Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) dierli, 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 : 29-30

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5640.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0A887E65-2B6E-4F61-A0C8-33F019F397E0
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15563227
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DDA77A-FFC8-FFD8-FF0E-3ED4F5931325
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) dierli
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) dierli sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D06EAAD4-F276-4E9D-AA1B-CBF05FA38550

( Figs 35 View FIGURES 31–40 , 101 View FIGURES 96–106 , 140 View FIGURES 140–146 )

Holotype. Female , Nepal, Kathmandu valley, Godavari, 1600–1800 m, 6.viii.1967, leg. Dierl & Schacht, slide No.: KA1220f ( ZSM).

Diagnosis. The single known female specimen of C. (N.) dierli ( Fig. 35 View FIGURES 31–40 ) externally resembles to C. (N.) warreni ( Figs 31, 32 View FIGURES 31–40 ), C. (N.) senjelungma ( Figs 33, 34 View FIGURES 31–40 ), C. (N.) punakhae ( Fig. 42 View FIGURES 41–50 ), C. (N.) albothoracica ( Figs 49, 50 View FIGURES 41–50 ), the males of C. (N.) fuscothoracica ( Fig. 44 View FIGURES 41–50 ) and C. (N.) keeskleini ( Fig. 39 View FIGURES 31–40 ) and especially the female of C. (N.) pallidobrunnea ( Fig. 41 View FIGURES 41–50 ). It has a somewhat shorter, wider forewing (except in C. (N.) pallidobrunnea ) with a moderately darker, greyish-brown ground colour with fewer light ochreous patches; a rather greyish antemedial field with some ochreous shading; an almost completely reduced antemedial line; the narrowest, more or less whitish inner part of the medial field with greyish suffusion; a tiny, lighter but obscure orbicular stigma, its outline reduced substituted by some blackish scales; and a reduced reniform stigma with a narrow, almost complete, blackish outline; compared to C. (N.) pallidobrunnea , has a completely whitish postmedial line.

The female genitalia ( Fig. 101 View FIGURES 96–106 ) are very similar to those of C. (N.) warreni ( Fig. 100 View FIGURES 96–106 ), C. (N.) senjelungma ( Figs 102, 103 View FIGURES 96–106 ) and C. (N.) pallidobrunnea ( Fig. 107 View FIGURES 107–113 ). However, C. (N.) dierli can be distinguished from C. (N.) pallidobrunnea by the conspicuous distal extension of the anterior apophysis; the wider ductus bursae; the wider, more robust junction of the appendix bursae to the corpus bursae; and the somewhat longer appendix bursae with a more outwardly turned, more or less uniformly wide, longer terminal twist of the appendix bursae. Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) dierli can be distinguished from C. (N.) warreni and C. (N.) senjelungma by the somewhat wider ductus bursae; the relatively wide, shorter junction of the appendix bursae with the corpus bursae; the more laterally turned appendix bursae basally with an expanded sclerotized section; the more angled, outwardly turned, shorter terminal twist of the appendix bursae; and the shorter appendix bursae relative to the corpus bursae.

In the female 7 th abdominal segments ( Fig. 140 View FIGURES 140–146 ), the sternite has slightly more convex and parallel lateral sides with pointed distal corner; and a wider, lightly sclerotized semi-circular distal band than C. (N.) warreni ( Fig. 139 View FIGURES 130–139 ) and C. (N.) senjelungma ( Fig. 141 View FIGURES 140–146 ).

Description. Imago ( Fig. 35 View FIGURES 31–40 ). Wingspan 31 mm. Head. Relatively large; 2 nd segment of palpus longer than 3 rd; antennae filiform. Thorax. Moderately wide, greyish-white; patagia concolorous with thorax, with thin blackish outline; tegulae concolorous with thorax, with thin blackish outline. Abdomen. Whitish-grey with some slightly darker middorsal scale tufts. Wing. Forewing moderately short and wide, apically obtuse, dark greyish-brown with light ochreous patches; basal spot blackish, tiny, irregularly shaped; basal streak blackish, short, indistinct, wedge-shaped; tornal streak blackish, thin, long, indistinct between medial and postmedial lines, wide and indistinct between postmedial and terminal lines; apical dash blackish, tiny, reduced, line-like; basal line blackish, outer line wide, short, inner line absent, filled with greyish-brown; antemedial line reduced, marked only with two blackish spots at costal area and tiny blackish spot at outward edge of inner margin; medial line blackish, thin, zigzag; medial fascia wide, blackish, faded; postmedial line double, strongly crenulate, inner line greyish-black, thin, reduced, outer line blackish, somewhat more prominent, with indistinct, narrow black stripe between veins R3 and M2, filled with whitish; subterminal line off-white, indistinct, zigzag; terminal line whitish, interrupted by black on veins; basal field greyish-brown, narrow, fused with suprabasal patch and interior of basal line, and joined to subbasal patch; subbasal patch whitish with some ochreous shading, wide and long; suprabasal patch greyish-brown-ochre, obscure, stripe-like; antemedial field greyish-brown, narrow at costa with indistinct blackish patch, and with some ochreous shading in middle; medial field inwardly off-white suffused with greyish, outwardly greyish with ochreous shading, both inner and outer parts narrow; subterminal field greyish-brown with ochreous shading and large, blackish-grey, squarish patches in costal area, obscure between veins M1 and M2 and around tornal streak; terminal field greyish, narrow, indistinct; orbicular stigma reduced, marked with lighter off-white spot and inwardly short, thin, black, line-like spot; reniform stigma moderately large, inwardly somewhat dark greyish, outwardly, warm brownish-ochre, outlined with blackish line in costal area and series of tiny spots outwardly; four more or less quadrangular whitish spots at costa between medial fascia and terminal line, gradually decreasing in size towards apex; 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 and discal spot faint; tornal patch absent; fringe whitish with greyish patches.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 101 View FIGURES 96–106 ). Ovipositor rounded, slightly longer than wide, tapering posteriorly. Papillae anales weakly sclerotized, oval, densely hairy. Anterior and posterior apophysis equal in length, weakly sclerotized, rod-like; anterior apophysis with slightly widened distal end. 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, tubular, moderately sclerotized, ribbed except in distal third, terminal twist short and stout, outwardly turned; junction with corpus bursae long and narrow.

Female 7 th abdominal segments ( Fig. 140 View FIGURES 140–146 ).7 th sternite quadrangular, as long as wide, uniformly weakly sclerotized with wide, reduced, semi-circular distal band; proximal edge straight; lateral sides slightly convex, parallel with pointed distal corner and somewhat contrasting margin; distal edge concave. 7 th tergite roughly trapezoidal, as long as wide, uniformly lightly sclerotized with somewhat more sclerotized semi-circular distal band, and with short, indistinct, wedge-shaped “window” in middle; proximal edge more or less straight with two curved, somewhat sclerotized rods; lateral sides slightly wavy with slightly contrasting margins; distal edge more or less straight.

Distribution. Himalayan. Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) dierli is only known from the southern part of the Kathmandu valley, Godavari where occurs sympatrically with C. (N.) delattini , C. (N.) warreni and C. (N.) pallidobrunnea at mid-elevation (1600–1800 m).

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to the renowned German lepidopterologist Wolfgang Dierl, the former curator of the Lepidoptera Collection of the ZSM, who has participated in several Nepalese expeditions and also was one of the collectors of the holotype.