Ptilophora nanlingensis, Chen, Liusheng, Huang, Guohua & Wang, Min, 2010

Chen, Liusheng, Huang, Guohua & Wang, Min, 2010, The genus Ptilophora (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae) in China, with description of a new species, ZooKeys 61, pp. 69-75 : 69-71

Ptilophora nanlingensis sp. n. Figs 16

Diagnosis.

The new species belongs to the Ptilophora jezoensis species group based on the wing pattern and male genital structure: forewing with distinct, whitish postmedian fascia, costa inflated and angulated apically. In the wing pattern, it seems to be closely related to Ptilophora horieaurea , whereas the male genital structures seem closer to those of Ptilophora jezoensis , but the two species can be distinguished from each other by the following characters: forewing bright reddish brown in Ptilophora nanlingensis , chestnut brown in Ptilophora horieaurea ; uncus three-dimentional, and the costa of the valve with a rounded subapical ventral process in Ptilophora jezoensis , uncus three-dimensional, bifurcated apically, with serrated edges, and costa of valve rounded with apex inflated and with pointed subapical ventral process in Ptilophora nanlingensis (see Figs 3-5).

Description.

Male. Forewing length 15-18 mm. Antenna plumose, about 0.5 x length of forewing, with yellowish-white hairs at base. Thorax and abdomen with dark reddish-brown hair. Forewing ground color from bright reddish brown to fuscous brown; chocolate toward costal and posterior margins, fuscous in terminal area; antimedian fascia visible, straighter than postmedian fascia; postmedian fascia distinct, whitish, slightly convex at vein M1, forming a triangular whitish spot at costa, brighter at veins; outer margin with ground color covered with pale blue-gray scales; cilia dark brown. Hindwing fuscous; postmedial fascia absent, a whitish spot near tornus, cilia from apex to middle of outer margin yellowish brown, fuscous brown toward tornus.

Female. Similar to male except forewing length 17 mm (n=1); antenna filiform; vertex, thorax and forewing uniform fuscous brown, abdomen yellowish brown.

Male genitalia. Uncus three-dimensional, bifurcated apically, with serrated edges; a long triangular ventral process derive from middle of branches, smooth ventrally, slightly serrated dorsally. Socii heavily sclerotized with two horn-shaped processes. Tegumen short and broad. Valva broad with a large triangular subapical process ventrally; costa rounded with apex inflated, cucullus quadrangular; sacculus with a triangular central process, with dense setae from middle to apex. Aedeagus slender, slightly curved dorsally near caudal end, carina penis serrated dorsally.

Female genitalia. Papilla analis rather broad, covered with thin hairs; the apophysis anterior shorter than apophysis posterior; ostium wide, well sclerotized; ductus bursae very lightly sclerotized, inflated mesially; corpus bursae small, membranous.

Holotype.

Male, Nanling, Shaoguan, Guangdong, China, 15.XII.2008, Hou-Shuai Wang leg.. Deposited in the Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.

Paratypes.

1 female, Nanling, Shaoguan, Guangdong, China, 21.IX.2006, Min Wang leg.; 3 males, Nanling, Shaoguan, Guangdong, China, 2.XII.2007, Liu-Sheng Chen leg.; 3 males, 3.XII.2008, Liu-Sheng Chen and Hou-Shuai Wang leg., Nanling, Shaoguan, Guangdong, China; 1 male, 10.XII.2009, Hou-Shuai Wang leg., Nanling, Shaoguan, Guangdong, China. Deposited in the Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, P. R. China. 2 males, 1 female, Yuecheng Ling, Guangxi, China, 1800 m, 26°06'N; 110°54'E, 5-8.XII.2007, Viktor Siniaev leg. Deposited in coll. A. Schintlmeister, Dresden.

Etymology.

The specific name is derived from the type locality: Nanling Nature Reserve, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province.

Bionomics.

Bionomics. The moths were collected at light near 10°C the late autumn.

Remarks.

The adults of Ptilophora emerge late autumn, some species even flying at temperatures near 0°C ( Kishida and Kobayashi 2002). However, adult of Ptilophora nanlingensis fly at slightly higher temperature, close to 10˚ C late autumn, which is unusual for the genus.