Katha Moore, 1878

Volynkin, Anton V. & Černý, Karel, 2025, On the taxonomy of the genera Katha Moore, Tarika Moore, Cernyia Bucsek and Churingosia Volynkin & Černý, stat. n. with the description of a new genus and thirteen new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini: Lithosiina), Ecologica Montenegrina 87, pp. 1-45 : 2-3

Genus Katha Moore, 1878

Katha Moore, 1878 , Proceedings of the general meetings for scientific business of the Zoological Society of London, 1878: 16.

Type species: Bombyx helvola Hübner, [1803] 1796 (a junior subjective synonym of Noctua depressa Esper, 1787 ), by subsequent designation by Hampson (1900: 130) (see Watson et al. 1980).

Notes. (1) The genus is currently considered as monotypic. The status of its two eastern subspecies requires further clarification. (2) Due to the sexual dimorphism, the male and the female of the type species were described in the same publication ( Esper [1787]) as two different species: Noctua deplana Esper, [1787] and Noctua depressa Esper, [1787] , respectively. Although some authors (e.g., Dubatolov et al. 1993; Dubatolov & Zolotuhin 2011; Bayarsaikhan et al. 2016) considered the name deplana as senior based on the pagination of the original description, the priority of depressa over deplana was determined by Hampson (1900: 145), who should be considered as the First Reviser (see Article 24.2 of ICZN (1999)).

Diagnosis. The type species of the genus ( Figs 1, 2 ) is characterised by the moderate sexual dimorphism with the female being larger than the male and having markedly darker wing colouration and filiform antenna, which is strongly ciliate in the male. The genitalia of both sexes of Katha ( Figs 69 , 120 ) are similar to Tarika and the detailed comparison is provided below in the diagnosis of the latter.

Distribution. The type species of the genus is widespread in the temperate zone of the Palaearctic Realm from Europe to the Japanese Archipelago in the east, and is found as far south as Southwest and East China (Sichuan and Zhejiang Provinces).

Figures

Figures 1–14. Adults of Katha depressa (1, 2) and Tarika spp. (3–14). Depositories of the specimens: 1, 2 and 14 in CAV; 3, 11 and 12 in MWM/ZSM; 4, 10 and 13 in NHMUK; 5 and 6 in CKC; 7 and 8 in MfN; 9 in SZMN (photo by V. Dubatolov).

Figures 69–72. Male genitalia of Katha depressa (69) and Tarika spp. (70–72). Depositories of the specimens dissected: 69 in CAV; 70 in NHMUK; 71 and 72 in MWM/ZSM.

Figures 120–125. Female genitalia of Katha depressa (120) and Tarika spp. (121–125). Depositories of the specimens dissected: 120 and 125 in CAV; 121 in NHMUK; 122 in CKC; 123 and 124 in MWM/ZSM.