Ecologica Montenegrina 38: 107-113 (2020) This journal is available online at: www.biotaxa.org/em http://dx.doi.org/10.37828/em.2020.38.13 https://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6799E5E9-6EF0-46B2-A3D2-51301E101CE4 A new species of the genus Parabitecta Hering, 1926 from Northern Vietnam and Southwestern China, with notes on the taxonomy of the genus Manulea Wallengren, 1872 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini) ANTON V. VOLYNKIN1, 2 & AIDAS SALDAITIS3, 4 1 Altai State University, Lenina Avenue, 61, RF-656049, Barnaul, Russia. E-mail: [email protected] 2 National Research Tomsk State University, Lenina Avenue, 36, RF-634050, Tomsk, Russia 3 Nature Research Centre, Akademijos str., 2, LT-08412, Vilnius-21, Lithuania. 4 Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Received 24 November 2020 │ Accepted by V. Pešić: 9 December 2020 │ Published online 10 December 2020. Abstract The Lithosiina genus Parabitecta Hering, 1926 is re-described. A new species, Parabitecta secunda Volynkin & Saldaitis sp. nov. is described from Northern Vietnam and Southwestern China. The type species of the genus, Parabitecta flava Hering, 1926 is illustrated in details. The genus group name Setema de Freina & Witt, 1984 previously treated as the subgenus of Manulea Wallengren, 1863 is upgraded to the generic level. Key words: Lithosiina, Setema, new status, new species, China, Vietnam. Introduction Genera of the Eilema genus-group were partially reviewed by Dubatolov & Zolotuhin (2011), who considered Eilema Hübner, [1819] as a monobasic genus while most other species previously assigned with Eilema were transferred to the genus Manulea. The latter one was treated by Dubatolov & Zolotuhin (2011) in wide sense with inclusion two genus group taxa Agenjoa Dubatolov & Zolotuhin, 2011 and Setema de Freina & Witt, 1984 as subgenera despite the fundamentally different male vinculum structure of the latter. The ground plan of the male genitalia of Agenjoa (illustrated by Dubatolov & Zolotuhin (2011) and Witt et al. (2011)) is similar to that of Manulea s. str. (illustrated by Dubatolov & Zolotuhin (2011) and Witt et al. (2011)), but Agenjoa is characterized by the extremely long, strongly curved and setose distal saccular process and the presence of a short trapezoid setose process on the sacculus medially. Dubatolov & Zolotuhin (2011) considered these characters as autapomorphic and probably Agenjoa should be upgraded to the generic level but this question needs further studies of other numerous taxa of the subtribe Lithosiina. The male genitalia of Setema (illustrated by Dubatolov & Zolotuhin (2011) and Witt et al. (2011)) differ clearly from two other subgenera of Manulea by the following characters: (1) the juxta is plate-like Ecologica Montenegrina, 38, 2020, 107-113 NEW SPECIES OF PARABITECTA FROM NORTHERN VIETNAM AND SOUTHWESTERN CHINA flattened dorso-ventrally and heavily sclerotized apically, whereas in Manulea and Agenjoa it is weakly sclerotized and has a weak ventral protrusion; (2) the vinculum is short and robust, V-shaped, whereas in Manulea and Agenjoa it is strongly elongate, with parallel weak margins and a thin apical commissure connecting them; (3) the clasper is heavily sclerotized and weakly setose, whereas in Manulea and Agenjoa it is weakly sclerotized and lacks setae. Additionally, the uncus of Setema is broad and robust, whereas in Manulea and Agenjoa it is conspicuously narrower. Female genitalia of Setema differ clearly from those of Manulea and Agenjoa by the well-developed posterior sclerotized enlargement of the corpus bursae located opposite the appendix bursae. Additionally, adult females of Setema are characterized by the reduction of the wings: in the cereola species-group the wings are short but still quite well developed and females can fly, while in the atratula (Eversmann, 1847) species-group (sensu Dubatolov & Zolotuhin (2011)) females are brachipterous (illustrated by Dubatolov (2014)). Taking into account all the diagnostic characters listed above, we hereby upgrade Setema to the generic level. The genus Parabitecta also belongs to the Eilema genus-group due to its sacculus structure and the valva having a well separated distal saccular process and is closely related to Setema. The genus was described by Hering for the only species P. flava from China (Draeseke 1926) and for a long time was treated as monotypic. Within the extensive unsorted Lithosiina materials housed in the MWM/ZSM, we found another, yet undescribed species. The new species differs from the type species of the genus, P. flava by its brown coloration, but the male and female genitalia of the two species are very similar although have conspicuous differences. The brown colored species is described below as new. Material and methods Abbreviations of the depositories used: AFM = private collection of Alessandro Floriani (Milan, Italy); MWM/ZSM = Museum Witt in the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology (Museum Witt München / Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Munich, Germany); RMV = private collection of Ramon Macià Vilà (Barcelona, Spain). Other abbreviations used: HT = holotype; PT = paratype. The genitalia were dissected and mounted in Euparal on glass slides. Photos of imago were taken using the camera Nikon D3100/AF-S Nikkor, 18–55 mm. Photos of the genitalia where taken by the same camera attached to a microscope with an LM-scope adapter, and further processed by Adobe Photoshop CC 2018® software. Genus Parabitecta Hering, 1926 Parabitecta Hering in Draeseke, 1926, Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift Iris 40: 50 (Type species: Parabitecta flava Hering, 1926, by monotypy). Diagnosis. The genus is related to Setema and Manulea but differs externally by its larger size, the broader forewing with a strongly convex costal margin postmedially, and the pattern represented by two postmedial dots medially and at anal margin and, in some specimens, a costal postmedial stroke (whereas Setema and Manulea lack pattern). The male genitalia of Parabitecta are most similar to those of Setema by the heavily sclerotized and setose clasper and the robust, strongly curved distal saccular process, but differ by (1) the narrower uncus; (2) the weakly sclerotized and volumetric conical juxta (whereas in Setema it is plate-like dorso-ventrally flattened and heavily sclerotized apically); (3) the long vinculum similar to that of Manulea and consisting of long parallel lateral branches connected apically by a narrow and weakly sclerotized commissura fused with an apical androconial gland (whereas in Setema the vinculum is short, robust, V- shaped); (4) the shorter and narrower aedeagus (whereas in Setema it is conspicuously broader and longer); and (5) the shorter and narrower aedeagus vesica bearing several very small diverticula and one robust and long distal cornutus and, insome specimens, an additional small medial triangular cornutus (whereas in Setema the vesica is long and broad, has several large diverticula and bears a few robust thorn-like cornuti). Compared to Manulea, the male genitalia of Parabitecta are characterized by (1) the more volumetric conical juxta; (2) the more heavily sclerotized and setose clasper (whereas in Manulea that is weakly sclerotized and lacks setae); (3) the shorter and narrower aedeagus vesica bearing several very small diverticula and one robust and long distal cornutus and, in some specimens, an additional small medial triangular cornutus (whereas in Manulea the vesica is longer, broader, has numerous various sized diverticula and bears a few robust thorn-like cornuti). The female genitalia of Parabitecta are characterized 108 VOLYNKIN & SALDAITIS by (1) the presence of a sclerotized, pocket-like antevaginal plate covering the ostium bursae ventrally (an autapomorphic character); and (2) the presence of a very broad, posterior enlargement of the corpus bursae having very thick, gelatinous walls (similar to that of Setema, but in the latter such an enlargement is smaller and sclerotized). Figures 1–6. Parabitecta spp., adults. Specimens are deposited in MWM/ZSM. Re-description. External morphology of adults (Figs 1–6). Medium sized moths with forewing length 18– 20 mm in males and 21–22 mm in females. Sexual dimorphism poorly expressed: females slightly larger than males and lack row of androconial scales in the forewing cell. Male antenna ciliate, female antenna filiform. Body and wing coloration yellow or brown, hindwing paler than forewing. Forewing pattern consists of two postmedial dots medially and at anal margin and (in P. secunda) costal postmedial stroke. Hindwing without pattern. Male genitalia (Figs 7–10). Uncus slender, elongate, curved medially, its distal half dilated, with claw-like tip. Tuba analis broad, membranous; scaphium thin, weakly sclerotized. Ecologica Montenegrina, 38, 2020, 107-113 109 NEW SPECIES OF PARABITECTA FROM NORTHERN VIETNAM AND SOUTHWESTERN CHINA Figures 7–10. Parabitecta spp., male genitalia. Specimens are deposited in MWM/ZSM. 110 VOLYNKIN & SALDAITIS Tegumen short but broad. Juxta volumetric, conical, with rounded tip. Vinculum long, consisting of parallel lateral branches connected apically by narrow and weakly sclerotized commissura fused with apical androconial gland. Valva broad, lobe-like, dilated distally. Costa narrow, reaching the valva apex and having short trigonal tip with rounded apex. Clasper heavily sclerotized, setose. Sacculus narrow, heavily sclerotized; distal saccular process large, robust, hook-like, with elongate and pointed tip. Aedeagus elongate,