Palaeagrotis sibirica ( Staudinger, 1896 )

Volynkin, Anton V., Gyulai, Péter & Behounek, Gottfried, 2015, A review of the genus Palaeagrotis with description of a new species from South Mongolia (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3956 (1), pp. 113-120 : 119-120

Palaeagrotis sibirica ( Staudinger, 1896)

( Figs 9, 10 , 17, 18, 22 )

Heterographa sibirica Staudinger, 1896 , Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift Iris 9: 261 (Type locality: N Mongolia, [Khangai Mts] “Schurangin-Gol”).

Type material examined. Lectotype (hereby designated): male ( Figs 9 , 17 ), printed browish label “Uliassatai” / printed pink label “Origin.” / printed white label “ex coll. Staudinger 4/4” / white label “ Heterographa sibirica Stgr. [handwritten], det. W. Mey, 2014 [printed]”. Slide 12191 NKMB Behounek.

Other material examined. MONGOLIA: 2 males, [Ulaanbaatar] Urga, Leder [leg.] / Coll. Gr. Prince Nikolaj Mikhajlovich (coll. ZISP); 3 males, Govi Altay aimak, Mts Govi Altay, 6 km S of Tögrög, 1750 m, 94º45' E, 45º51' N, 6.viii.1988, leg. Peregovits & Varga (colls ZSM, ZISP); 2 females, Ömnögovi aimak, Gurbansaikhan Mts, Eliin Pass, 22–23.viii.1997, leg. P. Gyulai & A. Garai (coll. PGM, ZSM).

Slides ZSM 4421, AV0143, AV0144 Volynkin (males), ZSM 4422 Volynkin (female).

Note. O. Staudinger (1896) described the species under the genus Heterographa Staudinger, Sukhareva (1980) and Poole (1989) also recorded sibirica as a member of Heterographa . The species has been transferred to the genus Palaeagrotis by Gyulai & Ronkay (1999).

Diagnosis. Wingspan 31–36 mm. P. sibirica is well separated from both congeneric species by the forewing pattern, which is darker brown contoured; the claviform stigma well visible and a conspicuous; small quadrangular spot is situated in the inner side of the lower segment of the postmedial line tending towards the claviform spot. In the male genitalia, P. sibirica differ by the shorter apical part of juxta, much narrower aedeagus, much narrower vesica having small subbasal dentate plate-like ventral cornutus and small and narrow medio-dorsal diverticulum. In the female genitalia, P. sibirica differ by the narrower 8th abdominal segment, the shorter gonapophyses, the narrower ostium bursae, the shorter and oval-shaped sclerotised part of ductus bursae and the much longer and narrower corpus bursae.

Distribution and bionomics. The species is endemic for Mongolia, having a relatively wide range, but local, occurring in the rather cool, more humid grassy mountain steppes.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Palaeagrotis spp., adults. 1, P. inops, lectotype male, East Kazakhstan, Altai Mts (NKMB); 2, P. inops, female, NW China, Aksu (ZSM); 3, P. inops, female, SW Mongolia (AVB); 4, P. inops, female, Russian Altai Mts (AVB); 5, P. adrienneae, holotype male, S Mongolia (PGM); 6, P. adrienneae, paratype male, S Mongolia (ZSM); 7, P. adrienneae, paratype female, S Mongolia (PGM); 8, P. adrienneae, paratype female, S Mongolia (PGM); 9, P. sibirica, lectotype male, N Mongolia (NKMB); 10, P. sibirica, male, S Mongolia (ZSM).

FIGURES 17 – 22. Palaeagrotis spp., male (17, 18) and female (19 – 22) genitalia. 17, P. sibirica, lectotype, N Mongolia, slide 12191 NKMB Behounek; 18, P. sibirica, S Mongolia, slide ZSM 4421 Volynkin; 19, P. inops, NW China, slide ZSM 4417 Volynkin; 20, P. adrienneae, paratype, S Mongolia, slide 4073 Gyulai; 21, P. adrienneae, paratype, S Mongolia, slide 4079 Gyulai; 22, P. sibirica, S Mongolia, slide ZSM 4422 Volynkin.