Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) versicolor, Kiss, 2025

Kiss, Ádám, 2025, Taxonomic study of the genus Cranionycta de Lattin, 1949 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Acronictinae) with description of a new subgenus and 21 new species, Zootaxa 5640 (1), pp. 1-71 : 21-23

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5640.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0A887E65-2B6E-4F61-A0C8-33F019F397E0
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DDA77A-FFC0-FFD3-FF0E-3A34F3AF137D
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) versicolor
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) versicolor sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:07EF66D1-DCFD-4ACD-BEE1-8BB26DA2E306

( Figs 27, 28 View FIGURES 21–30 , 67 View FIGURES 67–72 , 97 View FIGURES 96–106 , 119 View FIGURES 114–121 , 136 View FIGURES 130–139 )

Holotype. Female , Nepal, Syangja district, Kahule village, 1600 m, 26.vii.1995, leg. G. Csorba, No. 113, slide No.: KA2428f ( GR).

Paratype. Nepal. 1 male, Annapurna Himal, valley of Kali Gandaki, near Tatopani , 1300 m, 28°29'N, 83°39'E GoogleMaps ,

20.vi.1996, leg. Gy.M. László & G. Ronkay, slide No.: KA 2427m ( GR) .

Diagnosis. Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) versicolor ( Figs 27, 28 View FIGURES 21–30 ) can be separated externally from its relatives, especially of C. (N.) mailungana ( Fig. 26 View FIGURES 21–30 ) and C. (N.) senjelungma ( Figs 33, 34 View FIGURES 31–40 ), by its darker greyish-black forewing with brownish shading; the line-like suprabasal patch; the outwardly reduced, inwardly indistinct, double, strongly curved, whitish-filled antemedial line with a conspicuous blackish spot directly next to the inner margin of the forewing; the reduced orbicular stigma occasionally substituted only by inwardly a few blackish scales; and the reduced, barely detectable reniform stigma.

In the male genitalia ( Fig. 67 View FIGURES 67–72 ), C. (N.) versicolor has, compared to C. (N.) delattini ( Fig. 68 View FIGURES 67–72 ), a gently curved, apically more uniformly narrowing uncus; an at the basal one-fourth more gently curved, medially somewhat more parallel, apically somewhat wider valvae; and a slightly wavy medial sclerite with somewhat more sclerotized and larger basal protrusion.

The female genitalia ( Fig. 97 View FIGURES 96–106 ) differ from those of C. (N.) lobophorus ( Fig. 96 View FIGURES 96–106 ) and C. (N.) delattini ( Fig. 99 View FIGURES 96–106 ) by the larger size of the entire organ; the regular, rather oval, lobe-like distal extension of the anterior apophysis; the wider junction of the appendix bursae with the corpus bursae; the straighter appendix bursae with a straight, wider terminal twist; from those of C. (N.) mailungana ( Fig. 98 View FIGURES 96–106 ) by the narrow, rod-like posterior apophysis; the somewhat shorter, wider ductus bursae; the straighter, narrower junction of the appendix bursae with the corpus bursae; and the narrower, straighter appendix bursae with a uniformly wider terminal twist.

In the male 8 th abdominal segments ( Fig. 119 View FIGURES 114–121 ), compared to those of the related species, the sternite is proximally much narrower, distally much wider; the lateral sides are narrower, distally widening; the distal edge is rather wide, uniformly slightly sclerotized; the window is rather smaller, more or less quadrangular with rounded proximal margin and angled distal margin, and with a narrow, laterally pointed, constricted sclerotized stripe. The tergite is proximally more sharply pointed; the proximal half is more sclerotized; the lateral sides are more tapered to the mid-point, terminating in a rather indistinct spur; the window has a more indistinct distal margin. The anterolateral sclerites of the 8 th abdominal segment are conspicuously longer than those of C. (N.) delattini ( Fig. 120 View FIGURES 114–121 ).

In the female 7 th abdominal segments ( Fig. 136 View FIGURES 130–139 ), the sternite has more or less straighter, more parallel lateral sides with a more or less pointed distal corner and a barely detectable semi-circular distal band than its relatives.

Description. Imago ( Figs 27, 28 View FIGURES 21–30 ). Wingspan 29–30 mm. Head. Relatively large; 2 nd segment of palpus longer than 3 rd in both sexes; antennae of both sexes filiform. Thorax. Moderately wide, blackish-grey; patagia blackish-grey; tegulae concolorous with thorax with thin blackish outline. Abdomen. Greyish-brown with some blackish middorsal scale tufts. Wing. Forewing moderately wide, less elongate, apically obtuse, darker greyish-black with brownish shading; basal spot blackish, tiny, more or less semi-circular; basal streak blackish, moderately long, more or less indistinct, wedge-shaped; tornal streak blackish, long, between medial and postmedial lines reduced, obscure, thin, between postmedial and terminal lines wide; apical dash blackish, short, reduced, line-like; basal line blackish, double, outer line conspicuously wider than inner line, filled with greyish-black; antemedial line in costal half absent, inner half blackish, double, wavy, indistinct, filled with whitish and greyish scales, with tiny blackish spot at inner margin; medial line blackish, thin, zigzag, fused with moderately wide, outwardly fading, blackish medial fascia; postmedial line double, crenulate, inner line greyish-black, thin and reduced, outer line blackish, more prominent, with narrow black stripe-like spots between veins R3 and M2, filled with whitish; subterminal line whitish, indistinct, more or less zigzag; terminal line whitish, interrupted by black on veins; basal field greyish-black, narrow, conspicuously joined to subbasal patch; subbasal patch whitish, wide; suprabasal patch short, narrow, indistinct, stripe-like; antemedial field dark brownish-grey, narrow at costa with blackish patch; medial field inwardly whitish suffused with greyish-black-ochre scales in costal area, outwardly dark greyish-black, inner part narrow; subterminal field greyish-brown with large, blackish, squarish patches in costal area, obscure between veins M1 and M2 and around tornal streak; terminal field greyish-black, narrow, indistinct, forming arrowhead-like patches; orbicular stigma reduced, marked with whitish spot and occasionally with inwardly tiny, blackish spot; reniform stigma large, reduced, inwardly blackish, outwardly light brownish-grey, outlined with series of tiny blackish spots; four irregularly shaped, whitish spots at costa between medial fascia and terminal line, gradually decreasing in size towards apex, first more or less rectangular, second wide, thin, last two spot-like; tornal patch blackish, small; fringe whitish with greyish patches. Hindwing rounded, apically slightly pointed; fully greyish-brown; marginal band slightly darker greyish-brown; postdiscal line very pale, slightly darker greyish-brown; discal spot absent; tornal patch faint, blackish; fringe whitish with greyish patches.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 67 View FIGURES 67–72 ). Uncus moderately short, sclerotized, gently curved, apically tapered, hairy; apex hooked. Scaphium moderately sclerotized, pliers-like; subscaphium weakly sclerotized. Tegumen long with lobe-like peniculus covered with dense long hairs. Saccus sclerotized, V-shaped. Juxta simple, moderately sclerotized, widest at base, shield-shaped. Manica double, moderately sclerotized lobe-like extension with spinulose structure supporting numerous small spinules. Transtilla short, rod-like, uniformly wide, sclerotized. Valvae moderately sclerotized, elongate, narrow, gently curved at basal one-fourth, medially somewhat parallel, apically somewhat wide; sacculus narrow, sclerotized; clavus slightly curved; valval androconial apparatus absent; medial sclerite moderately long, straight and sclerotized with sclerotized basal protrusion; apex rounded with wide, dense corona. Phallus moderately sclerotized, simple, tubular; carina slightly more sclerotized, wide, short, wedge-shaped. Vesica as long as phallus, moderately wide, essentially tubular with three basal diverticula one of them bearing spinulose patch, distal diverticulum larger, elongate; tooth-like cornuti absent from mid-lateral surface.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 97 View FIGURES 96–106 ). Ovipositor rounded, slightly longer than wide, tapering posteriorly. Papillae anales weakly sclerotized, oval, densely hairy. Anterior and posterior apophysis weakly sclerotized, rod-like; anterior apophysis with oval, lobe-like distal extension shorter than posterior apophysis. Ostium longitudinally ribbed, moderately sclerotized. Antrum short, moderately sclerotized, more or less funnel-shaped. Ductus bursae short, moderately sclerotized, ribbed. Corpus bursae large, bulbous, weakly sclerotized with two opposing distal signa. Appendix bursae shorter than corpus bursae, coiled, moderately sclerotized, ribbed except in distal third, terminal twist straight and wide; junction with corpus bursae long and narrow.

Male7 th and 8 th abdominal segments ( Fig.119 View FIGURES 114–121 ). 7 th sternite roughly trapezoidal,slightly wider than long, uniformly sclerotized; proximal edges straight, laterally slightly extended; lateral edges more or less concave, wavy, with less contrasting margin; distal edge slightly concave. 7 th tergite quadrangular, wider than long; slightly sclerotized with slightly more sclerotized semi-circular distal band, and in middle with narrow, indistinct window; proximal edge more or less straight with two long, curved sclerotized rods and in middle fused; lateral edges proximally concave then distally convex with less contrasting margin; distal edge slightly concave. 8 th sternite trapezoidal, proximally narrower than distally, with rounded corner, slightly longer than wide; window relatively large, more or less quadrangular with rounded proximal edge and angled distal edge, in middle with narrow, laterally pointed, constricted sclerotized stripe; proximal edge arched with more sclerotized patch in middle; lateral sides proximally narrow then widening, in distal half strongly widened and fused; distal edge concave. 8 th tergite proximally more sclerotized than distally, bell-shaped, 2× as long as wide; window spade-shaped with indistinct distal margins; proximal edge short, sharply pointed; lateral sides evenly tapering to mid-point, terminating in indistinct spur; distal edge slightly concave. Anterolateral sclerites of 8 th segment relatively long and curved sclerotized rods.

Female 7 th abdominal segments ( Fig. 136 View FIGURES 130–139 ). 7 th sternite quadrangular, as long as wide, uniformly weakly sclerotized with minute, barely sclerotized semi-circular distal band; proximal edge straight; lateral sides more or less straight, parallel with more or less pointed distal corner and somewhat contrasting margin; distal edge concave, V-shaped. 7 th tergite roughly trapezoidal, as long as wide, entirely weakly sclerotized with minute, somewhat more sclerotized semi-circular distal band without window; proximal edge more or less straight with two curved, somewhat sclerotized rods; lateral sides straight with less contrasting margin; distal edge slightly concave.

Distribution. Himalayan. The new species is known only from the southern, mid-elevation (1300–1600 m) slopes of the Annapurna Himal, and probably occurs sympatrically with C. (N.) falcata .

Etymology. The name “ versicolor ” refers to the multi-coloured forewing ground colour.