ). Female brachypterous, with vestigial wing, reaching 1st segment of abdomen; antennae rather thick, finely ciliated; proboscis fully developed, vesture of head body and reduced wings formed by short hair-like scales; body and wing colouration dark, pale yellowishbrown, forewing with traceable elements of pattern. Female genitalia ( Fig. 38 ). In the female genitalia (here described firstly) ovipositor somewhat longer and slender than in X. alexis , elongated, papillae anales relatively long, covered with long hairs; apophyses posteriores on wide sclerotised base, long, one third longer than in X. alexis ; 4 times longer than anterior ones; 8-th segment ring-like, with deep cut in centre; ostium split-like, narrower than in X. alexis ; ductus bursae short, wide, sclerotised, flattened; corpus bursae elongated.

Distribution and bionomics (Map. 43). Compared to X. alexis , X. herrichschaefferi is more widely distributed from East of Russian Altai, northwest China, throughout Tuva, to East Sayan, along Mongolian Altai, to Hangai Range and easternmost to Ulan-Baator, and is partially sympatric with the former. It inhabits similar biotopes as X. alexis , but is more common in dry habitats e.g., mountain steppe, tundra-steppe and open mountain forest ( Fig. 41 ). In the latter habitat both species fly in numbers, but X. alexis occurs at elevation 2300–2800 m and X. herrichschaefferi at 2100–2700 m. Species flying in sympatry are the same as those listed above for X. alexis . The behaviour of the females is similar to those of X. alexis . Males fly in July, attracted to light in great numbers.

Notes. Xestia ( R.) alexis and X. ( R.) herrichschaefferi are the two most northerly distributed species of the Inner Asian subgenus Raddea , typical representatives of Mongolian-South Siberian alpine fauna , endemics of Altay-Sayan montane country. In habit they are similar to northernmost species of the subgenus Pachnobia . Brachypterous females are also known among species of the subgenus Pachnobia , in zonal tundra, dry stony cryoxerophylous slopes and barren rocks ( Figs. 25–32 ) (i.e., X. aequaeva , X. alaskae , X. liquidaria , X. kurentzovi ) ( Kononenko 1981; Mikkola et al. 1983; Kullberg et al. 1995; Lafontaine et al. 1998). Brachyptery is also noted for Himalayan X. ( Raddea) satanas ( Hreblay & Ronkay 1998) . Though no females are known in the other species of the subgenus Raddea , we expect that they will also prove to be brachypterous.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. 1, 2. Original description and illustration of Agrotis oschi (after Bang-Haas 1922); 3. X. alexis specimen, marked by Staudinger as “ Agrotis oschi ”; 4. X. alexis, holotype; 5. X. alexis (holotype of Estimata militzae); 6. Xestia herrichschaefferi, lectotype.

FIGURES 7 – 32. 7. Xestia alexis, female, Altai (right—dorsal view, left—lateral view); 8. X. herrichschaefferi, female, Altai (right—dorsal view, left—lateral view); 9 – 16. Series of males of X. alexis, showing variability of the species; 17 – 24. Series of males of X. herrichschaefferi, showing variability of the species; 25 – 32. Northern species of the genus Xestia, subgenus Pachnobia with brachypterous females. 25, 26 — X. aequava, 27, 28 — X. alaskae; 29, 30 — X. liquidaria; 31, 32 — X. kurentzovi (right male, left female).

FIGURES 33 – 38. Xestia (Raddea) spp., male genitalia: 33. X. alexis, specimen, indicated by Staudinger as “ oschi ”. Altai. Genit. prep. MB 150 Ch. Boursin; 34. X. alexis, Altai, lectotype, genit. prep.; 35. X. alexis, Altai, holotype of militzae, genit. prep.; 36. X. herrichschaefferi, Mongolia, Ulan Baator, lectotype, genit. prep.; Female genitalia: 37. X. alexis, Altai, genit. prep. VK- 23 - 221211; 38. X. herrichschaefferi, Altai, genit. prep. VK- 24 - 221211.

FIGURES 39 – 43. Habitats and distribution map of X. alexis and X. herrichschaefferi. 39. Altai, Aktash, 2600 m., montane tundra with Dryas oxyodonta, habitat of X. alexis; 40. Altai, shore of Ukok lake, 2300 m., montane tundra, habitat of X. alexis; 41. Altai, Sailugem, 2300 m, dry montane steppe, habitat of X. herrichschaefferi. 42. Male of X. alexis feeding on flowers of Bistorta elliptica (Polygonaceae) at daytime; 43. Distribution map of X. alexis (red) and X. herrichschaefferi (blue).