Balázs Benedek

A new Polymixis (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) species from China

A new Polymixis Hübner species from Chinas Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces is described and distribution data for Polymixis albiorbis Hreblay & Ronkay, 1998 is provided. The type specimen of Polymixis albirena (Boursin, 1944) and the Polymixis magnirena (Alphéraky, 1892) holotypes genitalia are illustrated.

On the synonymy of some taxa of the genus Xylena Hübner (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

Xylena czernilai Volynkin, 2011 was described on the base of a single male from the Russian Altai Mts. (Volynkin 2011). Later, two externally similar taxa, Xylena alexander Benedek, Babics & Saldaitis, 2013 and Xylena andreas Benedek, Babics & Saldaitis, 2013 were described from Sichuan province, China each on the base of a single female (Benedek et al. 2013). In the same year, a female of X. czernilai was described by Volynkin & Knyazev (2013). The female genitalia of X. czernilai are surprisingly similar to those of the both Chinese species therefore we decided to use a DNA analysis to clarify the status of these three taxa. For the analysis we sampled a female of X. czernilai from the Russian Altai, a male of X. czernilai from the Russian Far East and the holotypes of X. alexander and X. andreas. The analysis of COI barcodes of the sampled specimens has shown that X. alexander and X. andreas are conspecific (the difference is 0.15 %), and their COI sequences differ from those of X. czernilai in 0.93 % only. Such difference is too small to treat Chinese populations as a distinct species (for example, the difference between X. czernilai and its closest relative X. vetusta (Hübner, [1813]) is 4.61% . The detailed morphological comparison of czernilai and vetusta has been given by Volynkin (2011) (Fig. 1) therefore here we synonymize X. alexander and X. andreas with X. czernilai.

A new Panolis Hübner, [1821] species from Vietnam (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Orthosiini)

Panolis is a well-defined and compact Palearctic trifine Noctuidae genus within the subfamily Hadeninae, tribus Orthosiini. It is currently represented by seven species and one subspecies: Panolis flammea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Panolis japonica Draudt, 1935, Panolis variegatoides Poole, 1989, Panolis exquisita Draudt, 1950, Panolis pinicortex Draudt, 1950, Panolis pinicortex exornata Hreblay & Ronkay, 1997, Panolis estheri Ronkay, Ronkay, Gyulai & Hacker, 2010 and Panolis ningshan Wang, Fan, Owada, Wang & Nylin, 2014. Only one species (P. flammea) occurs in the Western Palearctic region, while all others are found in the eastern part of Asia. No Panolis species is known outside of the Palearctic region. The genus is connected to coniferous woodlands as the larvae are feed on various species of pines. Imagoes are on the wing during the spring, from late February until May. All Panolis species have an unmistakable, rather decorative external appearance with fine and conspicuous pink-red-purple or dark orange ground colouration, and remarkable noctuid patterns. Most recent information about the genus was provided by Wang et. al, 2014, including his description of a new species, and a morphological and molecular analysis in order to reconstructing the phylogeny of the genus, and exploring its Chines Oriental origin. Present paper contains the description of a new Panolis species found recently in Vietnam, from where the genus was not known so far. This discovery expands our knowledge about Panolis and support the statement of the Chines Oriental origin.

Irene litanga , a new genus and new species in the Polia generic-complex from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Hadeninae, Hadenini)

A new Hadenini genus and species, Irene gen. n. litanga sp. n. (Figs 1-4, 13, 15), are described from China. This is the third paper since 2013 dealing with members of the Polia-complex in the Himalayan region and particularly the mountainous areas of Central China (Saldaitis et al., 2013, 2016). The discovery of a new genus within the Polia genera group again demonstrates the fascinating and surprising diversity of the region. The clarification of the relationship between the genera-subgenera and species belonging to Polia genera group, (e. g. Polia Ochsenheimer, 1816, Kollariana Hacker & Kautt, 1996 [1997], Haderonia Staudinger, 1895, Tricheurois Hampson, 1905, Pachetra Guenée, 1841 and Ctenoceratoda Varga, 1992) remains unclear and disputable, especially in the diverse Himalayan-Sino-Tibetan region. Hopefully our studies will stimulate further exploration and promote the realization of a comprehensive review of this interesting complex.

Review of the genus Hypobarathra Hampson, 1905 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Hadeninae) with description of a new species.

The present study was initiated upon finding an unknown Hypobarathra species during a collecting expedition to the higher regions of western Sichuan Province in China in 2015. The genus previously contained only two Palaearctic species with remarkably different external appearance and distribution pattern. Interestingly, all three species of Hypobarathra are adapted to completely different eco zones and habitats, which are discussed under each species. According to Hacker et al. (2002), the closest relatives of the genus are Melanchra Hübner, [1820] 1816 and Odontestra Hampson, 1905. This statement should be corrected, since Hypobarathra is forming a common clade with Melanchra, Ceramica Guenée, 1852 and Ebertidia Boursin, 1968, while Odontestra representing another lineage within the tribus Hadeninae.

A new Polia Ochsenheimer, 1816 species from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Hadenini).

The genus Polia Ochsenheimer, 1816 includes 26 species in the Palaearctic region, with the familiar European species being properly classified (Hacker et al., 2002), while most species from the more diverse Himalayan-region still require a comprehensive revision. Most recently, a new Polia species from China was described by Saldaitis et al. (2013). The sino-tibetian species Polia costirufa (Draudt, 1950) is one of the most interesting members of the complex as it is separable from its relatives at least on the subgeneric level. Certain elements of its forewing pattern resemble those of the genus Heliophobus Boisduval, but P. costirufa is much larger with more elongate forewings. While the P. costirufa male genital capsule shows typical Polia conservative features, the broad, sack-like vesica and the huge terminal cornutus are unique in the male and the large, elliptical and strongly sclerotised appendix bursae are unique female characters. The collective of the mentioned external and genital characters are suggesting the justifiable separation of P. costirufa from any other relatives, certainly on subgeneric level, but this would be better to integrate into a study incorporate the complete overview of the Polia-complex in the Himalayan region. P. costirufa male and female genitalia are described here for the first time but further study integrating this species into a complete overview of the Polia complex in the Himalayan region is recommended.

A new Polychrysia (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Plusiinae) species from China.

The genus Polychrysia is comprised of seven species separated into three species groups. Six of the seven species are distributed in the Palaearctic region and one of these six species has a Holarctic distribution. The genus has been discussed in detail in monographs by Goater et al. (2003) and Ronkay et al. (2008). A new species of Polychrysia was discovered during an expedition studying the nocturnal fauna of Chinas Sichuan Province in August, 2014 and is described here.

A description of the new Egira species from the Russian Far East (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae: Orthosiini)

The Holarctic Noctudae genus Egira Duponchel, 1845 (type-species Phalaena conspicillaris Linnaeus, 1758) enumerates 32 species in the Old and New World. According to the modern classification it belongs to the tribe Orthosiini of the subfamily Noctuinae. The genus is represented in the Old World by fifteen species, distributed from the West Palaearctic to Sino-Himalayan region, where some species have recently been described from Nepal and Thailand (Hreblay 1994; Hreblay & Ronkay 1999). One species, E. saxea (Leech, 1889) is known from Japan.

A new species of Altipolia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Xyleninae) from China

The trifine Noctuid genus Altipolia Plante occurs only in ecozones above the Himalayan timberline. The imagoes generally appear during late season’s first frosty nights with only females becoming active in early spring after overwintering. They share this reproductive strategy and certain genitalic characters with Dasypolia Thunberg and Estagrotis Nye. Members of Altipolia are medium sized moths (wingspan 31–38 mm) having divergent wings patterns and ground colouration but more conservative genitalia especially in most females. The genus is currently comprised of seven species which can now be separated into two species-groups based on male genitalia characters. Their distribution is restricted solely to the Himalayas where they are found from Northeast Pakistan throughout North India and Nepal to China’s North Yunnan and Western Sichuan Provinces. A more detailed survey of the late autumnal high mountain Himalayan Noctuidae fauna especially in the less explored areas of the Southern and Western edge of the Tibetan plateau may yield further species. Recent collecting trips to Western Sichuan resulted in new distribution data for a few interesting Altipolia species including one new to the science but also raised further taxonomical questions. The female genitalia of Altipolia are relatively uniform but further male genitalia analysis is needed and will be included in a subsequent study. The present paper provides an updated check-list of the genus including a description of a new species with a detailed comparison with its closest relatives.

A revision of the genus Bombyciella Draudt, 1950, with description of a new species and a new genus (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae: Xyleninae)

The small Noctuidae genus Bombyciella Draudt, 1950, is revised, based on type-material of its only two known species, Bombyciella talpa Draudt, 1950 and Bombyciella sericea Draudt, 1950. Bombyciella antra sp. n. from southwest China is described as a new species close to B. talpa, the type-species of Bombyciella. B. sericea is found to be different in most characters, not congeneric with B. talpa, and most closely related to the genus Euplexia Stephens and Chandata Moore. Therefore a new genus, Maxiana gen. n., is described for its inclusion. These genera belong to two different tribus in the subfamily Xyleninae, Xylenini (Bombyciella) and Phlogophorini (Maxiana gen. n.). The systematic placement within the two subfamilies is also discussed. Lectotypes for B. talpa and B. sericea are designated.