Hermonassa albimacula Pan, 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 albimacula Pan, Han & Kononenko sp. nov.

Figs 35 , 36 , 51 , 60

Type material.

Holotype: ♀. China, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, 3000 m, 23 Aug. 2011, Z.H. Pan leg., genit. prep. hhl-5284-2. Paratypes: China: 2 ♀, Prov. Sichuan, Hailuo Valley, 30 July 2003, M. Wang et al. leg., genit. prep. GB-79-2, GB-80-2; 1 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, 30 Aug. 2001, Z.H. Pan leg.; 1 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, 3000 m, 1-3 Aug. 2011, Z.H. Pan leg.; 2 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, 3000 m, 24 Aug. 2011, Z.H. Pan leg.; 1 ♂, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Nadengzuo, 17 Aug. 2014, H.L. Han leg.; 1 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Guxiang, 2970 m,14-19 July 2017, W. Da leg., genit. prep. GB-97-2; 1 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Bomi County, Xuyu, 20 Sept. 2016, Z.H. Pan leg., genit. prep. GB-103-2; 1 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Bomi County, Shuangyu, 7 Aug. 2017, H.L. Han leg.; 2 ♂, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Nadengzuo, 13 Aug. 2017, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-118-1, GB-318-1; 2 ♀, Aut. Reg. Xizang, Linzhi City, Lulang town, 15 Aug. 2017, H.L. Han leg., genit. prep. GB-157-2, GB-191-2 (coll. NEFU); 2 ♀, China, West Sichuan, road Yaan/Kangding, Erlang Shan Mt., H-2161 m, 29°87'340"N, 102°30'970"E, 11-12 Sept. 2017, Saldaitis leg, slide GYP 4845, coll. P. Gyulai, Miskolc, Hungary.

Diagnosis.

Hermonassa albimacula sp. nov. is superficially similar to H. legraini (Fig. 37 ) and H. dictyota (Fig. 38 ), but differs from both by a darker reddish brown ground colour of the forewing, a broader subterminal line, and the less expressed pale elements of the wing pattern. The male genitalia differs from those of H. legraini by the thinner uncus, the shape of juxta with a shorter apical extension, the shape of the valva, shorter and more tapered than in H. legraini ; the harpe and saccular extension are ~ 2 × shorter than in H. legraini ; the pollex is smaller, but broader and placed more apically compared with H. legraini. The female genitalia of the new species differs from those of H. legraini by a broader antrum with broad antevaginal plate deeply cut in the centre, the 3 × broader ductus bursae, sclerotised apically and the shape of the bursae with a broad cervix.

Description.

Adult (Figs 35 , 36 ). Wingspan 39-41 mm. Head white, labial palps dark brown; thorax dark brown; abdomen dark reddish brown, mixed with dark grey, tuft indistinct. Forewing ground colour dark reddish brown; transverse line double, with white in room; basal line dark brown to brown; antemedial line dark brown to brown, slightly curved; median line blackish brown to brown, broad, wavy; postmedial line dark brown, slender, excurved; subterminal line broad, black band-like; terminal line dotted; orbicular spot black, small, partly edged with pale line; reniform spot broad bean-shaped, partly edged with pale. Hindwing dark brown mixed with grey; discal spot, indistinct; terminal line yellowish white; fringe brown. Male genitalia (Fig. 51 ). Uncus curved basally, broader apically. Tegumen wide, ~ 1.2 × length of uncus. Juxta incurved anchor-shaped, with long thin, hooked apically central process. Valva relatively narrow, straight, slightly curved apically; cucullus bluntly tapered; saccular process long, slightly wavy, reach pollex; harpe thin, relatively short, curved basally, reach costal margin, pollex short, placed in apical fourth of valva. Saccus long, narrow V-shaped. Aedeagus slightly wavy, with long, narrow serrated carina; vesica membranous, with a strong spine-like cornutus. Female genitalia (Fig. 60 ). Papillae anales short, slightly sclerotised. Apophyses thin, long; apophyses anteriores ~ 1/2 × of length of apophyses posteriores. Ostium broad and slightly wrinkled, antevaginal plate strongly sclerotised, concave, with deep central cut. Ductus bursae long, broad, strongly sclerotised anteriorly. Corpus bursae 2 × longer than ductus bursae, wrinkled; with four long signa bands.

Etymology.

The species name refers to forewing pattern of the new species. It formed from the Latin words albus (white) and macula (a spot).

Distribution and biology

(Fig. 41 ). Hermonassa albimacula is known from Linzhi mountain range in Aut. Reg. Xizang, four specimens were collected in Prov. Sichuan, southwest China. The species occurs in the grassland shrubby meadows bordered with cliffs at altitude 2900-3000 m. Adults were collected from the end of July to late September.

Figures

Figures 35 - 42. Hermonassa spp., adults (35 - 40) and habitats (41, 42) 35 H. albimacula sp. nov., ♀, holotype, China 36 Ditto, ♂, paratype, China 37 H. legraini, ♂, Taiwan (after Ronkay et al. 2013) 38 H. dictyota ♂, holotype, China (ZFMK) 39 H. yixincheni, ♂, holotype, China 40 Ditto, China, ♀ 41 Habitat of H. albimacula sp. nov., vic. Linzhi City, Guxiang, 3000 m 42 Habitat of H. linzhiensis sp. nov., vic. Linzhi City, Mt. Sejila, 3500 m.

Figures 51 - 56. Hermonassa spp., male genitalia 51 H. albimacula sp. nov., paratype, China, genit. prep. GB- 318 - 1 52 H. legraini, Taiwan (after Ronkay et al. 2013) 53 H. yixincheni, holotype, China, genit. prep. hhl- 1009 - 1 54 H. dictyota, holotype, China, (ZFMK) 55 H. linzhiensis sp. nov., holotype, China, genit. prep. hhl- 5278 - 1 56 H. pallidula, China (after Boursin 1967).

Figures 57 - 63. Hermonassa spp., male (57 - 59) and female (60 - 63) genitalia 57 H. hoenei, paratype, China (ZFMK) 58 H. e. ellenae, holotype, China, (ZFMK) 59 H. oleographa, China, genit. prep. hhl- 5283 - 1 60 H. albimacula sp. nov., paratype, China, genit. prep. hhl- 5284 - 2 61 H. legraini, Taiwan (after Ronkay et al. 2013) 62 H. yixincheni, paratype, China, genit. prep. hhl- 5282 - 2 63 H. linzhiensis sp. nov., paratype, China, prep. hhl- 5279 - 2.