Acronicta gigasa Chang, 1991

Acronicta gigasa Chang, 1991 View in CoL

( Figs 5–8 View Figures 1–8 , 17–23 View Figures 9–23 , 26–27 View Figures 24–27 , 30–31 View Figures 28–31 )

Acronycta [ sic] major View in CoL ab. anaedinella Strand, 1916: 158. Type locality: China, Sichuan, Mt. Omei-Shan [= Emei Shan]. stat. nov., unavailable name.

Acronicta gigasa Chang, 1991: 32 View in CoL . Type locality: Taiwan, Nantou County, Huisun Forest Area .

Redescription. Habitus ( Figs 5–8 View Figures 1–8 ). Head: Vertex and frons brownish gray, densely intermixed with white scales. Antenna 2/3 as long as forewing; scape white, densely intermixed with brownish gray scales dorsally, tinged with dark brown distally; flagellomeres white, intermixed with pale brownish gray scales dorsally. Labial palpus with 1 st segment dark grayish brown dorsally, white ventrally; 2 nd segment 2x longer than 1 st, dark grayish brown, densely intermixed with white scales ventrobasally and dorsodistally; 3 rd segment 1/2 as long as 1 st, white, speckled with dark grayish brown. Thorax: Patagium, tegula and mesonotum pale purplish gray, densely speckled with pale gray. Forewing 23–29 mm (average 25.57 mm, n = 10) pale purplish gray, densely speckled with pale gray; two antemedian lines zigzagged; median line oblique, incomplete in posterior 3/4, connected with orbicular spot; two postmedian lines sinuous, diverged near costa; reniform spot with grayish brown shade outward; subterminal line serrate along veins, accompanying with grayish brown shades outward; terminal bars present between veins; cilia white, intermixed with brownish gray scales. Hindwing pale yellowish gray, tinged with brownish gray along veins; postmedian line sinuous in posterior 1/3, dark brownish gray; terminal shade broad, dark brownish gray; cilia pale yellowish gray, intermixed with brownish gray scales. Fore- and midleg with coxa white, intermixed with pale grayish brown scales; femur white, intermixed with grayish brown, tinged with black distally; tibia white, densely intermixed with dark brownish gray scales; tarsomere dark brownish gray, sparsely intermixed with white scales, with white ring distally. Hindleg with coxa white, sparsely intermixed with pale brownish gray scales; femur and tibia white, densely intermixed with pale brownish gray scales, tinged with dark brownish gray distally; tarsomere dark brownish gray, sparsely intermixed with white scales, with white ring distally. Abdomen with terga gray, intermixed with pale yellowish gray and dark grayish brown scales; sterna pale grayish yellow, sparsely intermixed with grayish brown scales, tinged with dark grayish brown on basal area of each segment.

Male genitalia ( Figs 26–27 View Figures 24–27 ). Uncus elongate, rather broad, curved at distal 1/3, with spiniform apex, setose dorsally. Tegumen subpentagonal, hairy lateromedially. Valva narrow-obovate, setose on distal half; costa slightly concave at basal 1/3 and distal 1/3, with broad rim on basal half; harpe large, spiniform, slightly curved inward, accompanying with oblique fold; basal bulge broadly round, as long as sacculus; saccular margin slightly bulged at distal 1/4, with sacculus on basal 2/5. Juxta tongueshaped, with rhomboidal sclerite basally. Vinculum small, V-shaped. Phallus ( Figs 26a, 27a View Figures 24–27 ) short, stout; proximal part of vesical broad, with globular ventral diverticulum; dorsal diverticulum tubular, gradually narrowed distally, with elongate cornutal zone comprising numerous spines.

Female genitalia ( Figs 30–31 View Figures 28–31 ). Papilla analis subrectangular, setose. Apophysis posterioris as long as apophysis anterioris. Ostium bursae moderate in size, with broadly-emarginated surrounding areas. Ductus bursae narrowed to corpus bursae, longitudinally rugose. Corpus bursae long-obovate, slightly constricted at posterior 2/5, longitudinally rugose, with conical diverticulum near junction with ductus bursae; cervical area slightly protruding, broadly round.

Material examined. KOREA [Gangwon] 1♂, Chuncheon-si , 21 viii 1992, GJUE ; 1♂, Chuncheon-si, Bongmyeong-ri , 29 vii 2002 ( HL Han), GJUE ; 1♀, Chuncheon-si, Jiam-ri , 6 vi 2002 ( HW Lee & AR Kim), GJUE ; 1♂, Gangreung-si, Sogeumgang , 8 viii 1988, GJUE ; 1♂, Gangreung-si, Yeongok-myeon, Odaesan Resting Place (N37°49′58.4″ E128°39′02.7″, alt. 283 m), 4 viii 2004 ( SW Cho, JC Sohn & HJ Park), CBNU GoogleMaps . [ Gyonggi ] 1♂, Gapyeong-gun , 8 vii 2002 ( HL Han), GJUE ; 1♂, Gapyeong-gun, Mt. Myeongjisan , 28 vii 1992, GJUE . [ Chungbug ] 1♂, Boeun-gun, Mt. Sogrisan, Mansu Valley , 26 vii 2002 ( MA Kim), [GSN] SJC-216, [COI] JCS-COI-D312, GJUE ; 1♂, Jecheon-si, Hansu-myeon, Songgye-li , Mt. Weolagsan (N35°51′56.0″ E128°05′20.0″, alt. 222 m), 18 vi 2004 (S Cho, S Nam & Y Han), [COI] JCS-COI-D311, CBNU GoogleMaps . [Chungnam] 1♂, Dangjin-si, Myeoncheonmyeon, Mt. Amisan (N36°50′23.59″ E126°40′04.21″, alt. 215 m), 4 viii 2022 ( JC Sohn), GJUE GoogleMaps ; 1♂, Gongju-si, Gyeryong-myeon, Guwang-ri , Mt. Gyeryongsan , Gapsa branch of National Park Service (N36°22′03.95″ E127°10′58.58″, alt. 137 m), 21 vi 2023 ( JC Sohn), GJUE GoogleMaps . [ Jeonbug ] 1♂, Muju , 12 viii 1975 ( JY Shim), [GSN] SJC-757, GJUE . 1♂, Mt. Jirisan , 12-13 vii 2002 ( HL Han & CH Kim), [COI] JCS-0002, GJUE . [ Gyongnam ] 2♀, Geoje-si, Is. Geojedo, Dongbu-myeon, Mt. Nojasan (N34°47′47.3″ E128°36′50.8″), 30 vii 2017 ( JC Sohn), [COI] JCS-0026, GJUE GoogleMaps ; 1♂, Geoje-si, Jangmog-myeon, Jangmog-ri , Jangmunpo Waeseong (N34°59′30.8″ E128°40′25.2″), 23 viii 2004 ( SW Cho, JC Sohn & SC Nam), CBNU GoogleMaps ; 1♀, Geoje-si, Is. Geojedo, Jangmog-myeon , Sangpo-ri , Mt. Daegeumsan (N34°56′38.3″ E128°42′46.6″), 29 vii 2017, NIBR GoogleMaps . TAIWAN [Nantou] 1♂, Huisun Forest Area , 15 km N Puli (alt. 500 m), 12–13 iv 1997 (Csorba & Ronkay), [GSN] SJC-704, HMNH ; 1♀, Lushan , ca. 30 km E Wushe (alt. 1,000 m), 27–31 v 1980, [GSN] SJC-731, GJUE ; 2♂, Yuniong Bridge (alt. 1,120 m), 4 vi 2019 ( LC Shih), JCS-COI 17-138 & 139, NMNS . [Taichung] 1♂, Taichung City, Low Altitude Experimental Station (alt. 1,000 m), 21 ix 2018 ( CQ Chen), NMNS .

Distribution. Korea, China (Sichuan), Taiwan.

Host plants. Moraceae – Morus indica L. (https://twmoth.tbri.gov.tw)

Remarks. Strand (1916) described an aberration of Acronicta major , ab. anaedinella from Mt. Emei-shan (= Omei-shan auct) of southern China. The first author (JCS) examined the aberrant specimen in the NHMUK collection ( Fig. 8 View Figures 1–8 ) and found that its external appearance better fits to Acronicta gigasa . He could not dissect the specimen but the sympatric one from the USNM collection, instead. The latter specimen turned out to be A. gigasa , indicating its occurrence in southern China. The name anaedinella is infrasubspecific and thus unavailable because its priority over gigasa by Chang (1991) is declined according to the ICZN article 45.5.1 ( Ride et al. 2000).