Polychrysia iuno, Korb & Matov, 2020

Korb, S. K. & Matov, A. Yu., 2020, A new species of the genus Polychrysia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Plusiinae) from the Inner Tian-Shan, Kyrgyzstan, Zoosystematica Rossica (China) 29 (1), pp. 70-74 : 71

Polychrysia iuno sp. nov.

( Figs 1, 2, 7, 8)

Holotype. Male , Kyrgyzstan, Naryn Prov. , Dzhumgaltoo Range , Sary-Kayky Massif, right bank of Karakol River, 42°11.300′N 74°03.193′E, 2093 m asl, 17.VII.2015, S.K. Korb leg., slide Matov 0416 ( ZISP).

Paratypes. Same locality and collector, 17.VII.2015, 1 male, slide Matov0417 ( ZISP), 25.VII.2016, 1 male ( SKK) .

Description. Male ( Figs 1, 2). Head, thorax, collar and tegulae pale ochreous. Forewing length: holotype – 18 mm, paratypes – 17 and 18 mm, respectively. Forewing ground colour in marginal and submarginal parts pale ochreous; subdiscal, discal and basal areas yellowish ochreous; wing pattern consisting of two irregular thin dark lines in marginal and submarginal parts, one wide v-shaped dark line with dark spot in its costal part, and several (2–3) thin dark irregular lines in basal area; veins slightly darker than ground colour; discal ocelli white, with two yellowish ochreous centres, each consisting of three fragments; several scattered small black spots, being larger in basal and discal parts and smaller in marginal and submarginal parts. Hindwing ground colour pale ochreous; wing pattern consisting of dark veins, with darker (pale grayish) marginal and submarginal areas forming poorly visible marginal belt, and well visible dark discal stroke. Fringes of same colour as surface of wing.

Male genitalia ( Figs 7, 8). Uncus long, cylindrical, curved at approximately right angle along entire length, with pointed apex. Tegumen wide, triangle. Juxta triangle, with pointed apical process. Valvae elongated, wide in medial part and narrow- er in both apical and basal parts, diamond-shaped, with pointed apex. Cucullus long, triangular. Sacculus short, its dorsal margin rounded. Clasper very long, straight, with finely rounded apex. Aedeagus straight, slightly wider at base. Vesica broadly tubular, especially in basal third, curved on to right in ventro-lateral direction. Medial diverticulum large, projecting forward, terminal one long, located opposite basal one and very long. Cornutus long, narrow, with wide base and pointed apex.

Female. Unknown.

Diagnosis. In Polychrysia iuno sp. nov., dark subdiscal line v-shaped, with dark spot in its costal part; in closely related P. esmeralda ( Oberthür, 1880) , this line w-shaped, without such dark spot ( Figs 1–6); moreover, ground colour in P. iuno sp. nov. slightly more yellowish. The new species is well distinguished from P. esmeralda by the shape of valva: it is rhomboid, with pointed apex (vs elongated, with rounded apex) ( Figs 7–10).

Habitat and bionomics (Figs 11, 12). The new species was collected at light on the right bank of Karakol River at the altitudes between 2000 and 2200 m. Its habitat is stony slopes of the southern exposition, with diverse steppe vegetation including Stipa spp. , Thymus spp. , Artemisia spp. , etc. The new species is rather rare: in 2015, only two specimens from about 30 of all Polychrysia specimens were collected; in 2016, only one specimen from about 40 specimens; and in 2017, no specimens were collected at all. In its biotope, P. iuno sp. nov. flies together with P. esmeralda at the same time, and this makes the search for the described here species very difficult, because the external features are very weak for the field identification.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality.

Etymology. The new species is named after the ancient Roman goddess Iuno (in Latin spelling). Since one of the names of Iuno was Moneta, this specific name shows that the new species belongs to the group of Polychrysia moneta .