ISSN: 2347-3215 Volume 2 Number 12 (December-2014) pp. 42-46 www.ijcrar.com

Genitalic studies on three species of Phlogophora Treitschke (: : Hadeninae)

Jagbir Singh Kirti1, Harkanwal Singh1* and Navneet Singh2

1Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala-147 002, Punjab, India 2Zoological Survey of India, Gangetic Plains Regional Centre, Sector-8, Bahadurpur Housing Colony, Patna-800026, Bihar, India

*Corresponding author

KEYWORDS A B S T R A C T

Lepidoptera, The present article deals with the genitalic attributes of three species, Noctuidae, Phlogophora conservuloides (Hampson), Phlogophora albovittata (Moore) Phlogophora and Phlogophora costalis (Moore) to update the diagnosis of the species Treitschke, Three species, Genitalia.

Introduction (Moore) and P. albovittata (Moore) have Treitschke (1825) proposed genus been described and illustrated in detail. Phlogophora and Duponchel (1829) designated Phalaena meticulosa Linneaus as Materials and Methods its type species. Genus Phlogophora is a typical member of tribe Phlogophorini Intensive and extensive collection-cum- Hampson of family Noctuidae. Poole survey tours have been conducted in (1989) catalogued a total number of 52 Northeast India between September, 2009 species from the Globe. Hreblay and and May, 2012. The collection of adult Ronkay (1998) described two new species Noctuid has been made with the help i.e. P. humilis Hreblay and Ronkay and P. of light traps fitted at different places during nobilis Hreblay and Ronkay from Nepal and night time. Both vertical sheet and portable thus, raised the total number of global light trap methods have been used for this species to 54. Indian fauna of purpose. Petromax lamp/ battery operated genus Phlogophora is known by a total of lamp was also used for collection purpose in five species. In the present work, external some areas where electricity supply was not male and female genitalia of three species available. Collection was done in pre- P.conservuloides (Hampson), P. costalis monsoon and post-monsoon seasons.

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The representative specimens of genus Diagnosis: Proboscis fully developed; palpi Phlogophora mentioned in the present upturned, the 2nd joint reaching about to manuscript were collected with the help of middle of frons and moderately scaled, 3rd light traps from different localities of short; frons smooth; eyes large, rounded; Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. The antennae of male typically serrate and identification of captured specimens was fasciculate; head and thorax clothed with done with the help of relevant literature hair. The prothorax with triangular ridge- (Hampson, 1894). like crest, the metathorax with paired crests. Abdomen with dorsal series of crests and For study of genitalic attributes, the lateral tufts on terminal segments, male with abdomen detached from the body of extensible tufts of long hair from lateral preserved with needle and forceps, as stigmata; Fore wing with the apex obliquely cutting of last few segments often damages truncate, the termen and cilia dentate; veins the constituent parts of male and female Cu1 and M2 from near angle of cell; M1 from genitalia (Robinson, 1976). The detached upper angle; R3 from R2 anastomosing with abdomen dropped in test tube containing R4 to form the areole; R1 from cell. Hind 10% KOH overnight to soften the chitin and wing with veins Cu1, M2from angle of cell; for removal of muscles and other unwanted M2 obsolescent from just below middle of parts. The potashed material washed in discocellulars; M1, Rs from upper angle; distilled water and residual traces of KOH Sc+R1 anastomosing with cell near base removed later by dipping these structures in only. 1% glacial acetic acid. Phlogophora albovittata (Moore) The abdomen dissected in 50% alcohol for taking out the male and female genitalic Euplexia albovittata Moore. 1867, P.Z.S.: 57 structures. Aedeagus separated from the (Fig. 1 4) main genitalia by carefully keeping juxta and transtilla intact. Vesica everted carefully Diagnostic characters: Head black with with help of fine forceps. After proper pale dots; palpi porrect, black outward, pale dehydration in different grades of alcohol, inward; third joint minute, tipped with pale; the genitalic structures were cleared in clove collar black with pale dots; Thorax black; oil and then mounted in Canada balsam on antenna ciliated, pale tuft at base; Forewing cavity slides. The terminology given by pale with black and grey suffusion; costa Klots (1970) has been followed in the black; pale ante medial band starts from present studies for naming different coastal margin of cell, coastal area of band structures of genitalia. suffused with grey; median black band, greyish towards costa, brown towards inner Result and Discussion margins, excurved towards base below cell; antemedial area pale, slightly irrorated with GENUS PHLOGOPHORA black, flesh coloured fasciae from costa to TREITSCHKE median nervature; submarginal area greyish black towards apex, two pale patches Treitschke, 1825, in Ochsenheime Schmett. between cubitus veins, tornus pale. Eur. 5(1): 369. Hindwing dull ocherous whitish, fuscous along termen; veins dark at terminal ends, Type species: Phalaena meticulosa fringe purple black, tips white; Thorax black Linneaus 43

with pale tipped tufts towards proximal end; olive green. Forewing with a pale fascia Underside blue grey with pale inner margins below the costa; a double subbasal waved (Fig. 1). black line; an antemedial straight line; orbicular and reniform pale and conjoint to a Male genitalia: Uncus small, flat, leaf like, pale patch below medial nervature, with setosed; tegumen long, broad, inverted V- black lower edge; the postmedial double line shaped; transtilla membranous; juxta with indistinct and nearly straight; a submarginal upper margin convex, lower margin waved pale line with diffused dark inner triangular, weakly sclerotized; vinculum edge. Hindwing pale fuscous. Abdomen pale small, V- shaped; saccus well developed, fuscous, with proximal pale tufts. Underside long, flat; valve long, spindle- shaped; two pale, suffused with fuscous in places (Fig. harpe present, one long, robust, straight 5). spine like, another curved, weakly sclerotized, hook like; cucullus pointed, Male genitalia: Uncus small, flat, narrow setosed; aedeagus, tip with serrate patch; towards base, tip spatulate, heart shaped, vesica small, with robust, serrate bar; ductus setosed; tegumen U- shaped, weakly ejaculatorius enters into the aedeagus sub sclerotized; transtilla membranous; juxta apically (Fig. 2&3). oval, spindle- shaped; vinculum small; saccus well developed, broad, triangular; Female genitalia: Papilla anales valve very long, narrow, saccular process semicircular, setosed; anterior and posterior long, robust, finger like, spined at tip; apophysis almost of same length; osteum saccular margin irregular, round towards bursae strongly sclerotized; ductus bursae cucullus, costal margin curved; cucullus long, sclerotized, swollen and triangular long, pointed like tip of knife, setosed with medially; corpus bursae small, broad, long setae; aedeagus long, curved; vesica rounded, spindle- shaped, membranous; large, bilobed, with patches of signum present, three long bars on lower sclerotization; ductus ejaculatorius enters half of corpus bursae (Fig. 4). into the aedeagus sub apically (Fig. 6&7).

Material Examined Female genitalia: Papilla anales small, triangular, setosed with small setae; Arunachal Pradesh: Bomdila 09.X.2010- posterior apophysis longer than the anterior 1 , 2 . apophysis; ductus bursae flat, broad, curved, Sikkim: Golitar 02.IV.2010: ribbon shaped, strongly sclerotized; corpus 1 , 2 . bursae elongated membranous, lower end round swollen, bulb- shaped; signum absent Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh, (Fig. 8). Sikkim), Japan. Material Examined Phlogophora costalis (Moore) Arunachal Pradesh: Dirang 06.X.2010- Chutapha costalis Moore, 1882, Lep. Atk.: 1 , 1 , 07.X.2010- 1 . 131 (Fig. 5 8). Sikkim: Golitar 21.IV.2010- 1 .

Diagnostic characters: Head olive green; Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh, palpi upturned, brown at sides, third joint Sikkim). minute; antennae ciliated; collar and thorax 44

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Phlogophora conservuloides (Hampson) Director, Zoological Survey of India and Euplexia conservuloides Hampson, 1897, J. PCCF and other forest staff for providing Bomb. Soc., 11: 443 (Fig. 9&10). necessary facilities during this research work. Diagnostic characters: Head brown; palpi obliquely porrect, reddish brown, third joint References minute; antennae minutely ciliated, with pale yellow streak in shift at base; collar Duponchel, P.A.J. 1829. Historie Naturelle brown, with pale tips. Thorax brown with des Lepidopteres on Papillons de purplish tinge; Forewing brown, with black France, Vol. 7, Part 2. Paris Mequignon speck in cell; a pale edged wedg- shap mark Marvis. Pp.1 507, plates 133 170. from middle of costa, blackish on Hampson, G.F. 1894. The fauna of British discocellulars, with a large brown V- shaped India, including Ceylon and Burma, mark below it on inner margin with short Moths 2. Pp. 1 609, Taylor and Francis arms; a waved, blackish postmedial line; a Ltd., London. sinuous submarginal line slightly bent Hreblay, M., Ronkay, L. 1998. Noctuidae outward and edged with brown between vein from Nepal. Haruta, T. (Ed.), Moths of Cu1 and R3; three whitish specks on costa Nepal. Part 5. Tinea 15 (Suppl. 1). Pp. towards apex. Hindwing paler, suffused with 117 310, pis 144 157. brown; terminal line waved; cilia brown, Klots, A.B. 1970. Lepidoptera, in with pale line at base; Abdomen brown; taxonomists glossary of genitalia in Underside of both the wings with dark . Tuxen, S.D. (Ed.). 2nd edn. postmedial line and indistinct pale Munksgaard, Copenhagen. Pp. 115 submarginal line (Fig. 9). 130. Poole, R. W. 1989. Lepidopterorum Female genitalia: Papilla anales well catalogus (N. Ser.), Fasc. 118 developed, rectangular; posterior apophysis Noctuidae. E. J. Brill. Leiden. 5: 1 longer than the anterior apophysis; ductus 1314. bursae very small; corpus bursae very long, Robinson, G.S. 1976. The preparation of narrow, pointed, upper tip crown- shaped, slides of Lepidoptera genitalia with weakly sclerotized, lower half long, narrow, special reference to Micro lepidoptera. tube- shaped; signum absent. (Fig. 10) Entomol. Gaz., 27(2): 127 132. Treitschke, 1825. Die Schmetterlinge von Material Examined Europa in Ochsenheimer, Schmett. Eur., 5 (1): 1 414. Arunachal Pradesh: Bomdila 09.IX.2010- 1 .

Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim).

Acknowledgement

The authors are thankful to the Head, Department of Zoology and Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala;

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