Moth Taxon Search
Observation_278079
Notes (optional)
Gandhara typica Volynkin & Černý, 2023
OD : Taxonomic review of the Oriental genus Gandhara Moore with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Zootaxa 5374 (3), pp. 390-408 : 393 - https://treatment.plazi.org/id/9B1B87B8F026FFE8FF1FFE50FD59F920
& images on https://zenodo.org/records/10151272
Other Gandhara spp. are extra-limital & can be best separated by genital dissection.
Similar genus is Collita, with Collita serva (Walker, 1854) Volynkin & Černý & Huang & Hu, 2023, found in Nepal & Myanmar - https://treatment.plazi.org/GgServer/html/9B1B87B8F02FFFE1FF1FFC44FBF5F86D
Moore's specimen was misidentified as Lithosia serva.
Notes on Gandhara here - https://treatment.plazi.org/GgServer/html/9B1B87B8F024FFE9FF1FFB5CFE02FAD3
Walker's specimen is transferred to Collita - https://treatment.plazi.org/GgServer/html/9B1B87B8F02FFFE1FF1FFC44FBF5F86D & images here - https://zenodo.org/records/10151278
Besides the absence of androcoinal scales, the fore wing shape is also different in Collita serva.
SS: I had missed the Gandhara review paper. I agree with Gandhara typica Volynkin & Černý, 2023, but will wait till I get the paper before publishing this species.
SS: I now have the Gandhara paper and my comments are below.
Separating Gandhara and Collita
Diagnosis. Species of the genus have distally dilated forewing with a convex costal margin which is reminiscent of Collita . However, the forewing of Gandhara is broader and its upperside has a cluster of androconial scales in the distal section of the cell in males, which is absent in Collita.
For me, the wing shape, unless it is pinned specimen is not reliable. In this individual, I cannot make out the androconial scales, so I am not certain whether it is Gandhara or Collita. From the plates in the paper, Volynkin et al 2023, Collita seems to have a the pale yellow band along the costa and yellow cilia on the termini, which Gandhara species lack. But there is no mention of this in the text, so I have no idea if this is a reliable feature.
Also, there are two Gandhara species found in India.
Gandhara typica Volynkin & Černý, 2023. Distribution. India: Nepal; India: North and Northeast India (Himachal Pradesh, north of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh) through northern Myanmar (Kachin State) to Northern Thailand (Nan Province).
Gandhara vietnamica Dubatolov, 2012. India: north-eastern India (north of West Bengal).
The species, Gandhara vietnamica, has a somewhat broader yellow costal stripe of the forewing than the congeners of the G. typica species-group. Tough to tell based on this feature.
Given this, if you can confirm that androcoinal scales scales were present, then we can publish this as Gandhara spp.
OD : Taxonomic review of the Oriental genus Gandhara Moore with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Zootaxa 5374 (3), pp. 390-408 : 393 - https://treatment.plazi.org/id/9B1B87B8F026FFE8FF1FFE50FD59F920
& images on https://zenodo.org/records/10151272
Other Gandhara spp. are extra-limital & can be best separated by genital dissection.
Similar genus is Collita, with Collita serva (Walker, 1854) Volynkin & Černý & Huang & Hu, 2023, found in Nepal & Myanmar - https://treatment.plazi.org/GgServer/html/9B1B87B8F02FFFE1FF1FFC44FBF5F86D
Moore's specimen was misidentified as Lithosia serva.
Notes on Gandhara here - https://treatment.plazi.org/GgServer/html/9B1B87B8F024FFE9FF1FFB5CFE02FAD3
Walker's specimen is transferred to Collita - https://treatment.plazi.org/GgServer/html/9B1B87B8F02FFFE1FF1FFC44FBF5F86D & images here - https://zenodo.org/records/10151278
Besides the absence of androcoinal scales, the fore wing shape is also different in Collita serva.
SS: I had missed the Gandhara review paper. I agree with Gandhara typica Volynkin & Černý, 2023, but will wait till I get the paper before publishing this species.
SS: I now have the Gandhara paper and my comments are below.
Separating Gandhara and Collita
Diagnosis. Species of the genus have distally dilated forewing with a convex costal margin which is reminiscent of Collita . However, the forewing of Gandhara is broader and its upperside has a cluster of androconial scales in the distal section of the cell in males, which is absent in Collita.
For me, the wing shape, unless it is pinned specimen is not reliable. In this individual, I cannot make out the androconial scales, so I am not certain whether it is Gandhara or Collita. From the plates in the paper, Volynkin et al 2023, Collita seems to have a the pale yellow band along the costa and yellow cilia on the termini, which Gandhara species lack. But there is no mention of this in the text, so I have no idea if this is a reliable feature.
Also, there are two Gandhara species found in India.
Gandhara typica Volynkin & Černý, 2023. Distribution. India: Nepal; India: North and Northeast India (Himachal Pradesh, north of West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh) through northern Myanmar (Kachin State) to Northern Thailand (Nan Province).
Gandhara vietnamica Dubatolov, 2012. India: north-eastern India (north of West Bengal).
The species, Gandhara vietnamica, has a somewhat broader yellow costal stripe of the forewing than the congeners of the G. typica species-group. Tough to tell based on this feature.
Given this, if you can confirm that androcoinal scales scales were present, then we can publish this as Gandhara spp.