Mamestra lupa Christoph 1893

The lupa -group

Diagnosis – Large moths with robust body, very long and strongly bipectinated male antennae, elongate and apically acute but relatively broad forewings. Patterns of fore wing are regular, contrasting, reniform and claviform stigmata and the subterminal line are strongly expressed, basal part of reniform stigma usually defined with blackish-brown scales. Abdominal brush organ well-developed.

Female abdomen bears characteristic “lanuginose” terminal tuft, analogous with some Lymantriinae spp., possibly having role in the defence of eggs (see the etymology of the new species).

In the male genitalia, the uncus is short, acute triangular; the valvae have slightly elongate saccular process and very long „neck” of the relatively small, rounded cucullus. Ampulla relatively long with some specific variations, acute or obtuse; aedeagus and vesica very long, with long and relatively narrow field of fasciculate cornuti. In female genitalia the appendix bursae is extremely elongate, slightly saccate terminally.

Checklist

Ctenoceratoda lupa (Christoph, 1893, Mamestra), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. Gesellschaft Iris zu Dresden 6: 91. Type-locality: [Iran] Hyrcania, Shahkuh;

Ctenoceratoda contempta (Püngeler, 1914, Hadula), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. Gesellschaft Iris zu Dresden 28: 39, pl. 2, fig. 14. Type-locality: [China, Xinjiang] “Ost-Turkestan, Aksu”;

Ctenoceratoda septemlacustris Gaal-Haszler, Lödl, Ronkay, Ronkay et Varga, 2012, Fibigeriana 1: 125, pl. 112, figs 19–20, gen. figs 12–13. Type-locality: Afghanistan, Koh-i-Baba Mts, Band-i-Amir;

Ctenoceratoda mallopyga sp. n.

Ctenoceratoda mallopyga dyschroa ssp. n.

Bionomics and distribution – Rather widely distributed species group, with its range extending from North Iran to the south-western part of the Himalayas. The moths inhabit a variety of habitat types in medium and high altitudes.