Diduga mucronata Bayarsaikhan & Cha & Lee & Jang & Kwon & Bae 2021, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Bayarsaikhan, Ulziijargal
name: Cha, Yeong-Bin
name: Lee, Tak-Gi
name: Jang, Chang-Moon
name: Kwon, Hyung Wook
name: Bae, Yang-Seop
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Arctiidae
Diduga
Diduga mucronata

description: Diduga mucronata Bayarsaikhan & Bae, sp. nov.
(Figs 2a, 2b, 10a, 10b)
Type materials. Holotype: 1♂, Laos, Xiengkhouang Prov., Ban Tha (N19˚44′50.2″, E103˚37′28.1″ Alt: 1513m), 20.II.2017 (YS Bae, BS Park, SM Na, DJ Lee, JH Ko), Gen. Slide No. INU–10172L. Paratypes. (2 ♂) LAOS: 1 ♂, Xiengkhouang Prov., Ban Tha (N19˚44′50.20″, E103˚37′28.10″ Alt: 1524m), 1.VII.2017 (YS Bae, SM Na, DJ Lee, JH Ko, TG Lee), Gen. Slide No. INU–10135L; 1 ♂, Xiengkhouang Prov., Ban Tha (N19˚43′31.40″, E103˚35′25.73″ Alt: 1212m), 2.IX.2018 (YS Bae, SM Na, DJ Lee, JH Ko, TG Lee, YB Cha, CM Jang), Gen. Slide No. INU– 10134L.
Diagnosis. By the wing pattern of this species, it is hardly distinguishable from many others of the genus Diduga. However, in male genitalia, broadly rounded, membranous apex of weakly tapering valvae with a short apical spine in right valva, but that apical spine absent in left valva; aedeagus vesica with a large stout, and 3–4 (four in holotype) stout, almost same sized, short (nearly 1/3 length of large one), and one slender (almost half size of large one), spine˗shaped cornuti separates this species well from all the other known Diduga.
Description. Adult (Figs 2a, 2b). Length of forewing 6–7.5 mm in male. Head, patagium and tegula deep yellow. Dark brown thorax edged by deep yellow, slender band apically and laterally. Forewing ground color dark brown, with broad, deep yellow costal margin, which hind border broadly waved, and with row of small, dark brown dots in costal and terminal area; apex of forewing strongly angled; cilia deep yellow. Hindwing ground color pale brown; cilia pale brown. Abdomen brown, with deep yellow anal tuft in male. Male genitalia (Figs 10a, 10b). Uncus stout, tapering, apical area weakly bent, basal area broadened, with a bundle of spines ventrally, almost same length with tegumen. Tegumen triangular, weakly sclerotized. Valvae weakly sclerotized, slightly tapering, broadly rounded apical area edged by membranous narrowly, with apical short spine in right valva, it is absent in left; costal margin more sclerotized than harpe area of valva, with a broadly rounded spur in subapical area and a large rounded spur in basal area of costal margin; in right valva, apical area rounded, narrowly edged by membranous, apical short spine absent. Juxta broadly truncate. Saccus roundly U˗shaped. Aedeagus stout, short (2/3 length of valva), and vesica with totally six diverse sized spine˗shaped cornuti, which a large (almost half length of aedeagus) stout one, and 3–4 (four in holotype) stout, almost same sized (nearly 1/3 length of large one), and slender (almost half size of large one) one, and finely covered with scobination. Female genitalia. Unknown in Laos.
Distribution. Laos (Xiengkhouang Province).
Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin mucronatus (= pointed), referring to the rounded apex of right valva with a hard short spine in male genitalia.
description: Published as part of Bayarsaikhan, Ulziijargal, Cha, Yeong-Bin, Lee, Tak-Gi, Jang, Chang-Moon, Kwon, Hyung Wook & Bae, Yang-Seop, 2021, Two new species and four new records of Diduga (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae) from Laos, pp. 131-142 in Zootaxa 4970 (1) on page 133, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4970.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/4756063