Euxoa (Euxoa) criceta, Volynkin & Titov & Saldaitis, 2024

Euxoa (Euxoa) criceta View in CoL sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9210C147-5998-4CA7-BCDC-76308B4AE379

( Figs 1–4 View Figures 1–8 , 9, 10 View Figures 9–12 , 13 View Figures 13–14 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs 1 View Figures 1–8 , 9 View Figures 9–12 ): male, “ 22–24.VIII.2012, | East Kazakhstan, | Zaisan District, | SW shore of Zaisan Lake , | 48°03'01.2''N, 83°22'15.4''E, | 390 m. Sands. | A. V. Volynkin & S. V. Titov leg.” / “Slide | AV1292 | A. Volynkin ” ( WIGJ, ex CAV). GoogleMaps

Paratypes: 5 males, 2 females, same data as in holotype, gen. prep. Nos.: AV0759 ♂, AV1293 ♂, AV1294 ♀, AV1299 ♂, AV1300 ♂, AV1301 ♂, AV1302 ♀ ( CAV) .

Diagnosis. Euxoa criceta sp. n. ( Figs 1–4 View Figures 1–8 ) is externally similar to E. triaena ( Figs 5–8 View Figures 1–8 ) but can be distinguished by the markedly more intense greyish-brown suffusion on the hindwing with a more distinct discal spot in both sexes. Additionally, unlike the new species, E. triaena has forewing more intensely suffused with ochreous, and the paler, ochreous brown forewing cell, which is from blackish-brown to dark brown in E. criceta sp. n. In the male genital capsule, E. criceta sp. n. ( Figs 9, 10 View Figures 9–12 ) has longer and symmetrical saccular processes whereas in E. triaena ( Figs 11, 12 View Figures 9–12 ), those processes are asymmetric with a somewhat shorter left one. The phallus and vesica of the two species display no reliable differences. The female genitalia of E. criceta sp. n. ( Fig. 13 View Figures 13–14 ) differ from E. triaena ( Fig. 14 View Figures 13–14 ) in the thicker apophysis anterioris with a markedly broader spatulate distal part. In addition, the sclerotised plate of the ductus bursae of the new species is more anteriorly tapered, and the anterior section of the corpus bursae is narrower and more conical than the corresponding structures of E. triaena .

Description. Adults ( Figs 1–4 View Figures 1–8 ). Forewing length 13–15 mm in males and 14–15 mm in females. Antenna serrulate in male, and ciliate in female. Head brown, frons with white scales. Thorax brown, edges of patagia and tegula with white scales. Forewing triangular with convex termen. Forewing ground colour brown, areas along costal and anal margins pale creamy brown; submarginal area paler than ground colour, marginal area dark brown with intense blackish suffusion; cell between orbicular and reniform stigmata from dark brown to blackish-brown. Veins intensely suffused with pale creamy. Orbicular and reniform stigmata pale creamy with dark brown cores. Claviform stigma as ground colour and with thin black edge. Subbasal and antemedial lines pale brown, wavy. Postmedial line thin, blackish-brown, interrupted by creamy suffusion on veins. Subterminal line broad, blackish-brown, sinuous, interrupted by creamy suffusion on veins. Terminal line thin, blackish-brown. Cilia brown. Hindwing pale creamy, with intense greyish-brown suffusion on veins and along costal and outer margins. Discal spot semilunar, greyish-brown, diffuse. Cilia pale brown. Abdomen pale brown. Male genitalia ( Figs 9, 10 View Figures 9–12 ). Uncus elongate and slender, downcurved, densely covered with hair-like setae. Tegumen with narrow and weakly sclerotised arms and narrow peniculus. Pleurite fused with dorsal end of vinculum arm. Vinculum somewhat shorter than tegumen, with short U-shaped saccus directed anteriorly. Valva elongate and slender, with almost parallel margins, slightly downcurved medially. Costa short and weakly sclerotised, occupying proximal one-third of dorsal margin of valva. Cucullus trapezoidal, its inner surface densely covered with hair-like setae; corona present, stretching along dorsal two-thirds of outer margin. Editum narrow, tendon weakly sclerotised and ribbon-like. Clasper short and narrow, harpe strongly elongate, slender but heavily sclerotised, with slightly downcurved proximal and nearly straight distal halves, apically rounded. Sacculus narrow, distally dilated and heavily sclerotised, articulated with clasper; saccular processes symmetrical, somewhat longer than harpes, slender, distally slightly downcurved and apically pointed. Phallus cylindrical, medially downcurved and distally dilated, with short ribbon-like carina extending into base of vesica. Vesica elongate and tubular, its proximal section membranous and curved dorsad, with foot-shaped ventral subbasal diverticulum and short and semiglobular dorsal subbasal diverticulum. Distal section of vesica ca. twice as long as proximal one, nearly straight and bearing graniculi. Medial diverticulum hook-like curved, granulose. Apical diverticulum short, conical, granulose. Vesica ejaculatorius ca. half as broad as distal section of vesica, tubular and membranous. Female genitalia ( Fig. 13 View Figures 13–14 ). Ovipositor short and conical. Papilla analis broadly triangular, apically rounded and densely setose. Apophysis posterioris strongly elongate, thin but heavily sclerotised, rod-like, its base strongly dilated, rhomboidal plate-like, while anterior end slightly dilated and flattened. Apophysis anterioris ca. 1/3 as long as apophysis posterioris, its posterior half rod-like (markedly thicker than apophysis posterioris) while anterior half strongly dilated and flattened, spatulate. Ostium bursae funnel-shaped. Ductus bursae elongate, posteriorly dilated, membranous with elongate medial sclerotised plate stretching along its whole length. Corpus bursae sack-like, longer than ductus bursae, slightly longitudinally rugose. Appendix bursae broadly conical and apically rounded, situated postero-laterally on left side.

Distribution and bionomics. The new species is currently known only from its type locality in the Zaisan Depression in East Kazakhstan. A series of specimens was collected at MV and actinic light traps in sands on the south-western shore of the lake of Zaisan in late August ( Fig. 15 View Figure 15 ). The preimaginal stages and food plants are unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin ‘cricetus’ meaning ‘hamster’ and refers to the fact that the sands of the Zaisan Depression are a habitat of several species of hamsters. The name is a noun in apposition.

Acknowledgements

The senior and the second authors express their sincere thanks to Dr Zoltan Varga (University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary) for valuable consultation and Dr Alexey V. Surov (Institute of ecology and evolution A.N. Severtsov of the Russian Academy of Sciences , Moscow, Russia) for his help in organising the expedition in the Zaisan Depression. The senior author also thanks Dr Alexey Yu. Matov ( ZISP, St. Petersburg, Russia) for his kind assistance during the visit to the collection under his care .

The work of Sergey Titov was funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Scientific Program “Assessment of biological resources of the Kazakh part of the transboundary Irtysh basin in the context of climate change (BR18574062). Anton Volynkin and Aidas Saldaitis, while performing this work, received no specific grant from any funding agencies.

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