Clethrorasa pilcheri (Hampson, 1896)

Clethrorasa pilcheri (Hampson, 1896) View in CoL

Figures 7 View Figures 1–8 , 8 View Figures 1–8 , 12 View Figures 9–16 , 15 View Figures 9–16 , 19–21 View Figures 17–21 , 22 View Figure 22 , 25 View Figures 23–25 , Table 2 Chinese common name 飘夜蛾 (Fluttering Noctuid View Table 2 )

Leocyma pilcheri Hampson, 1896 , “ Fauna Br. India (Moths) ” 4: 512. Type locality: Sikkim.

Clethrorasa pilcheri View in CoL : Hampson 1910, “ Cat. Lepid. Phalaenae Br. Mus. ” 9: 343, fig. 157; Warren 1913, in Seitz, “ Macrolep. World ” 11: 191; Holloway 1976, “ Moths of Borneo Kinabalu ”: 15; Holloway 1989, “ Malayan Nature J. ” 42 (2–3): 153, pl. 6, figs 248, 249; Chen, 1992, in Peng, “ Icon. For. Ins. Hunan ”: 989, fig. 3436 [misidentification?]; Yoshimoto 1995, “ Tinea ” 14 (suppl. 2): 71, pl. 113, fig. 27; Behounek 1997, “ Spixiana ” 20 (3): 282, abb. 4–5; Holloway 2011, “ Malayan Nature J. ” 63 (1–2) [checklist]; Kononenko and Pinratana 2013, “ Moths of Thailand ” Vol. 3 (Part 2): 288, pl. 39, figs 20, 21; Orhant 2013, “ Lambillionea ” 113 (1): figs 3, 4; Gielis et al. 2022, “ Moths of Bhutan ”: 129, pl. 166.

Material examined.

• 1 male, China, Xizang, Motuo (= Mêdog), De’ergong , 26.V–4.VI.2021, leg. H. L. Han, genit. prep. QY- 1 ; • 1 female, China, Yunnan, Mojiang , 18–19.IX.2008, leg. H. L. Han and Y. Wang, genit. prep. HHL-7026-2 ; • 1 male, China, Yunnan, Jiangcheng , 15–17.IX.2008, leg. H. L Han. and M. J. Qi, genit. prep. HHL-7027-11 ; • 1 male, China, Yunnan, Chuxiong, Lufeng, Shimen , 29.VI.2022, W. Y. Liu et al., genit. prep. HHL-7028-1 ; • 1 male, Malaysia, Borneo, Mt. Trusmadi, Jungle Girl Camp , 20.IV–2.V.2016, H. L. Han, genit. prep. HHL-7029-1 ; • 1 male, dito, 20–25.VIll.2016, H. L. Han, genit. prep. HHL-7031-1 ; • 1 male, ditto, 1–6.X.2018, H. L. Han, genit. prep. HHL-7030-1 ; • 1 female, China, Yunnan, Lvchun, Mt. Huanglian , 27–31.VII.2018, leg. H. L. Han and J. Wu, genit. prep. HHL-7032-2 .

Supplementary description.

Female genitalia (Fig. 15 View Figures 9–16 ). Papillae anales broad and thick, nail-shaped. Apophyses anteriores thick, while the apophyses posteriores thin and approximately equal in length. Ostium bursae relatively straight. Ductus bursae slightly short, with thick anterior half. Antrum cylindrical, strongly sclerotized, extending to membranous and spirally twisted posterior end. Corpus bursae slender, slightly curved, and tie-shaped, covered with fine folds.

Remarks.

This species was initially described in Sikkim (now a state in India) and later discovered in the Malay Archipelago and mainland Southeast Asia. Its distribution is the broadest among the four species in the genus, ranging from the northeastern Himalayas to Sumatra and Borneo. Compared to other species, C. pilcheri displays a wider variation in appearance with regionally specific phenotypes. This is mainly seen in the presence or absence of certain small spots (Figs 19 View Figures 17–21 , 20 View Figures 17–21 , 21 View Figures 17–21 ): specimens from the Himalayan region ( India: Sikkim, China: Xizang, Nepal and Bhutan), have a black-dot orbicular spot; one subbasal line; and two or three black spots near the inner margin of the forewing subterminal line. In specimens from mainland Southeast Asia ( China: Yunnan, Thailand), these black spots are often absent. In specimens from the Malay Archipelago, only the black spots on the subbasal line near the inner margin are present. However, specimens collected from Xizang, Yunnan, and Borneo have only slight differences in genitalia, particularly in the smooth, small cornuti row located at the posterior part of the dorsal side of the vesica, which is a distinctive feature of the species. The variations in appearance are not significant enough to warrant interspecific differentiation. Therefore, in this article, they are considered geographical variants of the same species, and their relationship needs further clarification in conjunction with molecular data.

Distribution.

China (Yunnan, Xizang); India, Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia.