Dasypolia (Dasypolia) marijana Benedek, Saldaitis & Babics, 2014

Titov, Sergey V., Volynkin, Anton V. & Rakhimov, Ruslan D., 2025, Description of the hitherto unknown female of the little-known Central Asian owlet moth species Dasypolia marijana Benedek, Saldaitis & Babics with new data on its distribution (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae: Xylenini), Ecologica Montenegrina 88, pp. 80-88 : 81-88

Dasypolia (Dasypolia) marijana Benedek, Saldaitis & Babics, 2014

( Figs 1–6 , 9–12 , 14 )

Dasypolia marijana Benedek, Saldaitis & Babics, 2014 , Entomofauna, Supplement 17: 19, figs 5, 6, 12, 13 (Type locality: “ China, Xinjiang, SW from Kashi , Keng Tau Mts. , Oytag loc., N38°54.363 '', E075°13.788 '', h- 2650 m ”).

= Dasypolia marijana almatinka Benedek, Saldaitis & Babics, 2014 , Entomofauna, Supplement 17: 20, figs 7, 8, 14, 15 (Type locality: “ Kazakhstan, Prov. Almaty, Kuluktau Mt., Uzunbulak , 1600 m ”), syn. n.

Material examined. KAZAKHSTAN: 6 males, 2 females, 05.X.2013, Monrak Ridge , N slope, 24 km W of Karabulak Vill., N47°33'54.0'' E84°21'18.4'', 735m, gorge with scree slopes, S. V. Titov leg. , gen. slide Nos : AV8776 ♀, AV8778 ♂, AV9125 ♂ ( CAV) ; 2 males, 20.X.2023, Tamgaly Tas rock hills, 490m, 25 km N of Konaev, 44°5'45.53"N 77°0'53.43"E, gorge with rocky and loess slopes, S. V . Titov & R. D. Rakhimov leg. , gen. slide No. : AV9126 ( STP) ; KYRGYZSTAN: 5 males, 30.IX.2012, Moldo-Too Range , Chon-Kiindyk, 2040m, 41°31'31''N 74°36'04''E, mountain shrub steppe, local collector leg., gen. slide No.: AV7460 ♂ ( CAV) ; 1 male, 29.IX.2012, Moldo-Too Range , 10 km NW of Kokzhar, 41°32'13''N 74°45'47''E, 2080m, river canyon, local collector leg., gen. slide No.: AV7472 ♂ ( CAV) ; 2 males, 1 female, 9.X.2013, Talas Range , Chichkan River valley at Itagar River mouth, 42°09'47''N 72°49'21''E, 2020m, local collector leg. ( CAV) ; 2 males, 2 females, 10.X.2013, Dzhumal-Too Range (W slope), 7 km E of Suusamyr, 2120m, 42°11'25''N 74°03'19''E, local collector leg. ( CAV) .

Note. New data on the distribution of the species in Kyrgyzstan proves its continuous distribution in the mountains of Central Asia. Like other species in the genus Dasypolia , D. marijana displays a high superficial and genital variability even within the same population. Externally, the species varies in its size, forewing width, shade of the forewing ground colour, and the degree of the expression of the forewing markings. In the male genitalia, the length of the harpe and the width of the cucullus are found to be variable. For these reasons, the Southeast-Kazakhstani population cannot be considered as a distinct subspecies and therefore is herein synonymised with the nominate one.

Diagnosis. Dasypolia marijana ( Figs 1–6 ) is externally reminiscent of the sympatric D. templi (Figs 7, 8), from which D. marijana can be distinguished by the more elliptical and distinct reniform stigma, which is kidney-shaped in the congener. Additionally, the male of D. marijana has somewhat more pinkish ground colour of both wings. In the male genital capsule, D. marijana ( Figs 9–12 ) differs from D. templi ( Fig. 13 ) in the proximally broader uncus, the somewhat larger penicular lobes, the slightly narrower cucullus, and the S-like curved harpe, which is downcurved in D. templi . The phallus of D. marijana is broader than in D. templi and has a larger carinal plate. The vesica of D. marijana is broader than in D. templi and has larger diverticula. The female genitalia of D. marijana ( Fig. 14 ) differ from D. templi ( Fig. 15 ) in the somewhat shorter anterior apophyses, the slightly broader and longer antrum, the longer and anteriorly broader ductus bursae, the shorter and narrower corpus bursae, and the longer and more distally tapered appendix bursae.

Description of female adult. External morphology ( Figs 2, 6 ). Antenna ciliate, with cilia shorter than in male. Body and forewing ground colour olive brown. Subbasal line indistinct. Antemedial line irregularly sinuous, edged with pale ochreous inwards. Orbicular stigma very small, circular, pale ochreous. Reniform stigma distinct, pale ochreous with olive brown core. Postmedial line dentate on veins, edged with pale ochreous outwards. Subterminal line irregular, pale ochreous, diffuse. Terminal line thin, diffuse. Hindwing paler than forewing. Medial line diffuse. Discal spot elliptical, diffuse. Cilia of both wings as ground colour. Female genitalia ( Fig. 14 ). Ovipositor short and conical. Papilla analis trapezoidal, weakly sclerotised and setose. Apophyses thin and elongate, anterior one thicker and shorter than posterior one. Antrum short goblet-shaped with broad triangular medial depression. Ductus bursae elongate with almost parallel lateral margins, dorso-ventrally flattened, with sclerotised plate medially and anteriorly and gelatinous pocket latero-posteriorly. Anterior end of ductus bursae membranous. Corpus bursae pyriform, membranous. Appendix bursae conical, situated postero-laterally on left side.

Distribution and bionomics. The species is currently known from Northwest China (western Xinjiang Province), Kyrgyzstan, and Southeast and East Kazakhstan. In Southeast Kazakhstan, D. marijana was known from two localities within the Northern Tien Shan mountain range (Benedek et al. 2014) but was also found by the senior and third authors of the present paper in the Balkhash-Alakol Depression (Tamgaly Tas rock massif in the Ili River valley). The finding in the Monrak Mountains in East Kazakhstan expands the known range of the species by more than 700 km to the north-east ( Fig. 16 ). In Kazakhstan, the species inhabits warm rocky and shrubby slopes at altitudes ranging within 496–1710m a. s. l. ( Figs 17 –19). The preimaginal stages and host plants are unknown.

Acknowledgements

The study of Sergey Titov and Ruslan Rakhimov was funded by Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Program No. BR21882199, “Inventory of wild animals of arid territories of the Balkhash-Alakol basin with an assessment of threats to their conservation and sustainable use.”). Anton Volynkin, while performing this work, received no specific grant from any funding agencies.

References

Benedek, B. & Saldaitis, A. (2014) New Dasypolia species from China, part II (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Esperiana, 19, 103–119.

Benedek, B., Saldaitis, A. & Babics, J. (2014) On the taxonomy of the genus Dasypolia (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Xylenini). Entomofauna, Supplement 17, 17–28.

Benedek, B., Behounek, G., Floriani, A. & Saldaitis, A. (2011) New Dasypolia species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) from China, Sichuan, part I (plates 14–17). Esperiana, 16, 107–125.

Chen, E., Pan, Z., Volynkin, A.V., Saldaitis, A. & Benedek, B. (2022) Taxonomic review of the subgenus Tatsipolia Benedek, Behounek, Floriani & Saldaitis of the genus Dasypolia Guenée with descriptions of two new species from southern Xizang, China (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). ZooKeys, 1115, 187–198. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1115.84527

Keegan, K.L., Rota, J., Zahiri, R., Zilli, A., Wahlberg, N., Schmidt, B.C., Lafontaine, J.D., Goldstein, P.Z. & Wagner, D.L. (2021) Toward a stable global Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) taxonomy. Insect Systematics and Diversity, 5 (3), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixab005

Kononenko, V.S. (2010) Noctuidae Sibiricae. Vol. 2. Micronoctuidae, Noctuidae: Rivulinae— Agaristinae (Lepidoptera). Entomological Press, Sorø, 475 pp.

Lafontaine, J.D. & Schmidt, B.C. (2010) Annotated check list of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America north of Mexico. ZooKeys, 40, 1–239.

http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.40.414

Nupponen, K. & Fibiger, M. (2006) Additions and corrections to the list of Bombyces, Sphinges and Noctuidae of the Southern Ural Mountains. Part I. (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae, Lemoniidae, Sphingidae, Notodontidae, Noctuidae, Pantheidae, Lymantriidae, Nolidae, Arctiidae) (plates 22–26). Esperiana, 12, 167–195

Pekarsky, O. & Pekarska, S. (2022) A new species of Dasypolia Guenée, 1852 from Kazakhstan (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Xyleninae). Fibigeriana Supplement, 3, 255–258.

Ronkay, G., Ronkay, L. & Gyulai, P. (2014) New Xyleninae and Psaphidinae species from Asia, with special reference to the Central and Inner Asiatic Dasypolia Guenée, 1852 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Fibigeriana Supplement, 2, 141–169.

Ronkay, G., Ronkay, L., Gyulai, P. & Hacker, H. (2010) New Xylenini (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Xyleninae) species and genera from the wide sense Himalayan region. Esperiana, 15, 245–358.

Ronkay, L., Ronkay, G. & Landry, B. (2023) The Jacques Plante Noctuidae Collection. Part II. Amphipyrinae, Psaphidinae, Cuculliinae, Oncocnemidinae, Acontiinae, Pantheinae, Dyopsinae, Raphiinae, Acronictinae, Bryophilinae, Heliothinae, Condicinae & Xyleninae. New taxa. Heterocera Press, Budapest, 445 pp.

Titov, S.V., Matov, A.Yu. & Volynkin, A.V. (2023) On the distribution of Dasypolia eberti Boursin, 1967 in Kazakhstan (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae: Xylenini). Ecologica Montenegrina, 67, 77–82. https://dx.doi.org/10.37828/em.2023.67.9

Volynkin, A.V. (2012) A review of the genus Dasypolia Guenée, 1852 from the Russian part of the Altai Mountain Country, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Zootaxa, 3478, 416–428. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3478.1.37

Zahiri, R., Kitching, I.J., Lafontaine, J.D., Mutanen, M., Kaila, L., Holloway, J.D. & Wahlberg, N. (2011) A new molecular phylogeny offers hope for a stable family level classification of the Noctuoidea (Lepidoptera). Zoologica Scripta, 40 (2), 158–173.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.2010.00459.x

Figures

Figure 16. The distribution map of Dasypolia marijana.

Figure 17. Dasypolia marijana, ♂ adult in nature, East Kazakhstan, Monrak Ridge, N slope, 24 km W of Karabulak Vill., N47°33'54.0'' E84°21'18.4'', 735m (photo by S. Titov).

Figures 1–6. Adults of Dasypolia spp. 1, D. marijana, ♂, E Kazakhstan, Monrak Mts (CAV); 2, ditto, ♀ (CAV); 3, ditto, ♂, SE Kazakhstan, Tamgaly Tas (STP); 4, ditto, ♂, Kyrgyzstan, Talas Range (CAV); 5, ditto, ♂, Kyrgyzstan, Moldo Too Range (CAV); 6, ditto, ♀, Kyrgyzstan, Dzhumal Too Range (CAV); 7, D. templi, ♂, Kyrgyzstan, Moldo Too Range (CAV); 8, ditto, ♀, Russia, Altai Mts (CAV).

Figures 9–12. Male genitalia of Dasypolia marijana. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 9, 11 and 12 in CAV; 10 in STP.

Figures 13–15. Male (13) and female (14, 15) genitalia of Dasypolia spp. The specimens dissected are deposited in CAV.