Paragabara Hampson 1926

Genus Paragabara Hampson, 1926

Paragabara Hampson, 1926, Description of the new Genera and Species Lepidoptera Phalaenae Subfamily Noctuinae in the collection British Museum: 260. Type-species: Madopa flavomacula Oberthür, 1880 (Russia: Primorye terr., Askold I.).

Hampson 1926 (Noctuinae); Warren 1914 (Noctuinae); Sugi 1982; Nye 1975 (Ophiderinae); Poole 1989 (Ophiderinae).

Paragabara was established by Hampson (1926) for small moths in the subfamily Hypeninae on the basis of external characters. Originally Hampson (1926) listed in the genus 4 species (P. flavomacula, P. acygonia, P. biundata, P. pectinata). Sugi (1962) described a new species P. ochreipennis from Japan. Later Remm (1983) described P. s e c u n d a from Russian Far East. In our revision we describe further new species allied to P. flavomacula. Females of P. flavomacula and P. ochreipennis are described for the first time. The species P. secunda is not congeneric with Paragabara, and transferred to the subfamily Aventiinae and placed in the newly described genus Remmigabara. The distribution of three species of Paragabara and R. secunda is recognized as Manchurian.

Diagnosis. Moths of small size (wingspan 25–26 mm) with slender body, and quadrifid hindwing venation. Head, tegulae and palpae covered with ocher-yellow scales. Antennae of male finely ciliate; labial palps long, flattened, straight, directed forward, 2nd segment long, 3rd segment long, thin, 1.5 times shorter than 2nd; abdomen with small crests on 1st segment; forewing with slight incision of outer margin in apical part; wing ground colour pale yellowish-brown, with purplish tint; pattern formed by transverse lines and diffused reddish-yellow reniform mark. In male genitalia, uncus rather short, somewhat extended subapically; juxta shield-shaped or heart-shaped; clasper wide, fused with costa, directed longitudinally; costa strong, apically free; transtilla well expressed; sacculus small, with large sclerotized extension. Aedeagus short and wide, vesica rather large, with 2–3 diverticula, armed with 2 long spines and patch of small cornuti. In the female genitalia, ovipositor short, papillae anales broad, quadrangular; anterior apophyses 3–4 times longer than posterior apophyses, which are very short; antrum wide, funnel-shaped, antevaginal plate complex with pair of lateral pockets; ductus bursae short or long, wide, sclerotized, corpus bursae rounded, covered inside with numerous spinula; ductus seminalis arising from caudal part of corpus bursae.The genus includes six species, distributed in Manchurian subregion of the Palaearctic and partly in the Oriental region. Three species are known from the south of Russian Far East, China, Korea and Japan.

Notes. Earlier authors placed the genus Paragabara in Noctuinae (sensu Hampson 1926), Catocalinae (sensu Sugi 1982) or Ophiderinae (sensu Nye 1975); however the concept, nomenclature, rank and taxonomic composition of these subfamily names has changed. We tentatively place the genus Paragabara in the subfamily Hypeninae by structure of labial palps and some characters of structure of male and female genitalia. The closest related genera are Lophomilia Warren, 1913 (type species Egnasia polybapta Butler, 1879), Stenbergmannia Bryk, 1949 (type species Herminia albomaculalis Bremer, 1864), Perciana Walker, 1865 (type species Perciana marmorea Walker, 1865) and Mecistoptera Hampson, 1893 (type species Mecistoptera griseifusa Hampson, 1893) of the subfamily Hypeninae. This group of genera requires taxonomic revision with account of the taxa of Oriental fauna.