doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3587.6568-70 | ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:850F7538-67DE-476D-AC80-C0665B4CA3FA

 

Editor: Karol Bucsek, Witt Museum, München, Germany. Date of publication: 26 November 2014 (online & print)

 

Manuscript details: Ms # o3587 | Received 16 April 2013 | Final received 02 September 2014 | Finally accepted 29 October 2014

 

Citation: Kirti, J.S., R. Joshi & N. Singh (2014). First record of the genus Neoduma Hampson (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) from India with the description of a new species. Journal of Threatened Taxa 6(12): 6568–6570; http://dx.doi.org/10.11609/JoTT.o3587.6568-70

 

Copyright: © Kirti et al. 2014. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.

 

Funding: Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, New Delhi

[SR/SO/AS - 53-2007 dated 16/05/2008]

 

Competing Interest: The authors declare no competing interests.

 

Acknowledgements: The authors are thankful to the Head, Department of Zoology and environmental sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala (Punjab) and Director, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata (West Bengal) for providing necessary facilities. The financial help given by Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi to a project entitled, “Taxonomic Revision of Indian Arctiidae (Lepidoptera)” is duly acknowledged.

 

 

 

Abbreviations: AED - Aedeagus; CO.PR - Costal process; CRP.BU - Corpus bursae; CU1 - First cubital vein; CU2 - Second cubital vein; DU.BU - Ductus bursae; JX - Juxta; M1 - First median vein; M2 - Second median vein; M3 - Third median vein; PAP.A - Papila anales; R1 - First radial vein; R2 - Second radial vein; R3 - Third radial vein; R4 - Fourth radial vein; R5 - Fifth radial vein; Rs - Radial Sector; SL.PR - Saccular projection; TG - Tegumen; UN - Uncus; VES - Vesica; VIN - Vinculum

 

The genus Neoduma Hampson (1918) was established as a monotypic genus for its type species ectozona Hampson from the Philippines.  Since then, the genus remained unattended and after a gap of more than 80 years, Holloway (2001) studied Neoduma from Borneo with description of external male genitalia of its type.  Černý & Pinratana (2009) shifted the second species, Siccia kuangtungensis Daniel (from China and Thailand) to genus Neoduma Hampson.  Bucsek (2012) described the third species Neoduma nigra Bucsek from Malaysia and in 2013, Dubatolov & Bucsek added one more species, Neoduma alexeikorshunovi Dubatolov & Bucsek from Thailand.

In the present communication, a new species, Neoduma valvata is described from Assam & Mizoram (northeastern India) which represents the first record of the genus from India.  In addition, the female genitalia of N. kuangtungensis (Daniel), a new record from India, is studied here for the first time.  A dichotomous key to the Neoduma species is also provided.

 

Materials and Methods

Adult moths were collected from northeastern India by using a vertical sheet light trap.  The collected moths were killed with ethyl acetate vapors, then stretched and preserved in fumigated entomological boxes.  Comstock (1918) and Robinson (1976) have been followed for the study of wing venation and external genitalia.  The adult moths were photographed by using a digital camera.  Photography of external male and female genitalia was done with the help of an image processing unit.  Holotype is deposited in the museum of the Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab.

 

Genus Neoduma Hampson, 1918

Novit. Zool., 25: 102.

Type species: Neoduma ectozona Hampson

Distribution: Philippines, Thailand, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia (Bucsek 2012), India (Assam, Mizoram)

Diagnosis: Labial palpi porrect.  The forewing cell extends beyond four fifths of the length of wing; R1, R2 from cell; branching system of (R3 (R4, R5)) arising from upper angle; M1, M2 from discocellular; M3& Cu1from lower angle; Cu2 from middle of cell.  Hindwing with vein Rs and M1 on a long stalk from upper angle; M2&M3 from discocellular; Cu1from lower angle; Cu2 absent.  Hind leg with two pairs of tibial spurs.  Male genitalia with valvae narrow with one or two apical process, acute; vinculum twisted on each side where it meets tegumen; female genitalia with corpus bursae heavily setosed with spines.

 

Neoduma valvata sp. nov.

(Images 1–3)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F9111AF9-E96E-4E76-9DD7-2960F9838789

 

Material examined

Holotype:  PUPZOO/MUS/RJ-167, 10.ix.2009, male, 650m, Jatinga, Assam, coll. R. Joshi.

Paratype: PUPZOO/MUS/RJ-167-a, 18.ix.2009, male, 850m, Thingsul, Mizoram, coll. R. Joshi.

Head: Frons black, vertex white; antennae black except at base; Labial palpi black.

Thorax: Tegula grey white; patagia and pectus white.  Forewing white; costa black towards base; an ante media grey patch on hind margin; a post medial dark grey band with two black discoidal spots, broad near apex and sharply narrowing to a point at anal angle, intercepted at M1; a terminal series of spots, angled below costa; cilia white; underside same; venation as in genus. Hindwing white with slight suffusion of grey on apex and hind margin, cilia blackish; veins as in genus. Legs grey and white; hind leg with two pairs of tibial spurs.

Abdomen: Grey; male genitalia with uncus long and slender, constricted near base; tip blunt; tegumen as long as uncus; vinculum as long as tegumen, broad U-shape, twisted on each side where it meets tegumen; saccus short and broad.  Valvae narrow, apically bifid; costal margin obtuse near middle, tip broad, sclerotized, curved; sacculus evaginated near middle; saccular process long, slender, curved, apically pointed.  Juxta broad and flat. Aedeagus short and broad; weakly sclerotized; vesica short, membranous, without cornutus; ductus ejaculatorius entering subapically.

Wing span: Male 14mm.

Remarks: Morphologically, the new species is allied to N. ectozona Hampson and N. kuangtungensis (Daniel) but differs due to the fore wing with sharply narrowing post medial band, ending to a point at anal angle; hind wing white with slight suffusion of grey on apex and hind margin; male genitalia with juxta broad and flat. Whereas, in ectozona and kuangtungensis the forewing band is broader at anal angle, hind wing with distinct grey band on termen and the juxta is more or less X shaped. Moreover, N. valvata sp. nov. is the only species in the genus with two apical process of valvae (in all the other Neoduma species such process is single).

Etymology: The name of the new species pertains to the distinct shape of valvae.

 

 

 

Neoduma kuangtungensis (Daniel, 1951)

(Images 4,5)

Siccia kuangtungensis Daniel, 1951, Bonn. Zool. Beitr. 2: 303.

Siccia kuangtungensis Daniel: Fang, 2000, Fauna Sin. Ins. Lep., Arctiidae 19: 151-152.

Neoduma kuangtungensis (Daniel): Černý & Pinratana, Moths of Thailand 6: 8.

 

Material examined

 18.ix.2009, female, 850m, Thingsul, Mizoram, coll. R. Joshi; 26.ix.2009, female, 1680m, Champhai, Mizoram, coll. R. Joshi; 27.ix.2009, female, 1680m, Champhai, Mizoram, coll. R. Joshi.

Female genitalia: Corpus bursae globular, covered with small spicules; signum absent; cervix bursae present; ductus seminalis entering cervix bursae; ductus bursae narrow, tubular, membranous; anterior apophyses as long as posterior apophyses; papilla anales besets with long setae.

Wing span: Female 15mm.

Remarks: N. kuangtungensis (Daniel), earlier reported from China, Thailand and mainland Malaysia, is reported for the first time from India.

 

 

 

References

 

Bucsek, K. (2012). Erebidae, Arctiinae (Lithosiini, Arctiini) of Malay Peninsula - Malaysia. Institute of Zoology, SAS, Bratislava, 170pp.

Černý, K. & A. Pinratana (2009). An Introduction to The Tiger Moths of Thailand Vol. VI. Brothers of Saint Gabriel in Thailnad, Thailand, 227pp+46pls.

Comstock, J.H. (1918). The Wings of Insects. Comstock Publishing Company, Ithaca, New York. 430pp.

Dubatolov, V.V. & K. Bucsek (2013). New species of lichen-moths from South-East Asia (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea, Lithosiini). Tinea 22(4): 279–291

Hampson, G.F. (1918). Descriptions of new genera and species of Amatidae, Lithosidae, and Noctuidae. Novitate Zoologicae 25: 102.

Holloway, J.D. (2001). The Moths of Borneo: Family Arctiidae, Subfamily Lithosiinae. Malayan Nature Journal 7: 279–486.

Robinson, G.S. (1976). The preparation of slides of Lepidoptera genitalia with special reference to Microlepidoptera. Entomologist’s Gazette 27: 127–132.