Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 86. (Budapest 1994)

Gyulai, P. ; Ronkay, L.: A new Amphipoea Billberg, 1820 species from West Siberia (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICI Tomus 86. Budapest, 1994 p. 45-51 A new Amphipoea Billberg, 1820 species from West Siberia (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) by P. GYULAI, Miskolc & L. RONKAY, Budapest GYULAI, P. & RONKAY, L. (1994): A new Amphipoea Billberg, 1820 species from West Siberia (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). - Annls hist.-nat. Mus. natn. hung. 86: 47-53. Abstract - Description and illustrations of a new Siberian Amphipoea species, A. bifurcata sp. n. and the related taxa are given. With 7 figures. The recent exploration of the Central Asian and Siberian dry and moderately wet lowland and montane steppes and semi-desert-like territories has revealed the fact that the genus Amphipoea BILLBERG, 1820 is represented, besides the well-known, widespread Euro-Siberian taxa (e. g. A.fucosa FREYER, 1830, A. lucens FREYER, 1845, A. crinanensis BURROWS, 1908), also by some stenochorous species (GYULAI 1989, GYULAI & RONKAY 1990) which had been discovered and described in the last decade. These species are restricted, by our knowledge, to relatively small areas and associated with well-defined types of habitats (these are dry, stony steppes on the plateaus of the south-west part of the Mongol Altay Mts for A. chovdica GYULAI, 1989; flat, saline, semi-desert around a shallow, saline lake at the northern foothills of the Ih Bogd ML, north-eastern part of the Govi Altay Mts for A. szabokyi GYULAI et RONKAY, 1990, resp.). As a result of the collectings of a joint expedition of the Biological Institute, Novosibirsk and the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest to the west Siberian steppe territories, a further, previously unknown Amphipoea species was discovered in the dry steppe zone at the Karasuk steppe reserve, close to the Karasuk Research Station. Subsequently this species was recognized also in the material of the Zoological Museum of the Biological Institute. The description of this new species and the short survey of the composition of the Noctuidae fauna of the late summer period of this region, with special regard to the Amphipoea species, are given subsequently. It should be noted that a peculiar Amphipoea specimen was collected the genitalia of which differ strikingly from any other Amphipoea taxa occurring in the western and south-western parts of Siberia, displaying higher similarity with only A. chovdica GYULAI. As we had no opportunity to find further specimens in the extensive material collected in various types of habitats of the steppe, forest steppe and southern taiga belts, the specific identity of this specimen is open to doubt. Consequently the specimen is mentioned and illustrated here without description, although it belongs most probably to another, still undescribed species. Amphipoea bifurcata sp. n. (Figs 1-2, 8) Holotype: male, Russia, W Siberia, Prov. Novosibirsk, Karasuk steppe, Krotovaia Lyaga, 13-20.08.1990, leg. DUBATOLOV & RONKAY; deposited in coll. HNHM, Budapest. - Par a types: 8 specimens from the same locality and data, coll. Biological Institute, Novosibirsk, P. GYULAI (Miskolc) and HNHM, Budapest. Slide Nos 584 GYULAI, 3925 RONKAY (males). Description. Wingspan 29-32 mm, length of forewing 12-13 mm. Ground colour of head and thorax light, uniform reddish-brown, with a few scattered, darker brown hairs only. Forewings reddish-brown with a fine pinkish shade and a slight ochreous irroration, mostly in apical part. Ante- and postmedial lines fine, sinuous, double, dark