Manulea (Churingosia), Volynkin & Černý, 2022

Volynkin, Anton V. & Černý, Karel, 2022, Churingosia, a new subgenus of the genus Manulea Wallengren with descriptions of four new species from the Oriental realm (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae), Zootaxa 5205 (2), pp. 162-176 : 163-164

Subgenus Churingosia subgen. n.

Type species: Ilema nigripes Hampson, 1900 .

Diagnosis. The new subgenus differs superficially from the subgenera Manulea (illustrated by Dubatolov & Zolotuhin (2011) and Witt et al. (2011, as Eilema , partim.)), Nyea Agenjo, 1983 (illustrated by Dubatolov & Zolotuhin (2011) as Agenjoa Dubatolov & Zolotuhin, 2011 ), and Tortrilema Volynkin, 2021 (illustrated by Volynkin & Saldaitis (2021) and Volynkin (2021)) in the broad forewing with a smoothly convex costal margin. The male genital capsule of the new subgenus is reminiscent of those of Manulea s. str. and Manulea (Tortrilema) but differs in the presence of the transverse lobe in the valva medially (the future characteristic of the subgenus). Additionally, it differs from Manulea s. str. in the shorter vinculum and broader valva (in proportion to the tegumen length), and, compared to Manulea (Tortrilema) , it has a distally tapered uncus (it is dilated in Manulea (Tortrilema )). The phallus of Manulea ( Churingosia subgen. n.) bears a robust thorn-shaped dorsal carinal process separated from the vesica (the future characteristic of the subgenus) whereas the carinal process is fused with the vesica and proximally thin in Manulea s. str., and absent in Manulea (Tortrilema) . In the vesica structure, the new subgenus differs clearly from the other subgenera of Manulea in the lack of cornuti. The female genitalia of the new subgenus are distinguished from the other subgenera in the presence of the gelatinous dorsal subostial pocket corresponding to the robust carinal process of males.

Description. External morphology of adults. Forewing length 15.5–20.0 mm in males and 17.5–21.0 mm in females. Sexual dimorphism limited: female slightly larger than male and with somewhat broader forewing.Antenna weakly ciliate in both sexes. Forewing with medially convex costa. Forewing ground colour brown or pale orange. Forewing ornamentation vestigial ( M. nigripes species group) or represented by ochreous suffusion on veins ( M. chrysophleps species group). Hindwing monotonous pale ochreous ( M. chrysophleps species group) or orange ( M. nigripes species group, somewhat paler than forewing). Male genitalia. Uncus elongate and slender, laterally flattened, slightly downcurved, apically tapered with tiny claw-like tip. Arms of tegumen strongly dilated posteriorly with fused posterior two-thirds. Vinculum longer than tegumen, with slender but heavily sclerotised arms anteriorly connected by thin concave commissure. Intravincular membrane bearing one broad corema sparsely covered with short piliform scales. Transtillae broadly triangular, fused. Valva broad (length to width ratio from 2.17:1 to 2.42:1), lobular, apically rounded, with short and transverse lobe medially. Sacculus narrow (ca. 1/3 of valva width basally). Distal saccular process robust, short (not reaching valva apex), slightly upcurved, distally tapered and apically pointed. Juxta weakly sclerotised, more or less back-trapezoidal with medial anterior depression. Phallus broad (in proportion to tegumen-vinculum complex width), somewhat dilated distally, with robust, elongate, apically pointed and somewhat upcurved distal carinal process separated from vesica base. Vesica sack-like with diverticula bearing clusters of scobination. Female genitalia. Ovipositor broadly conical. Papilla analis trapezoidal, weakly setose. Apophyses elongate and thin, more or less equal in length. Postvaginal area with dorsal gelatinous pocket. Ductus bursae short (in proportion to ovipositor length), dorso-ventrally flattened, sclerotised posteriorly and membranous anteriorly. Corpus bursae sack-like, membranous with two elongate teardrop-shaped serrulate signa. Appendix bursae club-shaped, positioned postero-laterally on right side, directed laterad.

Distribution. North and Northeast India, Nepal, Bhutan, North Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Etymology. Churingosia subgen. n. is an aggregate of the two generic names Churinga and Lithosia Fabricius, 1798 . The name refers to the vague similarity of the forewing shape of Churingosia species to those of Churinga .

Species content of Manulea ( Churingosia subgen. n.)

The M. (C.) chrysophleps species group

- M. (C.) chrysophleps ( Hampson, 1895) , comb. n.

- M. (C.) fardyftera sp. n.

- M. (C.) reducta sp. n.

The M. (C.) nigripes species group

- M. (C.) nigripes ( Hampson, 1900) , comb. n.

- M. (C.) mikrotera sp. n.

- M. (C.) mavropoda sp. n.