Belciana prasina (Swinhoe, 1903)

Behounek, G., Han, H. L. & Kononenko, V. S., 2015, A revision of the genus Belciana Walker, 1862 with description of three new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae: Pantheinae) from East and South East Asia. Revision of Pantheinae, contribution XII, Zootaxa 4027 (3), pp. 341-365 : 349-350

Belciana prasina (Swinhoe, 1903)

( Figs 14–17 , 37 , 48 )

Polydesma prasina Swinhoe, 1903 , Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 12: 199. Types: India, Meghalaya, Jianthi Range (NHM).

Synonymy: Belciana sobieczkyi Kobes, 1989 , Heterocera sumatrana 2 (7): 159, plate, figs. 11, 12. Holotype: male, North Sumatra, Prapat, HW 2. 13-ix. 1986, leg. Dr. Diehl (NHM).

References: Poole 1989:160 ( Belciana ); Speidel & Kononenko 1998: 560 ( Belciana sp. near sobieczkyi ); Kononenko & Pinratana 2005: 134, Pl. 39: 7 ( Belciana sobieczkyi ); 2013: 277, Pl. 37: 19 ( Belciana prasina ); Holloway 2009: 20, syn. n., Pl. 1:5, gen. 17 male ( Belciana ).

Material examined. INDONESIA, SUMATRA: 1 female, Reg. Aceh, Bawa, Kager leg., vi.1976, coll. Behounek, ZSM, Munich; 1 male, Reg. Sumatera Utara, Prov. Simalungen, Prapat, 14–15 km NE, vic Aek Tarum, Holzweg 2A/ 4, 1040–1150 m, 02°46′N, 98°59′E, Diehl E.W. leg., 3.ix.1996, slide.: GB/ ZSM N4147 male, coll. Kobes, ZSM, Munich, 1 male, 1 female, Reg. Sumatera Utara, Prov. Simalungen, Prapat, Holzweg 2, 1050 m, 28 km W Siantar, 02°768′ N, 99°976′E, Diehl E.W. leg., 7–14.iii.1999, slides, GB7708 female, GB7709 male, coll. Behounek, ZSM, Munich; 1 male paratypus of Belciana sobieczkyi, Simalungen , 20 km E Prapat, HW2, 22.9,[19]85, Dr. Diehl leg. male, slide Gu 64485 Dr. Kobes, Göttingen, coll. Kobes, ZSM, Munich; 1 male paratypus of Belciana sobieczkyi, Prapat HW2, 28.7.[19]86, Dr. Diel leg, abdomen missing, coll. Kobes, ZSM, Munich; ZSM, Munich; 1 male, Reg. Sumatera Utara, SR2, Road Sondi Raya, 400 m, 11–18 km S Sindar Raya, (Pematang Raya), 03°53′N, 98°51′E, Diehl E.W. leg., 28.v.1993, slide, GB/ ZSM N4148 male, coll. Kobes, ZSM, Munich; 1 female, Reg. Sumatera Utara, Prov. Tapanuli, Sibolga, 8 km N, waterfall, 01°48′N 98°48′E, Diehl E.W. leg., 27.v.1995, coll. Behounek, ZSM, Munich; * VIETNAM: 1 male, North Vietnam, Prov. Cao Bang, Ba Be Lake NP, 300 m, viii.2008, leg. Einh Sammler, coll. A. Becher, Freudenberg; 1 female, Tam Dao, 1200 m, 11–16.x.1992, leg. Sinjaev & Simonov, coll. ZFMK; * CHINA: 2 males, Prov. Guandong, Ruvian, Nanling Nat. Park, 2.ix.2005, Min Wang leg., slide.: HHL-1968 male, coll. NEFU, Harbin.

Note. The specimens labelled as BC ZSM Lep 48698 and BC ZSM Lep 48699 have been used for DNA barcoding. Molecular distance based on the Kimura two-parameter model for COI DNA barcodes between nearest B. prasina and B. hreblayi is 5,23%.

Diagnosis. Adult ( Figs 14–17 ). Wingspan 36–42 mm. B. prasina and B. bicolor comprise the prasina speciesgroup. Externally it could be characterised by grassy green ground colour of thorax and forewing, developed black elements of wing pattern, particularly ante- and postmedial lines and dark greyish-brown forewing. In male genitalia valva narrower than in species of bicolor and pratti groups, with huge basal coremata; uncus unlike to species of bicolor and pratti groups gradually tipped, bearing apical hook. The structure of aedeagus is similar to species of bicolor -group. In the female genitalia antevaginal plate not split as in species of bicolor -group.

Head, thorax and ground colour of forewing grassy green, patagia bordered with brown; wing pattern represents by blackish basal line, half-filled blackish-brown subbasal field, black dentate antemedial line, wide black-brown medial line, interrupted in apical part before black-brown costal mark, thin dentate antemedial line, black interrupted subterminal line, blackish-brown subterminal-terminal patch and subtornal mark; subterminal field with wide dentate dashes; terminal line thin, black, interrupted; cilia brown with green opposite veins; reniform marked as whitish spot with dark inner dots. Hindwing dark greyish outwardly, yellow-brownish inwardly and along tornal margin, with hardly traceable discal spot and indistinct medial band; terminal line blackish, continuous; cilia brownish-grey with greyish-yellow spots.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 37 ). Uncus slender, gradually tipped; valva weakly sclerotised, narrower than in B. biformis , with huge basal coremata; harpe short, triangular-extended. Aedeagus weakly sclerotised dorsally, with carina formed by two scobinate bands; vesica basally bulbous, with patch of 18–20 cornuti on basal diverticula, central sclerotised band and dense cluster of short needles in joining with ventral branch of carina and basal cluster of tiny cornuti.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 48 ). In the the female genitalia antrum well formed, elongate, not split; ductus bursae very short, heavily sclerotised in joining with corpus bursae; the late sack-like, sclerotised and ribbed, with prominent extension in caudal part.

Distribution and bionomics. India (West and East Ghats, Meghalaya), *South China (Guandong), *North Vietnam, Thailand (Chiang Mai, Peninsula Malacca, coll. A. Pinratana), Malaysia, Borneo, Brunei (Ulu Temburong); Indonesia (Sumatra, Java). The species has been reported from Vietnam by Speidel & Kononenko (1998) as “ Belciana sp. near sobieczkyi ” and by Kononenko & Pinratana (2005, 2013) as “ B. sobieczkyi ” and B. prasina . The species is reported here from Vietnam and China for the first time. It occurs in lowland and mountain areas at elevation range 400–1400 m. Moths flying in March, April, May, June, October, November. Larvae feed on Mallotus (Euphorbiaceae) ( Holloway 2009).

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 16. Belciana spp., adults. 9. B. sp., female, Indonesia, Lombok Isl., slide GB 7362 (GB); 10. B. pratti, male, Papua New Guinea, slide GB 7364 (GB); 11. B. pratti, female, Papua New Guinea, slide GB 7700 (GB); 12. B. hreblayi sp. n., male, holotype, Taiwan, slide GB 7358 (GB); 13. B. hreblayi sp. n., male, paratype, Taiwan (GR); 14. B. prasina, male, Sumatra, slide N GB / ZSM N 4147 (ZSM); 15. B. prasina, male, Sumatra, slide GB / ZSM N 4148 (ZSM); 16. B. prasina, male, China, Guangdong, slide HHL- 1968 - 1 (NEFU).

FIGURES 17 – 24. Belciana spp., adults. 17. B. prasina, male, North Vietnam (AB / ZSM); 18. B. bicolor, male, Sumatra, slide GB / ZSM N 4177 (ZSM); 19. B. bicolor, male, Sumatra, slide GB / ZSM N 4176 (ZSM); 20. B. bicolor, male, Sumatra, slide GB / ZSM N 4223 (ZSM); 21. B. hemodi, male, Myanmar, slide GB 12171 (AB / ZSM); 23. B. hemodi, female, Laos, slide GB 12169 (AB / ZSM); 23. B. sp., China, Shaanxi, RL 10996; 24. B. pinratanai, sp. n., female, holotype, Thailand, slide GB 12177 (AB / ZMS).

FIGURES 35 – 37. Belciana spp., male genitalia. 35. B. pratti, Papua New Guinea, slide GB 7364 (GB); 36. B. hreblayi sp. n., holotype, Taiwan, slide GB 7358 (GB); 37. B. prasina, Sumatra, slide GB / ZSM N 4148 (ZSM). Most distinctive characters are marked by lines.

FIGURES 46 – 52. Belciana spp., female genitalia. 46. B. sp., Indonesia, Lombok I., slide GB 7362 (GB); 47. B. pratti, Papua New Guinea, slide GB 7700 (GB); 48. B. prasina, Sumatra, slide GB 7708 (GB). 49. B. bicolor, Sumatra, slide GB / ZSM N 4227 (ZSM); 50. B. hemodi, Laos, slide GB 12169 (GB); 51. B. sp., China, Shaanxi, slide RL 10996 (GR); 52. B. pinratanai sp. n., holotype, Thailand, slide GB 12177 (AB / ZSM); 53. B. scorpio, Thailand, slide GB 8252 (GB). Most distinctive characters are marked by lines.