Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) delattini, 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 : 25-27

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5640.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0A887E65-2B6E-4F61-A0C8-33F019F397E0
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03DDA77A-FFCC-FFDF-FF0E-3C94F6E3160D
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) delattini
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) delattini sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CD6024AE-428D-4A69-BD99-887A2495A28E

( Figs 29, 30 View FIGURES 21–30 , 68 View FIGURES 67–72 , 99 View FIGURES 96–106 , 120 View FIGURES 114–121 , 138 View FIGURES 130–139 )

Holotype. Female , Nepal , Kathmandu valley, Godavari, 1600 m, 10.vi.1990, slide No.: KA1224f ( GB) . Paratype. Nepal. 1 male, same locality as holotype, 30.viii.1964, leg. W. Dierl, slide No.: KA 1223m ( ZSM) .

Diagnosis. Cranionycta (Nefrendinycta) delattini ( Figs 29, 30 View FIGURES 21–30 ) can be separated from the externally similar C. (C.) oda transversa ( Figs 17–20 View FIGURES 11–20 ), C. (N.) warreni ( Figs 31, 32 View FIGURES 31–40 ), C. (N.) pallidobrunnea ( Fig. 41 View FIGURES 41–50 ), C. (N.) dierli ( Fig. 35 View FIGURES 31–40 ) and C. (N.) jubingica ( Fig. 48 View FIGURES 41–50 ) by the more uniform, warm brownish thorax and forewing; the more homogenous brownish-ochre basal angle; the outwardly more curved medial line; the more conspicuous black spot of the antemedial line at the inner margin of forewing; the more indistinct orbicular stigma with inwardly a short, black, curved line; and the warm brownish-filled reniform stigma; from C. (N.) warreni and C. (N.) dierli by the presence of the tiny blackish spot on vein A1+2; from C. (C.) oda transversa by the more pronounced and contrastingly marked postmedial line; the more reduced reniform stigma outlined with series of tiny black spots; and the paler, somewhat more greyish hindwing. The male has a narrower forewing and a somewhat straighter medial line than the female.

In the male genitalia of C. (N.) delattini ( Fig. 68 View FIGURES 67–72 ), compared to those of its relatives, the uncus is sharply curved apically; the valve are narrow basally, medially slightly widening, with a gentle ventrodistal curve and a somewhat elongate, rounded apex; a relatively straight, long, slightly more sclerotized medial sclerite with a tiny, sclerotized basal protrusion.

The female genitalia of C. (N.) delattini ( Fig. 99 View FIGURES 96–106 ) are the smallest among the species of the lobophorus species-group ( Figs 96–98 View FIGURES 96–106 ), and differ from them in the following: a narrower, more irregular, lobe-like distal extension of the anterior apophysis; a narrower, somewhat more ribbed junction of the appendix bursae with the corpus bursae; a longer appendix bursae with a more inwardly curved end of the ribbed and sclerotized part; and a shorter, narrower terminal twist of the appendix bursae.

In the male 8 th abdominal segments ( Fig. 120 View FIGURES 114–121 ), compared to C. (N.) versicolor ( Fig. 119 View FIGURES 114–121 ), the sternite of C. (N.) delattini has a more rectangular shape, with a narrower distal edge; and a larger window with a wider, laterally less pointed sclerotized stripe. The tergite has a less pointed proximal edge; an evenly wider and distally the narrowest lateral sides with smaller spur-like distal end; and a somewhat longer, more or less arrowhead-shaped window. The anterolateral sclerites of the 8 th abdominal segment are shorter than those of C. (N.) versicolor .

In the female 7 th abdominal segments ( Fig. 138 View FIGURES 130–139 ), the sternite has slightly more convex and wavier lateral sides with a more pointed distal corner; and a moderately narrower, more regular, and slightly more sclerotized semi-circular distal band than the species in the group.

Description. Imago ( Figs 29, 30 View FIGURES 21–30 ). Wingspan 28–32 mm. Head. Large; 2 nd segment of palpus longer than 3 rd in both sexes; antennae of both sexes filiform. Thorax. Moderately wide, greyish-white with two blackish spots; patagia and tegulae concolorous with thorax and with thin blackish outline. Abdomen. Whitish-grey with some darker middorsal scale tufts. Wing. Forewing light greyish-brown-ochre, narrow in male, wide in female, elongate, apically obtuse; basal spot blackish, small, irregularly shaped; basal streak blackish, short, indistinct, wedge-shaped or line-like; tornal streak blackish, thin, long, between medial and postmedial lines obscure, between postmedial and terminal lines triangular-like; apical dash blackish, tiny, line- or spot-like; basal line blackish, double, outer line wide and prominent, inner line very short, dot-like, filled with greyish-brown; antemedial line reduced, with three blackish spots at costal area and short, somewhat contrasting section filled with whitish scales, and tiny blackish spots outwardly at inner margin and inner edge of vein A1+2; medial line blackish, thin, zigzag, somewhat straighter in male than in female; medial fascia wide, blackish, outwardly fading; postmedial line double, crenulate, inner line greyish-black, narrow, outer line blackish, more prominent with narrow black stripe between veins R3 and M2, filled with whitish-grey; subterminal line off-white, obscure, more or less zigzag; terminal line whitish, interrupted by black on veins; basal field greyish-brown, moderately wide, fused with interior of basal line and joined to subbasal patch; subbasal patch whitish, wide and long; suprabasal patch greyish-brown-ochre, obscure, stripe-like; antemedial field light greyish-brown-ochre, narrow at costa with obscure blackish patch; medial field greyish-ochre, 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, consisting strongly obscure arrowhead-like spots; orbicular stigma reduced, marked with inwardly short, black, curved line-like spot; reniform stigma moderately large, warm brownish, inwardly somewhat darker, outlined with series of blackish tiny spots and curved lines; 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, uniformly greyish-ochre; marginal band slightly darker; postdiscal line faint; discal spot absent; tornal patch faint, darker greyish-ochre; fringe whitish with greyish patches.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 68 View FIGURES 67–72 ). Uncus moderately short, sclerotized, narrowing, distally strongly curved, 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, basally narrow and angled, medially slightly widening, ventrodistally gently curved, moderately sclerotized; sacculus narrow, sclerotized; clavus slightly curved; valval androconial apparatus absent; medial sclerite long, straight with tiny, sclerotized basal protrusion; apex somewhat elongate and rounded with wide, dense corona. Phallus simple, tubular, moderately sclerotized; carina slightly more sclerotized, wide, short, wedge-shaped. Vesica as long as phallus, moderately wide, essentially tubular with three basal diverticula one of them bearing spinulose patch, distal diverticulum larger, elongate; tooth-like cornuti absent from mid-lateral surface.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 99 View FIGURES 96–106 ). Ovipositor rounded, slightly longer than wide, tapering posteriorly. Papillae anales weakly sclerotized, oval, densely hairy.Anterior and posterior apophysis equal in length, weakly sclerotized, rod-like; anterior apophysis with irregular lobe-like distal extension; posterior apophysis with slightly oval distal extension. Ostium longitudinally ribbed, moderately sclerotized. Antrum short, moderately sclerotized, more or less funnel-shaped. Ductus bursae short, moderately sclerotized, ribbed. Corpus bursae large, bulbous, weakly sclerotized with two opposing distal signa. Appendix bursae as long as corpus bursae, coiled, moderately sclerotized, ribbed except in distal third, terminal twist straight and narrow, inwardly curved; junction with corpus bursae long and narrow.

Male 7 th and 8 th abdominal segments ( Fig. 120 View FIGURES 114–121 ). 7 th sternite roughly trapezoidal, wider than long, uniformly sclerotized; proximal edges slightly wavy with laterally extended corner; lateral edges concave with contrasting margin; distal edge slightly concave. 7 th tergite quadrangular, wider than long; proximal half slightly sclerotized, distal half slightly more sclerotized, irregular semi-circular band; proximal edge more or less straight with two moderately long, curved, slightly stronger sclerotized rods; lateral edges convex, wavy with less contrasting margin; distal edge slightly concave. 8 th sternite roughly trapezoidal, proximally narrower than distally, with rounded corner, slightly longer than wide; window relatively large, more or less quadrangular with rounded proximal margin and angled distal corner, in middle with narrow, laterally pointed, constricted sclerotized stripe; proximal edge arched with more sclerotized patch in middle; lateral sides proximally narrow then widening, in distal half strongly widened and fused; distal edge concave. 8 th tergite proximally more sclerotized than distally, bell-shaped, about 1.5× as long as wide; window more or less arrowhead-shaped, long with apically more contrast margin than distally; proximal edge short, less pointed; lateral sides more or less uniformly wide with indistinct spur-like distal end; distal edge straight. Anterolateral sclerites of 8 th segment relatively long, curved sclerotized rods with membranous, spur-like extension close to junction with 8 th sternite.

Female 7 th abdominal segments ( Fig. 138 View FIGURES 130–139 ). 7 th sternite quadrangular, as long as wide, weakly sclerotized with moderately narrow, regular, slightly more sclerotized semi-circular distal band; proximal edge straight; lateral sides slightly convex, wavy with pointed distal corner and less contrasting margin; distal edge concave. 7 th tergite roughly trapezoidal, slightly wider than long, slightly sclerotized with somewhat more sclerotized semi-circular distal band, and in middle with narrow, distally more pronounced window; proximal edge more or less straight with two curved, somewhat sclerotized rods; lateral sides slightly wavy, concave with less contrasting margin; distal edge more or less straight.

Distribution. Himalayan. This species is known only from the Kathmandu valley, Godavari, sympatrically with C. (N.) warreni , C. (N.) dierli and C. (N.) pallidobrunnea on mid-elevation (880–1600 m).

Etymology. The species is dedicated to Gustaf de Lattin, renowned German zoologist, lepidopterologist, founder of the modern school of zoogeography, and who established the genus Cranionycta .

The warreni species-group

The three species of this group are quite uniform in external appearance, all with greyish-brown forewings with ochreous patches. The main genitalic features are, in males, the narrowest at the basal one-third then uniformly widening, gently widest at the upper third-fourths valvae with a slightly angled curved ventral margin at the basal one-fourth, a moderately curved ventral margin apically and a slightly wavy costal edge; and the slightly sclerotized, gently curved medial sclerite without sclerotized basal protrusion; in females, the basally less wider, rod-like anterior apophysis with a slightly widened distal extension; and the more or less uniformly width terminal twist of the appendix bursae. Wingspan 28–31 mm.

In the male terminal abdominal segments, the 8 th sternite is slightly wider distally with a more or less triangular sclerotization at the distal edge and a less constricted sclerotized stripe in the window. The 8 th tergite is uniformly wide, widest at the distal edge; has evenly narrowing lateral sides with inwardly rounded spur-like distal end; and a more regular, spade-shaped window.

In the female 7 th abdominal segments there are no mentionable differences comparing with those of the other species-groups of the subgenus.

Distribution. Himalayan.