Agrotis villenensis, Yela & Molina & Ortiz, 2025

Yela, José Luis, Molina, David & Ortiz, Antonio S., 2025, Agrotis villenensis — a new species of Noctuinae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) from the southeastern Iberian Peninsula, ZooKeys 1239, pp. 21-32 : 21-32

Agrotis villenensis sp. nov.

Type material.

Holotype, male. SPAIN • province of Alicante: Villena, Peña Rubia ; 38.6092, - 0.8043; 620 m elev.; 23 Sep 2023; g. prep. JLY 90.1892 ; leg. J. L. Yela & D. Molina, in coll. JLY, UCLM (catalogue number T- JLY -039 ) . Paratypes. 2 males, 4 females; same locality as holotype • 13 Sep 2010; leg. D. Molina (1 male), in coll. JLY, UCLM (catalogue number T- JLY -040 ) • 23 Sep 2023; g. prep. JLY 90.1981 , IBLAO 3089-24 ; leg. J. L. Yela & D. Molina (1 female), in coll. MNCN (catalogue number T- JLY -041 ) • 23 Sep 2023; g. prep. JLY 90.1890 , IBLAO 3090-24 ; leg. J. L. Yela & D. Molina (1 female), in coll. JLY, UCLM (catalogue number T- JLY -042 ) • l 9 Sep 2020; g. prep. JLY 90.1889 , IBLAO 3037-23 ; leg. D. Molina (1 male), in coll. JLY UCLM (catalogue number T- JLY -043 ) • 23 Sep 2023; leg. J. L. Yela & D. Molina (1 female), in coll. MNCN (catalogue number T- JLY -044 ) • 28 Sep 2011; IBLAO 2068-21 ; leg. D. Molina (1 female), in coll. DZPA, UM (catalogue number T- JLY -045 ) .

Additional material.

Four additional specimens were recorded as photographs, all from the same locality: one male, 15 Sep 2019, and 3 females, 26 Sep 2009, 13 Sep 2010 and 17 Sep 2020.

Diagnosis.

Externally, very similar to A. vestigialis (Figs 1 – 3 ), itself a very variable species (e. g., Skinner 1984; Fibiger 1990). The ground color of the forewings of A. villenensis generally are pale greyish, with a brownish or pinkish tinge. Cross lines are more diffuse than in most A. vestigialis , so that some specimens resemble A. sabulosa . Hind wings are mostly purely white, although some females show a light greyish terminal area. Male antennae are bipectinate, except in the apical antennomeres. The number of non-pectinate apical antennomeres is 13 in the three males studied, whereas the modal number in A. vestigialis is 15 (n = 16). The number of non-pectinate antennomeres is fewer in the other members of the Agrotis vestigialis species group.

The male genitalia of A. villenensis are similar to those of the related species in the A. vestigialis species group, but with four key distinctive features (Fig. 5 A – C ). First, the valvae are broader than in other species, and the apical cuculli are more sharply pointed. Second, number of spiniform setae comprising the corona is 16–17 in A. villenensis and 20–24 in A. vestigialis (n = 8). Third, the basal swelling in the vesica of A. villenensis is similar to that of A. vestigialis , but the subbasal diverticulum is narrower and situated dorsolaterally, ventrolaterally in A. vestigialis . And fourth, the vesica of A. villenensis is very long and has a small median diverticulum, not present in any other European Agrotis , and a very broad apical swelling, corresponding to the broad distal end of the appendix bursae of the female genitalia (for comparison, see Fibiger 1997). The vesica is partially collapsed in Fig. 5 C , so that the apical swelling appears smaller than it is when the vesica is fully inflated.

The female genitalia of A. villenensis (Fig. 6 ) are very similar to those of A. vestigialis , from which it can be distinguished by three key features: first, the ovipositor is considerably shorter; the appendix bursae is longer, although as in A. vestigialis it only loops once; and the distal part of the appendix bursae is relatively large and globose.

The four known COI sequences of A. villenensis are identical and form BIN BOLD: AEM 2348 (sequence length 658 bp). This new species differs from A. vestigialis by at least 1.37 % (BOLD: AAD 1898; n = 55; mean 1.04; maximum distance 2.73 %) (Table 1 ).

Description.

Wingspan: males 31.6–40.0 mm (mean 35.7; n = 3), females 33.9–40.0 mm (mean 36.7 mm, n = 4). Groundcolor of the forewings greyish, in the males with brownish tinge, in the females pinkish. Head: male antennal segments bipectinate and ciliate, as in A. vestigialis ; 13 distal antennomeres ciliate. Female antenna filiform. Labial palpi short. Haustellum long, well developed. Thorax: dark greyish patagia; tegulae light gray, with dark anterior border. Wings: design of the forewings generally low contrast. Antemedial (basal) line inconspicuous, as a double strip delimiting the clearly visible ochreous basal spot towards its external side and, in some specimens, forming a grayish basal wedge that extends beyond the basal spot. Postmedial line usually less marked or even absent (Fig. 2 A ), but sometimes well marked, wavy (Fig. 2 D ). Subterminal line almost absent; 4–6 short saggital stripes between veins R 3 – R 4 and Cu 1 – Cu 2. Terminal line as a row of tiny intervenal 7 or 8 dots. Claviform spot dark, elongate. Orbicular spot small, usually elongate, filled with a light-grey ellipse with a dark spot in its centre. Reniform spot large, dark grey, with a thin clear edge inwards. Hindwings pure white in males, white with greyish suffusion towards the termen in females, with greyish discal spot. Abdomen: very small dorsal tufts in segments A 2 to A 4 in males; absent in females. Male genitalia: uncus slender, relatively long, pointed ventrad. Valval costa with a small distal hump before the sharply pointed cucullus; valva elongate, but relatively wide. Corona as a row of 16 or 17 spines. Harpa, tegumen, fultura and vinculum as in the rest of the Agrotis species. Phallus short. Vesica very long, with a smooth basal swelling, a narrow dorso-lateral subbasal diverticulum and a tiny median diverticulum. Female genitalia: ovipositor short, conical, and peaked. Appendix bursae very long, looping once; its distal part is relatively large and globose.

Distribution.

Agrotis villenensis appears to be endemic to the southeastern Iberian Peninsula. It is only known from one locality in the inland northern Alicante province (Fig. 7 ).

Biology and habitat.

The adult is active in September in one apparently short generation. The early stages are unknown. All known specimens were collected in a hilly area at 620 m elevation, just a few metres from a forest area dominated by pine forests of Pinus halepensis Mill. and associated scrub. The soil is sandy due to an inland dune of eolian origin, consisting of sand-sized quartz and limestone particles. This sandy area occupies a strip of land about 8 km long and between 300 m and 2 km wide, which runs from the shadow of the Peña Rubia mountain range, continuing along the slopes of the Frare mountain range between the municipalities of Villena and Biar. The area also contains crops in production (mainly olive and almond trees) and country houses. The sabulicolous vegetation extends along hills, ravines, fields without tillage and crop margins, distinguished by the presence of stone pine ( Pinus pinea L.) and various other plants as Maresia nana (D. C.) Batt, Teucrium dunense Sennen , Sideritis chamaedryfolia Cav. subsp. chamaedryfolia and Linaria depauperata Leresche ex Lange subsp. hegelmaieri (Lange) De la Torre, Alcaraz & M. B. Crespo.

Etymology.

The name of the species is dedicated to the city of Villena in the province of Alicante, where all known specimens were collected.

Figures

Figure 1. Holotype of Agrotis villenensis sp. nov., from Peña Rubia, Villena, Alicante, Spain. Photograph: Mateo Yela Berzosa.

Figure 2. External variability of Agrotis villenensis sp. nov. A holotype B – F paratypes. Photograph: Mateo Yela Berzosa.

Figure 3. Male specimens of the Iberian nominal species of the Agrotis vestigialis species group, for comparison A A. villenensis sp. nov., holotype B Agrotis vestigialis, Playa La Rubina, Empuriabrava, Gerona C Agrotis yelai, Castronuño, Valladolid D Agrotis charoae, Playa de Oyambre, San Vicente de la Barquera, Cantabria E Agrotis sabulosa, Huelva F Agrotis garretasorum, Toril, Cáceres. Photographs: J. L. Yela.

Figure 5. Male genitalia of A. villenensis sp. nov. A external capsule of the holotype (g. prep. JLY 90.1892) B external capsule of a male paratype, pressed to better show the curved shape of the valvae (g. prep. JLY 90.1891) C phallus with everted vesica; arrows indicate the digitiform, subbasal diverticulum and the median diverticulum (g. prep. JLY 90.1892). Photographs: Mateo Yela Berzosa.

Figure 6. Female genitalia of A. villenensis sp. nov. (g. prep. JLY 90.1890). Photograph: Mateo Yela Berzosa.

Figure 7. Location of Peña Rubia, Villena, the type locality of Agrotis villenensis sp. nov., in the province of Alicante and the Iberian area.