Gracilisinensis Gyulai & Saldaitis & Vaitonis 2017, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Gyulai, Péter
name: Saldaitis, Aidas
name: Vaitonis, Gintas
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuidae
Gracilisinensis

description: Gracilisinensis Gyulai & Saldaitis, gen. nov.
(Figs 1–4, 7–9, 12)
Type species: Gracilisinensis vaiva sp. nov., by original designation.
Diagnosis. The new genus belongs to the subfamily Psaphidinae Grote and tribe Psaphidini Grote based on a few shared characters, which are as follows: bipectinated antennae of males; in male genitalia the absence of the typical harpe, instead of it bearing a small ventrally positioned saccular appendage, which is originated from subventral part of the valva (shared feature with Stiriinae and Oncocnemidinae), appearing independent from the distal part of the sacculus; a fine, rather anteriorly projecting costal extension in the distal part of the ventral edge of the valva and ample, membranous, somewhat dorsally everted vesica with a subbasal row of short but strong cornuti. In female genitalia the shared characters are the membranous but distally sclerotized ductus bursae, hardly prominent appendix bursae, and long, membranous, corpus bursae without signa.
The most closely related genus is Diphtherocome Warren (Figs 5, 6), by some external characters (colour and wing pattern), however mostly by the similar genitalia morphological structure: in males the base configuration of the saccular and ventral extensions and the subbasal row of short but strong cornuti; in females the configuration of antrum – ductus bursae complex, the shallow appendix bursae, the long, saccular corpus bursae and the absence of the signae. The two species of Gracilisinensis (Figs 1–4) differ from the species of Diphtherocome by smaller size, much more broadly bipectinated antennae with longer rami in males and the more prominent orbicular and reniform stigmata of forewing. In the male genitalia, the shape of the valvae of the type species of the new genus (Figs 7–9) resembles those of the discibrunnea species group of Diphtherocome (Diphtherocome discibrunnea (Moore), Diphtherocome pulchra Wileman, Diphtherocome marmorea (Leech) (Fig. 14) and Diphtherocome ligula Gyulai, Ronkay & Ronkay (Figs 5, 10, 13) (Hreblay & Kononenko 1997; Gyulai, Ronkay & Ronkay 2014). However, the members of the new genus lack the typical harpe but bear very long and fine hairs in high density particularly in the dorsal, setose side; a slight saccular appendage and a small digitate process (which sometimes leaning back inward) in the distal part of the ventral edge. The “saccular appendage” is a small, ventrally positioned harpe/clasper, which appears as mostly independent from the distal part of the sacculus; and the digitate process is a fine, rather anteriorly projecting costal extension, which may be curved backwards to the ventral surface of the valva. The vesica with the strong cornuti field is a shared feature within some other species groups of Diphtherocome (e.g. the pallida (Moore) species group (Fig. 11) (Hreblay & Kononenko, 1997), while the structure of the female genitalia (Fig. 12) appears closer to that of the discibrunnea (e.g. D. ligula (Fig. 13)) species group. The type species of Diphtherocome is D. pallida (Figs 6, 11), in which the vesica with the large, partly interrupted, comb- or brush-like surface structure of the carina penis seems to be the most resembling those of the two new species of the Gracilisinensis. The female genitalia of D. pallida is considerably distinctive by the strongly sclerotized antrum, ductus bursae and folded-ribbed, broadly rounded appendix bursae and the large pouch-like corpus bursae. On the other hand, it is worth to note that no such genitalia character complex set is known to occur in the Eurasiatic fauna. At first sight, the two species of Gracilisinensis are also similar to some species of the genus Victrix Staudinger of the subfamily Bryophilinae however, these species are generally larger. The largest species of Victrix, including the type-species, which is the largest taxon of the genus, may exceed the wingspan 37 mm which is the upper limit of the size of Gracilisinensis. The size of specimens together with broader wings and conspicuously bipectinated antennae of the males are characteristic and diagnose the genus Gracilisinensis. The features of the male and female genitalia support the assignment of the latter two genera to two different subfamilies: Gracilisinensis to Psaphidinae and Victrix to Bryophilinae.
Finally, it is worth to mention, that although the external features of Gracilisinensis can differ significantly from some colourful genera of the subfamily Stiriinae, confined only to North and Central America (Poole 1995), the genitalia structure and particularly those of the males display remarkable resemblance. For instance, the shape of the valvae of Plagiomimicus aureolum (in: Poole 1995: plate J, Figs 10, 11) almost overlaps with that of Gracilisinensis moha sp. nov.
Description. Medium-sized species, wingspan 29–37 mm, with thin, gracile body (Figs 1–4). Last palpomere white tipped, frons and collar green or greenish, but paler on the older ones. Male antennae bipectinated, pale ochre, those of the females filiform, brown and white segmented. Forewings with pointed apex, costa somewhat arched, ground colour dark green in the fresh specimens, paler or ochre in the older ones, variegated with pale violet and brown. Transversal lines double, antemedial line somewhat zigzag, postmedial line arched, subterminal line the most conspicuous, being white in the basal segment, bearing a more or less large blackish patch in the inner side, which is more conspicuous in the males. Orbicular and reniform stigmata green or greenish, prominent, while the claviform stigmata a slight irregular blackish patch. Hindwings whitish brown, with slight brown cellular spot, sinuous medial line and darker marginal area.
Male genitalia (Figs 7–9). They can be characterized by the medium long, straight, slightly lancet uncus, with pointed thin tip apically; tegumen developed, elongated; broadly heart shaped juxta with slight medial depression, laterally the broadest, dorsally with two slight appendages; V-shaped vinculum; absence of the typical harpe and corona; distally somewhat slenderer, apically pointed valvae, bearing very long and fine hairs in high density particularly in the dorsal, setosed side, a small saccular appendage and a slight pollex-like process in the distal part of the ventral edge (which sometimes leaning back inwards); medially curved, sclerotized aedeagus with a sclerotized ventral carinal bar and ample, membranous, somewhat dorsally everted vesica with a subbasal row of short but strong cornuti.
Female genitalia (Fig. 12). Ovipositor long, anterior and posterior apophyses fine, the last ones shorter; antrum somewhat flower shaped, sclerotized, broad, with deep medial incision distally; ductus bursae almost straight, membranous anteriorly and sclerotized distally, evenly broad, with longitudinal sclerotized folds in the wall; appendix bursae hardly prominent, flat on the posterior part of the very long, membranous, evenly slim corpus bursae, without signa.
The two new species of the new genus are somewhat similar to each other, however they can be easily separated by remarkable external differences and in male genitalia characters. The female of the G. moha sp. nov. is unknown.
Distribution. Endemic to China.
Etymology. “ Gracilis ” in the Latin means thin, slender, graceful, elegant, referring to the thin body; “ sinensis ” means: Chinese, from China.
description: Published as part of Gyulai, Péter, Saldaitis, Aidas & Vaitonis, Gintas, 2017, A new genus of Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) from China with the description of two new species, pp. 393-398 in Zootaxa 4353 (2) on pages 393-395, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.2.12, http://zenodo.org/record/1065156