Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) boursini, Kiss, 2025

Kiss, Ádám, 2025, Taxonomic study of the genus Cranionycta de Lattin, 1949 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Acronictinae) with description of a new subgenus and 21 new species, Zootaxa 5640 (1), pp. 1-71 : 48-49

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5640.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0A887E65-2B6E-4F61-A0C8-33F019F397E0
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15563245
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DDA77A-FFFB-FFF5-FF0E-3982F6D31359
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) boursini
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) boursini sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:0735CAB1-4E3E-4250-A60B-E2A301CA274F

( Figs 47 View FIGURES 41–50 , 74 View FIGURES 73–83 )

Holotype. Male , Nepal, Thodung, 3100 m, 21.v.1962, leg. G. Ebert & H. Falkner, slide No.: N 956 ♂ ( ZSM).

Notes. The holotype has a reversed red label with the text “ Paratypus / Craniophora / oda himalayensis Bour / Zool. Staatssammlg. München”. The name “ Craniophora oda himalayensis ” Boursin is most probably a manuscript name. The depository of the “ holotype ” and other “ paratypes ” (if they exist) is unknown.

Unfortunately, the fine structure of the phallus, vesica and the terminal abdominal segments, cannot be examined due to the preserving method. The female is also unknown.

Diagnosis. Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) boursini ( Fig. 47 View FIGURES 41–50 ) externally resembles to C. (N.) jubingica ( Fig. 48 View FIGURES 41–50 ), C. (N.) versicolor ( Figs 27, 28 View FIGURES 21–30 ), C. (N.) mailungana ( Fig. 26 View FIGURES 21–30 ), C. (N.) senjelungma ( Figs 33, 34 View FIGURES 31–40 ), and the males of C. (N.) delattini ( Fig. 30 View FIGURES 21–30 ), C. (N.) keeskleini ( Fig. 39 View FIGURES 31–40 ), and especially C. (N.) falcata ( Fig. 54 View FIGURES 51–54 ). It can be distinguished by its more darkly coloured forewing; the bluish-tinged whitish antemedial line with a tiny blackish spot at vein A1+2; the more zigzag subterminal line; the narrow, greyish terminal field consisting of triangular spots between the veins; the dark greyish-ochre basal, medial, subterminal and terminal fields; the prominent, brownish suprabasal patch; the indistinct, lightly coloured orbicular stigma with a tiny, blackish spot inwardly; the reduced darker ochre reniform stigma outlined with some indistinct blackish spots; and the whitish postmedial line with a less crenulate part apically and blurred with dark brownish at the tornal streak.

The male clasping apparatus ( Fig. 74 View FIGURES 73–83 ) can be separated from that of C. (N.) jubingica ( Fig. 75 View FIGURES 73–83 ) and C. (N.) albothoracica ( Fig. 76 View FIGURES 73–83 ) by the straighter, uniformly wide uncus; the straighter valvae with a proportionally shorter, moderately curved ventral margin apically; the somewhat less pronounced medial sclerite with a tiny sclerotized basal protrusion; and the moderately angled ventral margin of the sacculus.

Description. Imago ( Fig. 47 View FIGURES 41–50 ). Wingspan 29 mm. Head. Relatively large; 2 nd segment of palpus longer than 3 rd; antennae filiform. Thorax. Moderately wide, dark blackish-brown; patagia slightly lighter blackish-brown with thin blackish outline; tegulae unknown. Abdomen. Unknown. Wing. Forewing wide, apically obtuse, dark brownish-ochre; basal spot blackish, relatively large, more or less semi-circular; basal streak blackish, wide, moderately long; tornal streak black, reduced, almost absent between medial and postmedial lines, more or less wedge-shaped between postmedial and terminal lines; apical dash reduced, blackish, tiny; basal line blackish, double, outer line conspicuously wider than inner line, inner line very short, dot-like, filled with dark greyish-ochre; antemedial line double, reduced, thin, generally filled with bluish-tinged white, with three blackish, larger spots at costal area, tiny blackish spot on vein A1+2 and at outward edge of inner margin; medial line blackish, thin, zigzag; medial fascia wide, blackish, outwardly slightly fading; postmedial line double, crenulate, inner line greyish-black, thin, reduced, outer line blackish, more prominent with narrow black stripe between veins R3 and M2, filled with whitish with dark brownish at tornal streak; subterminal line narrow, zigzag, indistinct, whitish-grey; terminal line whitish, interrupted by black on veins; basal field dark greyish-ochre, moderately wide, fused with interior of basal line, and joined to subbasal patch with whitish line; subbasal patch whitish, wide and short; suprabasal patch small, dark brownish-grey, stripe-like; antemedial field dark greyish-brown with conspicuous blackish patch at costa; medial field inwardly light greyish-brown suffused with darker greyish-brown in costal area, outwardly uniformly greyish-brown, both inner and outer parts narrow; subterminal field greyish-brown with large, blackish-grey, squarish patches in costal area, obscure between veins M1 and M2 and around tornal streak; terminal field greyish, narrow, broken into triangular between veins; orbicular stigma reduced, lighter brownish, with tiny blackish curved line inwardly; reniform stigma moderately large, reduced, dark greyish-brown, inwardly somewhat darker, outlined with continuous line inwardly, and, series of tiny blackish spots outwardly; four more or less quadrangular whitish spots at costa between medial fascia and terminal line, gradually decreasing in size towards apex; tornal patch blackish, small; fringe whitish with greyish patches. Hindwing rounded, apically slightly pointed, greyish-brown; marginal band, postdiscal line and discal spot slightly darker greyish-brown; tornal patch faint, darker greyish-brown; fringe whitish with greyish patches.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 74 View FIGURES 73–83 ). Uncus moderately short, sclerotized, uniformly wide and straight, hairy; apex hooked. Scaphium moderately sclerotized, pliers-like; subscaphium weakly sclerotized. Tegumen long with lobe-like peniculus covered with dense long hairs. Saccus sclerotized, V-shaped. Juxta simple, moderately sclerotized, widest at base, shield-shaped.Manica double, moderately sclerotized lobe-like extension with spinulose structure supporting numerous small spinules. Transtilla short, rod-like, uniformly wide, sclerotized. Valvae elongate, medially more or less straight, moderately sclerotized; sacculus narrow, sclerotized, ventral margin moderately angled; clavus slightly curved; valval androconial apparatus absent; medial sclerite less pronounced, straight and sclerotized with small sclerotized basal protrusion; apex rounded with moderately curved ventral margin and wide, dense corona. Phallus simple, tubular, moderately sclerotized; carina slightly more sclerotized, wide, short, wedge-shaped.

Distribution. Himalayan. Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) boursini is known only from its type locality, Thodung, in the southwestern massif of Mount Everest at 3100 m elevation, and probably occurs sympatrically with C. (N.) jubingica .

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Charles Boursin, a great taxonomist and the first who prepared standardized genitalia slides.