Magnificus florianii Saldaitis & Prozorov, 2025

Grehan, John R., Saldaitis, Aidas, Prozorov, Alexey M., Yakovlev, Roman V., Müller, Günter C., Ignatev, Nikolai, Mielke, Carlos G. C., Xu, Zhen-Bang, Duan, Yang & Dūda, Juozas, 2025, Three new species of the ghost moth Magnificus Yan from China and India (Lepidoptera, Hepialidae), Zootaxa 5679 (4), pp. 552-572 : 556-559

Magnificus florianii Saldaitis & Prozorov , sp. nov.

[Dulong Red Bat Moth ḋǖũøś]

( Figs 1a–d , 9a–b , 10f, h , 11a–b , 12a–b , 13a–b , 15a , 16a )

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( Figs 1a–b ): /Cina [ China], W Yunnan, Dulong Valley , mt 2900, 27°50'38"N, 98°27'49"E, 17 luglio [July] 2017, A. Floriani leg. / Coll. Floriani / Prozorov Preparat. Loan 2023 0531/ HT florianii ; WIGJ.

Paratype. 2 ♀, same collection data as holotype. Prozorov Preparat. Loan 2023 0530 ( GMF-B), ( ASV) ; 1 ♀, Cina [ China], W. Yunnan, Salween [Niu Jiang] Valley , 5 km West Fugong, mt 1500, 26°54'59"N, 98°51'44"E, 21 luglio [July] 2017, A. Floriani leg ( ASV collection) .

Diagnosis. Similar to M. ignatevi sp. nov. and Magnificus miniatus (Chu & Wang, 1985) , with a central longitudinal, curved dark brown line on the forewing. Distinguished from these species by hindwing being entirely white (other than yellowish-orange fringe) instead of darker shading towards apex in M. ignatevi sp. nov. and darker shading with some dorsal pattern near costa in M. miniatus . Venation oxycanine.

Description. Male ( Figs 1a–b ). Wingspan: ~ 63 mm; forewing length: 31 mm, width: 13 mm; hindwing length: 25 mm, width: 12 mm.

Head ( Fig 9a ). Covered with yellowish-brown scales. Eyes prominent, at least ¾ head width in dorsal view, vertex narrow. Palps not dissected. Antenna filiform with ~ 22 flagellomeres.

Thorax. Body and legs covered with yellowish-brown scales. Venation oxycanine (Rs3 intersecting common stalk of Rs1+Rs2). Forewing: Sc and R veins spaced well apart, single posterior basal vein as CuP ( Fig. 11a ). Majority forewing scales sub-circular ovoid, lamellar, apically convex narrowing to point ( Figs 11g –h for M. ignatevi sp. nov.). Dorsal forewing ground color pale yellowish-grey with pale darker golden-yellow shading, with darker areas of yellowish-brown shading, including a prominent dark band over outer 2/3 of anterior cubital cell with narrower band extending to central M1, terminating in a longitudinal white band. Irregular shaped pale white patches and bands scattered along costal region, parallel to outer margin, and between A vein and posterior margin. Anterior discal cell with oblique pale white band adjacent to dark shaded region, and a basal pale white semi-circle ( Figs 12a–b ). Hindwing; pale greyish-white with yellowish-brown marginal scales.

Pregenital abdomen ( Fig. 10f ). Tergum VIII trapezoid, narrowing posteriorly, margins almost straight; sternum VIII subrectangular, expanding posteriorly with pointed lateral apices and concave posterior margin, anterior margin with narrow, strongly sclerotized patch each side of median.

Genitalia ( Figs 13a–b ). Pseudotegumen broad, anogenital rim smooth, pseudoteguminal arms short, narrow, meeting medially.Tegumen weakly sclerotized, sub-triangular, medially diffuse.Valva setose, C-shaped; sacculus and distal valva subequal length, apex rounded. Fultura superior weakly sclerotized, forming four ovoid-subrectangular quadrants. Saccus strongly sclerotized, narrow, anterior margin rounded, posterior margin with prominent triangular process.

Female ( Figs 1c–d ). Wingspan: ~ 65–71 mm; forewing length: 32-38 mm, width: 13–15 mm; hindwing length: 25–30 mm, width: 12–13 mm.

Head ( Fig. 9b ). Covered with yellowish-brown piliform scales. Eyes similar in size to male ( Fig. 9b ), vertex narrow. Antenna as for male.

Thorax. Body and legs covered with yellowish-brown scales. Wings as for holotype male with following differences: vein A on hindwing in addition to CuP, and slightly shorter Rs1 and Rs2 from common branch ( Fig. 11b ). Dorsal forewing lacking extension of dark shading from anterior cubital cell along M1; white patches and bands slightly different in shape or extent, notably the white banding within the anterior discal cell crossing transversely and along Rs; longitudinal white patch basally in the M 1 -M 2 cell instead of the Rs4-M 1 cell ( Fig. 12b ). Hindwing; as for male ( Fig. 1d ).

Pregenital abdomen ( Fig. 10h ). Tergum VIII weakly sclerotized, about half size of TVII, SVIII and SVII weakly or unsclerotized.

Genitalia ( Figs 15a , 16a ). Dorsal plate (tergum IX) with shallow anal papillae and glabrous basal junction with lamella antevaginalis. Subanal plates unsclerotized and indistinct. Lateral lobe of lamella antevaginalis with strongly sclerotized corner at junction with dorsal plate, lateral and medial lobes weakly sclerotized, lightly setose, with raised subrectangular medial dorsal margin. Ductus bursae about 1/3 length of corpus bursae, latter an elongate bulb with possible medial construction (or this is an artifact of preparation).

Habitat and Phenology ( Figs 19a–d ) Single male and three females were collected at ultraviolet light in July, 2017 in the Nu Jiang (Salween) and Dulong river valleys in the northwestern part of China’s Yunnan Province. The new species was collected at altitudes of approximately 1,500–2,900 m in primary mountain mixed forest, dominated by various deciduous trees, bamboo, and bushes .

Etymology. Named for Alessandro Floriani (Milan, Italy), who collected Hepialidae in China. A noun in the genitive case.

Distribution. Known from western Yunnan, Dulong & Niu Jiang Valleys, China ( Fig. 17 ).

Remarks. The oxycanine venation arrangement in M. florianii sp. nov. contrasts with the hepialine venation of all other described Magnificus species. Venation for female 0531 shows a distal bifurcation of vein Rs3, but the second paratype has the normal non-bifurcated condition.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Magnificus spp., body structures: (a) labial palps, (b) legs (pro, meso, metaleg), (c–d) anterior abdomen, (e–n) posterior abdomen. HT—holotype, PT—paratype. Photos a–c, g by Nikolai Ignatev; d–e by Yuezheng Tu; f, h–n by Alexey Prozorov.

FIGURE 11. Magnificus spp., wing venation (a–f) and scales of M. ignatevi sp. nov. in the distal posterior discal cell before junction of M3 and CuA1 veins (g–h). Photos g–h by Nikolai Ignatev.

FIGURE 12. Magnificus spp. Forewing patterns. a-b. M. florianii sp. nov.; c, M. ignatevi sp. nov.; d-i. M. sp. Morphotype 1.

FIGURE 15. Magnificus spp., external female genitalia. Blue outline—glabrous base of dorsal plate. g—paralectotype of M. regius rubellus from Grehan et al. (2021). Photos a, c–f by Alexey Prozorov; b by Zhen-bang Xu; g by Nikolai Ignatev.

FIGURE 16. Magnificus spp., bursa copulatrix. Photos a, c–f by Alexey Prozorov; b by Zhen-bang Xu.

FIGURE 17. Magnificus spp. Distribution records in SEAsia.Yellow lines connect morphotype 1 and morphotype 2 to the type locality of their respective most similar species (M. bouvieri and M. dirschi).

FIGURE 19. Magnificus spp.Habitats:(a–d)Type localityof M.florianii sp. nov., Dulong Valley, China(c,collectors:Costantino Della Bruna, Carlo Saverio Maria Pensotti and Enrico Gallo); (e–f) Type locality of M. shaosiming sp. nov., Zaofanggou, China. Photos a–d by Alessandro Floriani; e–f by Yang Duang.

FIGURES 1–3. Magnificus spp., adults: 1. M. florianii sp. nov., (a–b) holotype, (b–c) paratype (photos by Alexey Prozorov); 2a–b, M. ignatevi sp. nov., holotype (photos by Nikolai Ignatev); 3, M. shaosiming sp. nov., (a–b) holotype (photos by Zhenbang Xu), (c) holotype, habitus view at collection site (photo by Yang Duan). HT—holotype, PT—paratype.

FIGURE. 9. Magnificus spp., head. Photos a–b, f–g by Alexey Prozorov; c by Nikolai Ignatev; d–e by Yuezheng Tu.

FIGURES 13–14.Magnificus spp., male genitalia.Lateralview of genitalia of M.ignatevi sp. nov. with orientationcorresponding to ventral view (14b) and habitus position (14c). HT—holotype. Photos 13a–b by Alexey Prozorov; 14a–c by Nikolai Ignatev.