Anacronicta pseudonitida, Irungbam & Fric, 2025

Irungbam, Jatishwor Singh & Fric, Zdenek Faltynek, 2025, Three new species of the genus Anacronicta Warren in Seitz, 1909 (Noctuidae: Pantheinae) from northeast India, Zootaxa 5583 (1), pp. 171-185 : 174

1. Anacronicta pseudonitida sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:44572802-BF6C-4BD6-8234-9C50760F78F3

Figures. 1, 2, 3 , 13

Holotype. INDIA: ♂, Manipur, Shirui Kashong , 25°06’40.40’’N 94°27’12.35’’E, 12.VII.2016, 2425 m, coll. JS Irungbam / IJ437 / HK15-03. The holotype is deposited in the collections of NZC, ZSI.

The BOLD Process ID. NMJI 012-23, BIN: ABW9848.

Paratypes (2 ♂♂): India, Manipur: 2♂♂, India, Manipur, Shirui Kashong , 25°06’40.40’’N 94°27’12.35’’E, 12.VII.2016, 2425 m, coll. JS Irungbam / IJ435 / Genitalia slide: 249 / IJ436 / Genitalia slide: 556 / HK15-04; 2♂ , Myanmar, Prov. Kachin State, 20km N , Pang Wah, 2064 m, N25°43’302’’/E98°23’353’’, 23.5.06, leg LOFFLER, coll. G. BEHOUNEK, Graafing bei Munchen, slide 8075 GB, slide 12023 HS (deposited at Research Collection of Helmut Seibald, ZSM). The paratypes will be deposited in the collections of NZC, ZSI, Kolkata, India .

Diagnosis. The new species, A. pseudonitida sp. nov. (Figs. 1,2,3), is very similar to A. nitida ( Figs. 5 ) in the general coloration and pattern of the forewing, particularly on the more contrasting black elements of the forewing, better developed shine on the surface of the forewing. The new species can be differentiated from the other species based on the features of male genitalia. Uncus is slightly thinner and shorter than in A. nitida ( Fig. 14 ). Tegumen with two short, pointed lateral penicular extensions is rounded and not sclerotized in A. nitida . Valva slightly narrower towards the apex, whereas in A. nitida , it is wide. Sacculus broad with thin hairs, harpe situated in the distal half of the valva, well sclerotized at the base, slightly curved and pointed towards the apex, but shorter than in A. nitida ( Fig. 14 ), A. himalaya ( Fig. 15 ), A. albicans sp. nov. ( Fig. 16 ), and A. infausta ( Fig. 18 ). Saccus is broader and wider than in A. nitida ( Fig. 14 ), which is narrow.

Description. Adult ( Figs. 1, 2, 3 ) Forewing length: 23 mm in male. Head, thorax white with dark brown; antennae brown (base white); tegulae with two black-brown lines; patagia with two black-brown bars; thorax black-brown scales; pectus brown; tarsi black-brown bands; abdomen brown, blackish dorsal line mixed with white. Forewing whitish, dark brown suffusion; wide, slightly curved outer edge. Postmedial and antemedial lines wavy, black. Reniform stigmata reddish brown, outward curved, white-bordered. Orbicular stigmata misty gray, ovate, black-lined. Region between spots black. Subterminal line dentate, lighter shade; blackish marks, excurved middle. Terminal line yellowish; cilia mottled. Hindwing dark brown, faint veins, indistinct cell spot, underside shaded, postmedial lines faint; cilia light near veins. Male genitalia ( Fig. 13 ). Uncus thin, short, wide at base, narrowing at apex. Tegumen with two short, pointed, hairy lateral extensions. Juxta pentagonal, plate-like, wider at base. Valva rounded, narrows at apex. Sacculus wide, robust, thinly haired. Harpe arises in distal valva, well-sclerotized, curved, pointed, shorter than valva. Saccus broad, wide. Aedeagus large, massive, widens from middle to apex. Carina bilateral, small, pointed plates, highly sclerotized. Vesica ventrally everted, large, sack-like, with diverticula covered in medium pin-like cornuti. Female unknown.

Genetic information ( Fig. 21 ). Two specimens including holotype of A. pseudonitida sp. nov., has been sequenced and assigned the BIN BOLD: ABW9848. The intraspecific divergence ranges between 0.19% of the variability. The nearest neighbor of the species is A. infausta with pairwise distances in the range of 4.56%.

Etymology. The new species is named after the superficially appears to be with A. nitida morphologically.

Distribution. India — Manipur; Myanmar-Kachin state.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Maximum Likelihood tree of the genus Anacronicta based on sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI).

FIGURES 1–6. Adults of genus Anacronicta. 1. A. pseudonitida sp. nov., male, HT, Manipur, India; 2. A. pseudonitida sp. nov., male, PT, Myanmar; 3. A. pseudonitida sp. nov., male, PT, Manipur, India; 4. A. manipura sp. nov., male, HT, Manipur, India; 5. A. nitida, male, HT., Japan; 6. A. horishana, male, Types, Taiwan.

FIGURES 13–16. Male genitalia genus Anacronicta. 13. A. pseudonitida sp. nov., male, PT, Manipur, India; 14. A. nitida, male, HT., Japan; 15. A. manipura sp. nov., male, HT, Manipur, India; 16. A. albicans sp. nov., male, PT, Manipur, India.

FIGURES 17–20. Adults of genus Anacronicta. 17. A. albergentea, male, Manipur, India; 18. A. himalaya, male, HT, Nepal (Balint et al. 2023); 19. A. infausta, male, Laos; 20. A. obscura, male, Laos.