Hermonassa conusa Gao, Han & Kononenko, 2023

Gao, Biao, Han, Hui-Lin, Kononenko, Vladimir S. & Pan, Zhao-Hui, 2023, Five new species of the genus Hermonassa Walker, 1865 from Xizang Autonomous Region, China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae), ZooKeys 1179, pp. 35-61 : 35

Hermonassa conusa Gao, Han & Kononenko sp. nov.

Figs 7 , 8 , 19 , 26

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, China, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Mt. Sejila, 3300 m, 28 July 2015, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. hhl-3492-1. Paratypes: China: 1 ♂, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Mt. Sejila, 3650 m, 22 Aug. 2014, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-66-1; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Mt. Sejila, 3300 m, 28 July 2015, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. hhl-3491-2; 1 ♂, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Mt. Sejila, Yaguo, 3150 m, 24 Aug. 2015, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-29-1 (coll. NEFU).

Diagnosis.

Hermonassa conusa sp. nov. (Figs 7 , 8 , 19 , 26 ) together with H. renifera (Figs 9 , 20 ) and H. shizukoae (Figs 10 , 21 , 22 , 27 ) are the most similar species in the dispila species group. Externally H. conusa differs from related species by more a robust habit, a broader forewing shape, dark brown with pale violet tint colouration of the forewing (in H. renifera and H. shizukoae the forewing colouration is brown with a reddish tint, especially in the costal part) and by a more coarse forewing pattern with more distinct basal, ante-, and postmedial lines (they are weakly expressed in H. renifera and H. shizukoae ); more distinct claviform, and larger drop-shaped orbicular than in related species (in H. renifera and H. shizukoae the claviform is weekly expressed and the orbicular is small drop-shaped). The male genitalia of H. conusa sp. nov. differ from those of the related species by shorter tegumen (it is ~ 1/3 × height of vinculum vs ~ 1/2 × in H. renifera and H. shizukoae ), the broad valva with prominent subbasal extensions of the costa (in the related species the valva are much narrower, without extension of the costa); the harpe with a large and broad base, which reaches but does not exceed the dorsal margin of valva (in the related species the base of harpe is narrower and exceed the dorsal margin of valva); the top of harpe is short, straight and broad (vs long, narrow and curved in H. renifera and H. shizukoae ). The juxta is wide, rectangular, with a medium process, inverted nail-shaped (in H. renifera and H. shizukoae the juxta is tongue-shaped, or nearly heart-shaped with a smaller and shorter process); the sacculus is much broader than in related species. The aedeagus is much longer and narrower than in H. renifera and H. shizukoae ; the cornutus much smaller and thinner; the vesica is tube-like, with smaller subbasal diverticulum compared with H. renifera and H. shizukoae. In the female genitalia, antevaginal plate is narrow and nearly heart-shaped vs broad and calyculate in H. shizukoae ; ductus bursae is long and slightly sclerotised vs short in H. shizukoae ; corpus bursae is shorter, with four band-like signa (in H. shizukoae corpus bursae is longer and the signa are slighter and wrinkle-like.

Description.

Adult (Figs 7 , 8 ). Wingspan 29-31 mm. Head, labial palps, thorax dark brown, patagia and tegulae black; abdomen black, mixed with greyish white at segments 1-3, abdominal tuft distinct. Forewing ground colour dark brown; basal line double, black; antemedial line double, black, slender, curved, slightly wavy; median line indistinct; postmedial line double, brown, mixed with black, excurved; subterminal line indistinct; terminal line greyish white, slender; orbicular spot drop-shaped and reniform spot crescent-shaped, both with pale brown edges. Hindwing pale, light greyish brown; discal spot arc-shaped; veins brown; fringe pale brown. Male genitalia (Fig. 19 ). Uncus slightly hooked apically. Tegumen broad, slightly longer than uncus, ~ 1/3 × vinculum length. Juxta rectangular with medial inverted nail-shaped process. Valva broad medially, gradually narrower apically; cucullus flat, blunt round; harpe slightly drumstick-shaped, with straight top, extending to ventral margin of valva. Saccus broad, V-shaped, strongly sclerotised. Aedeagus straight; caecum narrow ~ 1/7 × aedeagus length; carina long and thin serrated; vesica membranous, with short thin cornutus. Female genitalia (Fig. 26 ). Papillae anales broad, slightly sclerotised. Apophyses anteriores slender, ~ 1/3 × length of apophyses posteriores. Ostium flat, antevaginal plate almost rounded-triangular with central narrow cut, strongly sclerotised. Ductus bursae broad, flat, with anterior half partially sclerotised, with two irregular plates. Corpus bursae long and swollen, ~ 6 × length of ductus bursae, densely wrinkled, with four slender signa bands of different in lengths.

Etymology.

The species name refers to the large, sclerotised, conical extension on the base of the juxta in the male genitalia of the new species.

Distribution and biology.

Hermonassa conusa is known only from Linzhi mountain range in Aut. Reg. Xizang, in southwest China. The species occurs in grassland meadows in the coniferous forest at an altitudinal range of 3150-3650 m. Adults have been collected between the end of July and the end of August.

Figures

Figures 1 - 10. Hermonassa spp., adults 1 H. nigricans sp. nov., ♂, holotype, China 2 Ditto, ♀, paratype 3 H. anthracina, ♂, holotype, China (ZFMK) 4 H. anthracina, ♀, China 5 H. kalamantra, ♂, holotype, Nepal (after Kovacs et al. 2018) 6 H. kalamantra, ♂, China 7 H. conusa sp. nov., ♂, holotype, China 8 Ditto, ♀, paratype, China 9 H. renifera, ♂, holotype, China (NACR) 10 H. shizukoae, ♂, holotype, India (NIAES).

Figures 19 - 27. Hermonassa spp., male (19 - 22) and female (23 - 27) genitalia 19 H. conusa sp. nov., holotype, genit. prep. hhl- 3492 - 1 20 H. renifera, paratype (after Chen 1991) 21 H. shizukoae, holotype, India (after Sugi 1995) 22 H. shizukoae, Nepal (after Kovacs et al. 2018) 23 H. nigricans, paratype, genit. prep. hhl- 3493 - 2 24 H. anthracina, China, (after Kovacs et al. 2018) 25 H. kalamantra, Nepal (after Kovacs et al. 2018) 26 H. conusa sp. nov., paratype, China, genit. prep. hhl- 3491 - 2 27 H. shizukoae, paratype, India (after Sugi 1995).