Cyana flavicincta

Cyana flavicincta (Hampson, 1903)

(Figs 44, 45, 187, 258)

Chionaema flavicincta Hampson, 1903, The Annals and magazine of natural history (7) 11 (64): 345 (Type locality: [India, Meghalaya, Khasi Hills] “ Assam, Khásis”).

Type material examined. Holotype (by monotypy) (Fig. 44): ♂, printed label “Khasis. Nat. Coll.” / handwritten label “ Chionaema flavicincta type ♂. Hmpsn.” / handwritten label “ 1903-66 ” / printed round label with a red circle “Type” / printed label with a unique identifier “NHMUK010402076” (Coll. NHMUK).

Other material examined. ASSAM: 1 ♂, NE India, Assam, Nameri Nat. Park, 40 km N Tezpur, 150 m, 27°20’N, 93°15’E, 24.VII–2.VIII.1997, leg. Sinjaev & Murzin (Coll. MWM / ZSM); MEGHALAYA: 1 ♂, Khasis, VIII.1896, Nat. Coll. / Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939–1. / 505 (Coll. NHMUK); 1 ♀, Khasia Hills (Coll. NHMUK); 7 ♂, 2 ♀, NE India, Assam, W Meghalaya, Garo Hills, Nokrek National Park, 25°40’N, 91°04’E, 1150 m, 2– 13.VII 1997, leg. Afonin & Sinajev, slides MWM 35721 (♂), MWM 35722 (♀), MWM 35748 (♀) Volynkin (Coll. MWM / ZSM); 1 ♀, NE India, Meghalaya, Cherrapunji, 5.IX.2014, leg. H.S. Datta (Coll. NZCZSI); 1 ♂, Meghalaya, Pynursla, 10.IX.2014, leg. H.S. Datta (Coll. NZCZSI); 2 ♀, Meghalaya, Pynursla, 11.IX.2014, leg. H.S. Datta (Coll. NZCZSI); 1 ♀, Meghalaya, Jowai, 29.IX.2014, leg. H.S. Datta (Coll. NZCZSI); 1 ♀, Meghalaya, Cherrapunji, 12.IX.2015, leg. Devinder Pal Singh (Coll. NZCZSI); 3 ♂, 3 ♀, Meghalaya, Cherrapunji, 13.IX.2015, leg. Devinder Pal Singh (Coll. NZCZSI); 1 ♀, Meghalaya, Umran, 25.IX.2015, leg. Devinder Pal Singh (Coll. NZCZSI).

Diagnosis. Forewing length is 14.5–15 mm in males and 18–18.5 mm in females. Cyana flavicincta morphologically well differentiated from other Cyana species. Externally it slightly resembles C. peregrina, but differs clearly by its much larger size and larger black discal spots. In addition, the male of C. flavicincta differs from that of C. peregrina by the absence of an elliptical dark brown spot at hindwing costa, the discal black spots forming a more elongated triangle, the postmedial line perpendicular to the forewing costa (that is oblique in C. peregrina), the additional red stroke at costa situated in the medial area (whereas in C. peregrina that is situated in the postmedial area). The male genital capsule of C. flavicincta is similar to that of C. peregrina, but the distal section of valva is slightly broader and the distal saccular process is slightly narrower. The vesica structure of C. flavicincta is very different from that of C. peregrina and most resembles those of not related C. puer and C. neopuer, but differs from them clearly by the presence of a hook-like curved ventral subbasal diverticulum, the presence of a cluster of very short spinules on the subbasal ventral diverticulum, and the absence of small medio-lateral diverticula bearing dense clusters of numerous short spinules (whereas in C. puer and C. neopuer there are two and one such diverticula respectively). The configuration of the female genitalia of C. flavicincta also resembles those of C. puer and C. neopuer, but C. flavicincta can be easily distinguished from them by its narrower ductus bursae, weakly sclerotized and rugose posterior section of the corpus bursae (similar to that of C. peregrina), and less elongate corpus bursae with a band-like signum (whereas in C. puer and C. neopuer corpus bursae is more elongate and bears two signa, round and elliptical ones).

Distribution. North East India (Assam, Meghalaya) (Hampson 1903).