Circobotys obscuriptera Wang, 2018

Irungbam, Jatishwor Singh & Mally, Richard, 2025, A new species of Zitha Walker, 1866 and three new records of pyraloid moths (Insecta, Lepidoptera) from India, Zootaxa 5653 (4), pp. 524-534 : 528-529

Circobotys obscuriptera Wang in Gao & Wang, 2018

( Figs 5–6 , 14–15 )

Circobotys obscuriptera Wang in Gao & Wang, 2018: 204–206 , figs 12, 19, 24. TL: China, Sichuan Province, Mabian County, Yonghong Village , 28°33'N 103°24'E, 1500 m.

Material examined. INDIA: 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Ukhrul district, Shirui Hill, Shirui Guest House , 25°7’35.20’’N 94°26’8.60’’E, 1930 m, 12 viii 2016, one with gen. prep. JSI 343 ♀, leg. JS Irungbam ; 1 ♂, Ukhrul district, Shirui Hill, Site 01, 25,1264°N, 94,4357°E, 1930 m, 13 iii 2019, gen. prep. JSI 159 , leg. JS Irungbam.

Diagnosis. In males, forewing length is 14 mm (n = 2), and wingspan is 27 mm.

Externally, adults of Circobotys obscuriptera ( Figs 5–6 ) are similar to C. plebeia Munroe & Mutuura, 1969 . In the male genitalia, this species can be distinguished by the narrower valva in the basal half, the sacculus with a slender, finger-shaped dorsal process, and the sella basally produced to the end of the sacculus forming a sharp process ( Fig. 14 ), whereas in C. plebeia , the valva is subparallel in the dorso-ventral view, the sacculus has a triangular dorsal process, and the sella is not produced into a process (see Fig. 15 in Munroe & Mutuura 1969).

Distribution. India (Manipur) and China ( Gao & Wang 2018).

Biology. There are currently no published records on life stages other than adults, and neither on larval hostplants. The related C. aurealis (Leech, 1889) feeds on Bambusa ( Poaceae ) during the larval stage ( Robinson et al. 2023). The specimens investigated in this study were collected at an altitude of 1,930 m and were attracted to light.

Remarks: This is the first record of this species from India; it was previously known only from China ( Gao & Wang 2018).

Figures

FIGURES 5–8. Adults of Pyraloidea species newly recorded for India. 5, Circobotys obscuriptera Wang, male, dorsal (abdomen removed); 6, C. obscuriptera Wang, female, dorsal; 7, Neoanalthes nebulalis Yamanaka & Kirpichnikova, male, dorsal; 8, Teliphasa spinosa Li, male, dorsal.

FIGURES 14–17. Genitalia of Pyraloidea species newly recorded for India. 14, Circobotys obscuriptera Wang, male; 15, C. obscuriptera Wang, female; 16, Neoanalthes nebulalis Yamanaka & Kirpichnikova, male; 17, Teliphasa spinosa Li, male. Scale bars: 500 μm.