Lygephila vulcanea (Butler, 1881)

(Figs 1 –4)

Toxocampa vulcanea Butler, 1881, Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1881: 192. (TL: Japan, Tokyo)

Synonymy: Toxocampa vulcanea ab. strigosata Warren, 1914, Die Groß-Schmetterlinge der Erde 3: 374. (TL: West-China; Japan)

References. Sviridov 1990: 97–100; Sviridov 2003: 144, fig. 82:3, 83:1; Kononenko & Han 2007: 53, Pl. 37, fig. 2; Pl. 202, fig. 1 (Lygephila mirabilis = L. lupina); Kononenko 2010: 84, Pl. 8, fig. 6; Pl. 142, fig. 1 (Lygephila mirabilis = L. lupina).

Material examined. Japan: 2 males, Honshu, Nara, Joshino Mt., Wasamata-yama, N34°13', E135°59', 1100 m, 28.VII.1986, leg. S. Kinoshita, slides GB 2692m, GB 2693m (coll. G. Behounek/ ZSM); 1female, Akeno, Yamanashi Pref., 14.VII.1985, leg. Y. Kishida, slide OP2442f (coll. O. Pekarsky); China: 1 male, prov. Shaanxi, Tsinling Mts, Fopin Mt., N33°35', E108°01', 1800 m, 1–31.VII.2005, leg. V. Siniaev & team, slide OP 2025m; 1 female, C. China, Tai Bai Shan, Shaanxi prov., 1300–1500 m, N33°35', 107°43', 20.VIII.–4.IX.1998, leg. V. Murzin & V. Siniaev, slide OP2026f (coll. P. Gyulai); 1 male, Berg Ost-Tien-mu-shan, b, Lingan, Prov. Chekiang, 1500 m, 28.VII. [19]31, H. Höne, slide OP 2404m (Sviridov 64) (coll. ZFMK); Korea: 1 male, N Korea, Kum-gang-san, Ontsong, 9–11.VIII.1977, leg. Dely & Draskovits, slide JB 65m; 1 male, S Korea, Kangwon Prov., Wonju, Mt. Dukga, 370 m, N37°14'52.8'', E127°53'46.5'', 1.IX.2003, No. 1744, leg. A. Kun & M. Földvári, slide OP 2444m; 1female, S Korea, Kangwon Prov., Chungcheon, Wolgok-ri, 100 m, N37°55'40.3'', E127°47'42.0'', No. 1741, 29.VIII.2003, leg. A. Kun & M. Földvári, slide JB66f; 1 female, S Korea, Prov. South Kangwon, Mts Seolak-san, 15 km W of Sorak-plaza, cca 700 m, No. 1610, 17.VIII.1992, leg. L. Ronkay & A. Vojnits, slide JB438f; 1male, N Korea, Mt. Pektusan, environs Sam-zi-yan hotel, wood, 18– 20.VII.1977, leg. Dely & Draskovits, slide JB 439m (coll. HNHM); 1 male, N Korea, Prov. South Hwanghae, Haeju, Mt. Suyong-san, 28–30.VIII.1989, leg. Dobolyi & Szollát, slide OP1975 (coll. G. Ronkay).

Note. There are no authentic genitalia pictures of L. vulcanea from Russia in literature. In Kononenko (2010), incorrectly illustrated male genitalia of L. lupina as L. vulcanea from North China and the female genitalia from Primorye under synonymic name L. mirabilis. However Sviridov (2003) reported L. vulcanea for Primorye territories. This record requires confirmation.

Diagnosis. Unmistakable species in Japan. Forewing with broad wings with characteristic violaceous shade and diffuse crosslines. Another large Lygephila moth in Japanese fauna, Lygephila maxima (Bremer, 1861), is characterized by its larger size, more robust body, strongly marked wing pattern and brown coloration of the wings. L. vulcanea characterized by thinner, rather line than patch-like upper part of subterminal line, medial and postmedial lines as separate dots on costa and in general its body looks stronger and more robust comparing with L. lupina the upper part of subterminal line of which appearing as a strong black patch, also costal dots of medial and postmedial lines joined in a long costal streak.

In the male genitalia, L. vulcanea differs from all other congeners by its short, tough, flattened clasper and wide, massive valva, whereas L. lupina has long, narrow, rod-like clasper and narrower, elongated valva; in the females, the cleft on posterior margin of antrum is deep and narrow slit-like in L. vulcanea, whereas cleft on antrum in L. lupina is shallower and significantly wider.

Wingspan 42–52 mm, wingspan of the Holotype 53 mm. Ground colour deep brown to claret brown, most often with clearly visible violaceous shade and the forewing apex is pointed, crosslines indistinct; reniform stigma large, dark brown; orbicular stigma as white streak; subterminal line traceable; terminal line fine, composed by black arrows; cilia as ground colour. Hindwing colour as forewing with somewhat lighter inner part, outer half slightly darker; fringes as ground colour.

Male genitalia (Figs 9, 10). Clasping apparatus symmetrical. Uncus long, narrow, curved, flattened distally, finely pointed; valva short, wide, massive with parallel margins; clasper short, strong, flattened, nearly clavate, located subapically. Aedeagus cylindrical, long, straight, narrow. Vesica membranous, multidiverticulate, medial part has numerous diverticula variable in shape and size, terminal tube long, membranous (Fig. 10).

Female genitalia (Figs 13–16). Ovipositor large, broad, papillae anales hairy with long setae. Apophyses anteriores medium long, slightly curved, apophyses posteriores thin, longer than apophyses anteriores. Antrum long, narrow, strawlike anteriorly, dilated distally, ostium bursae large, sclerotized, with slit-like cleft on posterior margin; corpus bursae small, membranous, ovoid.

Distribution. Russia, Primorye (?), Japan, China, Korea.