Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) castanea Kiss & Han, 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 : 38-39

Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) castanea Kiss & Han sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B815205A-C5B5-4D42-B255-DCE4E62BA0CD

( Figs 45 , 109 )

Holotype. Female, China, Prov. Yunnan, Mt. Gaoligong , 16.vii.2012, leg. H.-L. Han, X.X. Jin & H. Geng, slide No.: HHL6186 ( NEFU).

Note. The male sex and the fine structure of the female terminal abdominal segments (not preserved with the genitalia) are unknown.

Diagnosis. Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) castanea ( Fig. 45 ) can be easily recognized by its dark, chestnut-coloured basal field, the grey-suffused outer part of the medial, subterminal and terminal fields; the reduced antemedial line with conspicuous, blackish, larger spots at the costal area; the chestnut-coloured reniform stigma; and the indistinct, whitish, less crenulate postmedial line with a conspicuous, wide black stripe between veins R3 and M2.

The female genitalia ( Fig. 109 ) can be distinguished from those of C. (N.) pallidobrunnea ( Fig. 107 ) and C. (N.) fuscothoracica ( Fig. 110 ) by the shorter ductus bursae; the smaller size of the entire organ; from C. (N.) pallidobrunnea , C. (N.) punakhae ( Fig. 108 ) and C. (N.) fuscothoracica by the proportionally longer and narrower junction of the appendix bursae with the corpus bursae; and the somewhat more curved distal part of the appendix bursae.

Description. Imago ( Fig. 45 ). Wingspan 29 mm. Head. Relatively large; 2 nd segment of palpus longer than 3 rd; antennae filiform. Thorax. Moderately wide, whitish-grey; patagia concolorous with thorax but slightly lighter with thin blackish outline; tegulae concolorous with thorax with thin blackish outline. Abdomen. Whitish-grey with some darker middorsal scale tufts. Wing. Forewing narrow, slightly elongate and obtuse apically, chestnut-coloured; basal spot blackish, relatively large, somewhat triangular; basal streak blackish, short, widest at base; tornal streak blackish, long, uniformly narrow; apical dash reduced, faint, chestnut-coloured spot; basal line blackish, double, outer line conspicuously wider than inner line, inner line very short, filled with white and chestnut-coloured scales; antemedial line double, reduced, with conspicuous, larger blackish spots at costal area and indistinct blackish-brown spots between veins at inner margin; medial line blackish, thin, zigzag, outwardly fading towards medial fascia; postmedial line double, crenulate, inner line greyish-black, reduced, outer line blackish, more prominent, filled with whitish-grey, with conspicuous outward black stripe between veins R3 and M2; subterminal line absent; terminal line whitish-grey, indistinct with tiny black dots on veins; basal field off-white, narrow, fused with interior of basal line, and joined to subbasal and suprabasal patches; subbasal patch whitish, narrow and short; suprabasal patch spot-like, indistinct, darker chestnut-coloured; antemedial field chestnut-coloured suffused with whitish and blackish scales and with indistinct, blackish patch in costal area, whitish line and darker chestnut-coloured patches next to basal streak and at inner margin; medial field inwardly off-white, outwardly uniformly chestnut-coloured, inner part moderately wide, outer part narrow; subterminal field chestnut-coloured with large, blackish-grey, squarish patches in costal area, obscure between veins M1 and M2 and around tornal streak; terminal field whitish-grey, narrow; orbicular stigma reduced, with interrupted tiny black spots inwardly; reniform stigma moderately large, reduced, chestnut-coloured, inwardly blackish, outlined with series of blackish spots; four somewhat indistinct quadrangular whitish spots at costa between medial fascia and terminal line, gradually decreasing in size towards apex; tornal patch blackish; fringe whitish with greyish patches. Hindwing rounded, apically slightly pointed; 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. 109 ). 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 shorter than posterior apophysis with slightly extended 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, moderately sclerotized, ribbed except in distal third, terminal twist moderately long, widest at base and outwardly turned; junction with corpus bursae long and narrow.

Distribution. China (Prov. Yunnan). Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) castanea is known only from its type locality.

Etymology. The name “ castanea ” refers to the dark chestnut-coloured forewing.

Figures

FIGURES 41–50. Adults of Cranionycta spp. 41. C. (N.) pallidobrunnea sp. nov., HT, female, Nepal, Kathmandu valley, Godavari, slide No.: KA1221f (coll. ZSM); 42. C. (N.) punakhae, HT, female, Bhutan, Punakha, 2 km N Rimchu, slide No.: CG7657 (photo C. Gielis; coll. NBC); 43. C. (N.) fuscothoracica sp. nov., HT, female, Thailand, 5 km NW of Pai, vicinity of Muang Pai Resort, slide No.: KA1925f (coll. GR); 44. C. (N.) fuscothoracica sp. nov., PT, male, Vietnam, Plato Tay, Nguyen, Mt. Ngok Linh, slide No.: KA2073m (coll. MfN); 45. C. (N.) castanea sp. nov., HT, female, China, Prov. Yunnan, Mt. Gaoligong, slide No.: HHL6186 (photo and coll. NEFU); 46. C. (N.) nigralbata, LT, female, India, Meghalaya, Khasia Hills (photo L. Ronkay; coll. BMNH); 47. C. (N.) boursini sp. nov., HT, male, Nepal, Thodung, slide No.: N956 (coll. ZSM); 48. C. (N.) jubingica sp. nov., HT, male, Nepal, Jubing, slide No.: KA1222m (coll. ZSM); 49. C. (N.) albothoracica sp. nov., HT, female, Laos, Phu Soai Dao, slide No.: KA1225f (coll. GB); 50. C. (N.) albothoracica sp. nov., PT, male, Vietnam, Plato Tay, Nguyen, Mt. Ngok Linh, slide No.: KA2072m (coll. MfN).

FIGURES 107–113. Female genitalia of Cranionycta spp. 107. C. (N.) pallidobrunnea sp. nov., HT, Nepal, Kathmandu valley, Godavari, slide No.: KA1221f (coll. ZSM); 108. C. (N.) punakhae, HT, Bhutan, Punakha, 2 km N Rimchu, slide No.: CG7657 (photo C. Gielis; coll. NBC); 109. C. (N.) castanea sp. nov., HT, China, Prov. Yunnan, Mt. Gaoligong, slide No.: HHL6186 (photo and coll. NEFU); 110. C. (N.) fuscothoracica sp. nov., HT, Thailand, 5 km NW of Pai, vicinity of Muang Pai Resort, slide No.: KA1925f (photo and coll. GR); 111. C. (N.) albothoracica sp. nov., HT, Laos, Phu Soai Dao, slide No.: KA1225f (coll. GB); 112. C. (N.) dieteri sp. nov., HT, China, Prov. Kuangtung, Linping, slide No.: KA679f (coll. ZFMK); 113. C. (N.) atrazonaria sp. nov., HT, China, Prov. Guangxi, Jinxiu, 1 km NW of Pingban, slide No.: KA2494f (photo and coll. GR).