Psychostrophia micronymphidiaria Huang & Wang

Huang, Si-Yao, Wang, Min & Fan, Xiao-Ling, 2019, Notes on the genus Psychostrophia Butler, 1877 (Lepidoptera, Epicopeiidae), with description of a new species, ZooKeys 900, pp. 111-127 : 113

Psychostrophia micronymphidiaria Huang & Wang sp. nov. Figs 1-4 , 9 , 10

Psychostrophia nymphidiaria : Huang et al. 2019: 40 [misidentification].

Type material.

Holotype: male, altitude 2779-2927 m, 27.V.2016, near Shajiama Bridge, Tacheng Town, Weixi Lisu Autonomous County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, leg. Zhen-fu Huang, Qi-tong Huang and Jing Tang, PSY001. Paratypes: 1 male, same label as holotype, PSY002; 1 male, altitude 2550 m, 15.VII.2018, Yaojiaping, Lushui County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, PR China, leg. Si-yao Huang, PSY003; 1 male, 6.VII.2014, altitude 2900-3000 m, Mt Diancang, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, leg. Hao Huang, PSY004; 1 male, altitude 2850 m, 7.VII.2013, Tacheng Town, Weixi Lisu Autonomous County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, leg. Zhen-fu Huang, Hai-ling Zhuang and Min Wang, PSY005. The type series is deposited in the Insect Collection of Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University (SCAU), Guangzhou, P. R. China.

Diagnosis.

Externally, P. micronymphidiaria sp. nov. is characterized and distinguished from its closest relative, P. nymphidiaria by a smaller size (length of forewing 16-17 mm vs 18-22 mm in P. nymphidiaria ), more slender discal cell bar with the tip pointing to the tornus (in P. nymphidiaria the discal cell bar is robust and short, the tip shifting basally and pointing to the dorsum), and a narrower costal black border on the dorsal forewing. The male genitalia of P. micronymphidiaria sp. nov. can be distinguished from those of P. nymphidiaria by the following points: 1) the juxta is much narrower and more strongly sclerotized, while it is much broader and more membranous in P. nymphidiaria ; 2) the valva has a narrower praesacculus, while it is broader in P. nymphidiaria ; 3) the aedeagus is longer than the coecum, while it is shorter than the coecum or equal to it in P. nymphidiaria ; 4) coecum and aedeagus are more sclerotized, while they are more membranous in P. nymphidiaria .

Description.

Male ( Figs 1-4 ). Forewing length 16-17 mm (n = 5). Head black; antenna black, filiform. Thorax and abdomen black dorsally. Forewing ground color black with well-developed white patterns. White triangular zone extending from wing base to postmedial area, ending in wavy edge; cell bar at end of discal cell slender; subapical area with oval white patch, center sometimes extending outwards. Submarginal series comprising four white spots extending from vein M2 to anal angle. Cilia black from apex to vein R5, white from R5 to middle portion of cell M1, becoming black again from medial portion of cell M1 to tornus; sometimes cilia white only between vein R5 and vein M1. Dorsally, hindwing ground color white at inner two-thirds and black at outer one-third, junction line between white and black area wavy; submarginal series consisting of four to six white spots of different sizes, extending from apex to tornus; cilia black from apex to vein M1, white from M1 to medial portion of cell M2, becoming black again from medial portion of cell M2 to tornus.

Male genitalia ( Figs 9 , 10 ). Uncus tubular, relatively long, and slender. Tegumen broadly U-shaped in ventral view, rather short and broad. Subscaphium moderately sclerotized, bearing setae in ventral and distal areas. Costula at base of costa, consisting of two sclerotized, crescent-shaped processes connected by a membrane. Juxta small and shield-like, strongly sclerotized. Saccus sclerotized, short and diamond-shaped. Valva shape varies from broad and stout to relatively slender, inner surface densely setose. Costa strongly sclerotized. Sacculus strongly sclerotized, broadened basally, narrowing distally. Praesacculus strongly sclerotized and bending upwards, ending with long and sharp tip. Aedeagus long and slender, sclerotized, cluster of long and thin cornuti present distally. Coecum strongly sclerotized, slightly shorter than aedeagus.

Female. Unknown at present.

Distribution.

This species is currently known to occur in western, northern and northwestern Yunnan province of China ( Fig. 25 ).

Etymology.

The specific name micronymphidiaria is the combination of prefix micro - and nymphidiaria, referring to the size of the new species, which is smaller than P. nymphidiaria .

Bionomics.

This species has been found to fly at the periphery of evergreen broad-leaf forests or conifer-broadleaf forests near water, at altitudes above 2500 m ( Figs 21 , 22 ) from late May to mid July. Adults are diurnal and commonly found flying at a slow pace above bushes.

Remarks.

At present this species is restricted to habitats at altitudes above 2500 m in the Yunnan Province of southwestern China. Conversely, P. nymphidiaria is distributed across a vast area ranging from Sichuan Province to Zhejiang Province and extending southwards to northern Guangdong Province, typically preferring habitats where the altitude does not exceed 2200 m (usually from 300 to 2000 m).

Figures

Figure 25. Distribution map of the genus Psychostrophia. Records of distribution are taken from Inoue (1992), Chou and Yuan (2001), Owada (2011), Huang et al. (2019), An Identification Guide of Japanese Moths Compiled by Everyone http: // www. jpmoth. org, Shiiba Research Forest, Kyushu University http: // www. forest. kyushu-u. ac. jp / miyazaki / index. php, and the present study.

Figures 1 - 8. Males of Psychostrophia spp. 1 Psychostrophia micronymphidiaria sp. nov., holotype, Weixi, Yunnan, PSY 001 2 ditto, paratype, Weixi, Yunnan, PSY 002 3 ditto, paratype, Lushui, Yunnan, PSY 003 4 ditto, paratype, Dali, Yunnan, PSY 004 5 Psychostrophia nymphidiaria, Jiangshan, Zhejiang, PSY 006 6 ditto, Qingyuan, Zhejiang, PSY 008 7 ditto, Nanling, Guangdong, PSY 009 8 ditto, Yingjing, Sichuan, PSY 007. Scale bar: 1 cm.

Figures 9 - 14. Male genitalia of Psychostrophia spp. 9 Psychostrophia micronymphidiaria sp. nov., holotype, Weixi, Yunnan, PSY 001 10 ditto, paratype, Weixi, Yunnan, PSY 002 11 Psychostrophia nymphidiaria, Jiangshan, Zhejiang, PSY 006 12 ditto, Qingyuan, Zhejiang, PSY 008 13 ditto, Nanling, Guangdong, PSY 009 14 ditto, Yingjing, Sichuan, PSY 007. a = male genitalia capsule with juxta removed; b = aedeagus lateral view; c = aedeagus dorsal view; d = juxta. Scale bar: 1 mm.

Figures 21, 22. Habitats of Psychostrophia micronymphidiaria sp. nov. 21 near Shajiama Bridge, Weixi County 22 Yaojiaping, Lushui County.