Philippinithosia, Volynkin & Černý, 2023

Volynkin, Anton V. & Černý, Karel, 2023, On the taxonomy of “ Tigrioides ” leucanioides (Walker) with descriptions of two new genera and ten new species from the Oriental realm (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Zootaxa 5352 (2), pp. 151-176 : 158-159

Philippinithosia gen. n.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:97096A01-89B2-4FDC-974F-C64203997830

Type species: Philippinithosia lourensi sp. n., by present designation.

Diagnosis. Species of the new genus ( Figs 28–35 ) are externally very similar to Leucanithosia ( Figs 1–27 ) but in males, the androconial tuft on the foreleg consists of ochreous yellow and shorter scales, which are elongate and grey in Leucanithosia . The male genital capsule of Philippinithosia ( Figs 58–62 ) is characterised by the distally dilated and swollen dorsal part of the valva and the distal saccular process, which both are densely covered with minute setae, the feature characteristic of the genus. Additionally, compared to Leucanithosia ( Figs 40–57 ), Philippinithosia lacks the intervalval commissure, and its juxta is weakly sclerotised whereas in Leucanithosia , the valvae are proximally connected by a commissure, and the posterior section of the juxta is heavily sclerotised and laterally fused with transtillae and ventrally connected to the intervalval commissure. The uncus of the new genus is proximally narrow and distally dilated and swollen whereas it is evenly swollen and basally dilated in Leucanithosia . The phallus of Philippinithosia is broader than in Leucanithosia and lacks the distal serrulate plate. The vesicae of the two genera display no fundamental differences. The female genitalia ground plan of Philippinithosia ( Figs 72–74 ) is similar to Leucanithosia ( Figs. 65–71 ) but in the current new genus, the appendix bursae is weakly expressed whereas the bursa copulatrix of Leucanithosia is clearly subdivided into a corpus bursae and a sack-like appendix bursae.

Description. Adults. Sexual dimorphism limited: female somewhat larger than male and with slightly broader forewing. Antenna dark grey, ciliate in both sexes. Head creamy or ochreous creamy. Thorax creamy. Pro- and metathorax with black spot medio-dorsally. Patagia ochreous creamy. Male foreleg with androconial tuft consisting of ochreous yellow scales. Tegula creamy with black spot medially. Forewing elongate and narrow, with almost parallel margins; costal margin straight proximally and medially and downcurved distally; anal margin convex. Forewing ground colour creamy or ochreous creamy. Pattern represented by dark grey or brown suffusion along veins, reduced in certain species. Forewing cilia creamy or ochreous creamy. Hindwing unicolorous creamy or ochreous creamy, paler than forewing. Abdomen creamy with intense admixture of ochreous scales laterally and distally. Male genitalia. Uncus proximally narow and distally dilated and swollen, with tiny claw-shaped tip. Tegumen weakly sclerotised, with posteriorly dilated arms. Tuba analis membranous, as broad as half of tegumen length. Vinculum shorter than tegumen, with narrowly U-shaped saccus. Valva lobular, somewhat dilated medially. Valva apex dilated, swollen and densely covered with short setae. Sacculus narrow and elongate, distal saccular process dilated and densely setose apically. Juxta moderately sclerotised, trapezoidal with medial anterior incision. Anellus membranous. Phallus short but broad, cylindrical. Proximal section of vesica broadly tubular. Distal section of vesica narrower than proximal one, tubular, terminating with one or two tubular diverticula bearing one or two short but basally broad cornuti apically. Vesica ejaculatorius originates medially, with stick-shaped basal plate. Female genitalia. Papilla analis trapezoidal with rounded corners, weakly setose. Apophyses elongate and thin, apophysis anterioris shorter or equal in length to apophysis posterioris. Postvaginal area membranous. Ductus bursae elongate, tubular, rugose. Corpus bursae broad sack-like with two small and rounded signa, rugose posteriorly, in certain species with short and semiglobular postero-lateral rugose appendix at junction with ductus bursae. Appendix bursae not separated from corpus bursae, represented as broad lateral protrusion with ductus seminalis originating laterally.

Distribution. The genus is endemic to the Philippines (absent from Palawan Island).

Etymology. The new genus name is an aggregate of the toponym ‘The Philippines’ and the genus group name Lithosia , and refers to the Philippine Archipelago to which the new genus is endemic. Gender is feminine.

Figures

FIGURES 24–31. Leucanithosia spp. (24–27) and Philippinithosia lourensi (28–31): adults. Depositories of the specimens: 24, 26, and 28–31 in MWM/ZSM (24 and 26 ex CKC); 25 and 27 in CKC.

FIGURES 32–39. Philippinithosia spp. (32–35), Tigrioides alterna (36, 37), and Dubatoloviana trimacula (38, 39): adults. Depositories of the specimens: 32–35, 38 and 39 in MWM/ZSM; 36 in OUMNH; 37 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

FIGURES 1–7. Leucanithosia spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 1 in OUMNH; 2–4, 6 and 8 in MWM/ZSM; 5 in CKC.

FIGURES 8–15. Leucanithosia spp.: adults. Depositories of the specimens: 8, 11, 12 and 14 in MWM/ZSM (11 and 14 ex CKC); 9 and 10 in CBP; 13 in GMF-B; 15 in CKC.

FIGURES 16–23. Leucanithosia spp.: adults. The specimens are deposited in MWM/ZSM.

FIGURES 58–60. Philippinithosia spp.: male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in MWM/ZSM.

FIGURES 61–64. Philippinithosia, Tigrioides and Dubatoloviana spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 61, 62 and 64 in MWM/ZSM; 63 in OUMNH.

FIGURES 40–43. Leucanithosia leucanioides: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 40 and 41 in MWM/ ZSM; 42 and 43 in CKC.

FIGURES 44–47. Leucanithosia spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 44, 45 and 47 in MWM/ZSM (47 ex CKC); 46 in CBP.

FIGURES 48–50. Leucanithosia spp.: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 48 and 50 in MWM/ZSM (50 ex CKC); 49 in GMF-B.

FIGURES 51–54. Leucanithosia witti: male genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 51–53 in MWM/ZSM; 54 in CKC.

FIGURES 55–57. Leucanithosia spp.: male genitalia. The specimens dissected are deposited in MWM/ZSM (56 and 57 ex CKC).

FIGURES 69–72. Leucanithosia (69–71) and Philippinithosia (72) spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 69, 70, and 72 in MWM/ZSM; 71 in CKC.

FIGURES 73–76. Philippinithosia, Tigrioides and Dubatoloviana spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 73, 74 and 76 in MWM/ZSM; 75 in NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

FIGURES 65–68. Leucanithosia spp.: female genitalia. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 65 in OUMNH; 66–68 in CKC.