Huilin Han·Vladimir S.Kononenko

Abstract Eleven species of the Noctuidae[Polia hepatica(Clerck,1759),P.malchani(Draudt,1934),P.vespertilio(Draudt,1934),Lasionycta skraelingia(Herrich-Sch?ffer,1852),L.hospita A.Bang-Haas,1912;Xestia kolymae(Herz,1903),X.albuncula(Eversmann,1851),X.subgrisea(Staudinger,1897),X.penthima(Erschoff,1870),X. sincera (Herrich-Sch?ffer, 1851), and X. rhaetica(Staudinger, 1871)] of the boreal faunal complex are reported for the first time from China.Illustrations of adults and the genitalia of both sexes are provided.Information on these newly recorded species,original descriptions,type-locality,synonyms,references,host plants and bionomics are provided.

Keywords Lepidoptera·Noctuidae·New records·Boreal complex·Northeast China

Introduction

The boreal forests biome or taiga occupies a broad territory in the northern hemisphere,mainly between latitudes 50°and 60°N.With short,cool summers and long,cold winters,the boreal forests form an almost contiguous belt in Eurasia and North America.On the Eurasian continent,they extend from Fennoscandia across the north of European Russia,North and Polar Urals and Siberia to the Pacific,reaching along the Amur River and the mountains of northeast China,the Russian Far East and the north of the Korean peninsula.Boreal forests are could be characterized by the predominance of conifers,mainly species of spruce,fir,larch and pine.In the Subarctic,the boreal forest belt gradually changes northward to forest-tundra and to tundra;in the south,it is limited by broadleaf deciduous forests or steppe biome.The most characteristic habitats of the taiga biome are light taiga in the north and dark coniferous taiga in the south,bogs and marshes along river valleys, montane slopes, and rocky areas in the mountains.

The boreal forest,supports a relatively small distributional range of animals due to the harshness of the climate;however some species are characteristic of the taiga.Several dozen Eurasian species of the Noctuidae(Lepidoptera)belong to the boreal faunal complex(Kononenko 2005).Among them is the genus Xestia Hübner,1818(subgenus Pachnobia),species of the genera Polia Ochsenheimer,1816,Lasionycta Aurivillius,1892 and other characteristic representatives of this biogeographical group.The individual areas of species of this complex usually lie in the limits of the taiga zone,some have Holarctic boreal distribution,some Eurasian or Euro-Siberian boreal distribution,and some are limited in distribution by Siberia.The southernmost limits of the boreal complex could be extend by mountain systems far to the south but this has not yet been investigated.

In the course of a faunal inventory of the Noctuidae of northeast China,11 species of the boreal complex,formerly unknown from China,was found in the Amur River basin.Most have formerly been known from Siberia which is rather far from new records in northeast China.The following information on the newly recorded species is provided:the original description,the type-locality,synonyms,references,host plants(after Matov and Kononenko 2012)and bionomic data.

Materials and methods

The species were collected using ultra-violet light in remote parts of Heilongjiang,Jilin and Inner Mongolia provinces.Standard methods for dissection and preparing of the genitalia slides are based on Kononenko and Han(2007).The material were photographed with a Nikon D700 camera; genitalia slides were also photographed using an Olympus photomicroscope with Helicon Focus software,and further processed in Adobe Photoshop CS4.Most material on the new record species is deposited in the collection of the Northeast Forestry University in Harbin.

Abbreviations

The following abbreviations used for institutions cited here:

CIS-Center for Insect Systematic, Chuncheon,Republica of Korea

NHM (BMNH)-Natural History Museum (British Museum Natural History),London,UK

KMN(MNHU)-Naturkunde,Museum für Naturkunde Humboldt Universit?t Berlin,Germany

NEFU-Northeast Forestry University,Harbin,China

ZISP-Zoological Museum Russian Academy of Sciences,St.-Petersburg,Russia

Results

Systematic Accounts

Family:Noctuidae

Subfamily:Noctuinae

Tribe:Hadenini

Polia hepatica(Clerck,1759)(Figs.1,16,28)Plalaena hepatica Clerck,1759,Icones insectorum rariorum,Pl.8,Fig.4(Type-locality:[Europe]).Syntypes:NHM(BMNH),London.

Synonymy.Phalaena Noctua trimaculosa Esper,[1788];Phalaena tincta Brahm,1791;Noctua argentina Haworth,1809;Mamestra tincta obscurata Staudinger,1897

Reference.Mikkola(1993),Kononenko et al.(1998),Hacker et al.(2002),Kononenko(2003a,2005,2016),Kononenko and Han(2007).

Material examined.1 male,China,Heilongjiang Prov.,Daxinganling,Xinlin,14.vii.2010,M.J.Qi&B.Zhang leg.(Coll.NEFU).

Diagnosis.Adult(Fig.1).Wingspan 42-45 mm.The species differs from its congeners by grey coloration of forewing with light greenish tint on fresh specimens and prominent subtornal mark on the subterminal line.In the male genitalia (Fig.16), valvas are symmetrical, with rather large harpe;ventral extensions of the sacculus are covered with unremovable hairs.In the female genitalia(Fig.28),the antrum is funnel-like;ductus bursae is long,and the corpus bursae has a long appendix.

Distribution.Palaearctic, Euro-Siberian, boreo-montane species.China(Heilongjiang Prov.).-North Turkey,Caucasus,North and Central Europe(mountains and boreal habitats),Russia:Ural,West Siberia,Altai,Tuva,Krasnoyarsk territory,Sayan and Baikal area,Yakutia,Transbaikalia, Amur region, Khabarovsk and Primorye territories(mountains and boreal habitats),Sakhalin Island;North Korea.

Bionomy.Mesophilous species,inhabiting in the mostly wooded,often marshy and humid areas in northern and montane regions.In the southern part of its area,they are in montane habitats.Univoltine,flight period is from June to August.Larvae are polyphagous,feeding on trees and shrubs(Alnus,Betula,Salix,Calluna,Vaccinium,Rubus)and herbaceous plants(Ononis,Peucedanum,Lamium).(Matov and Kononenko 2012).

Note.The species is reported for the first time from China.The species name is still disputable,treating.As Polia tincta,Polia trimaculosa,or P.hepatica(Mikkola,1993).We follow Hacker et al.(2002)using the last name,P.hepatica.

Polia malchani(Draudt,1934)(Figs.2,17,29)

Aplecta malchaniDraudt,1934,in Seitz A.(ed.):Die Gross-Schmetteriinge der Erde.Die Gross-Schmetterlinge des Palaearktischen Faunengebiet 3,Supplement:108,pl.14:i(Type-locality:[Russia]Southwest Transbaikalia,Malchan Range).Syntypes KMN(MNHU),Berlin.

Reference.Kononenko and Spitzer(1993),Kononenko et al.(1998),Hacker et al.(2002),Nupponen and Fibiger(2002),Kononenko(2003a,2005,2016),Kononenko and Han(2007).

Fig.1-15 Noctuidae,adults.1.Polia hepatica;2.P.malchani;3.P.vespertilio;4.Lasionycta skraelingia;5,6.L.hospita;7,8.Xestia kolymae;9.X.albuncula;10.X.subgrisea;11,12.X.penthima;13.X.sincera;14.X.rhaetica fennica;15.X.speciosa

Material examined.1 male,China,Heilongjiang Prov.,Maoershan,19.vi.2007,H.L.Han leg.;1 male,1 female,Inner Mongolia Aut.Reg.(Neimenggu),Jinbe,Hanna,15,17.vi.2017,P.H.Zhai leg.,genitalia slides HHL-3871-1(male),HHL-3836-2(Coll.NEFU).

Fig.16-27 Noctuidae,male genitalia.16.Polia hepatica;17.P.malchani;18.P.vespertilio;19.Lasionycta skraelingia;20.L.hospita;21.Xestia kolymae;22.X.albuncula;23.X.subgrisea;24.X.penthima;25.X.sincera;26.X.rhaetica fennica;27.X.speciosa

Diagnosis.Adult (Fig.2). Wingspan 42-47 mm. A variable species,the North China and Korea population could be characterized by dark-blackish gray forewing background with hardly traceable transversal line and prominent whitish with grey reniform.In the male genitalia(Fig.17),cucullus very small,weakly separated,harpe strong,but short,ventral extension of sacculus nake,not covered with unremovable setae.In the female genitalia(Fig.29),the antrum is cup-like,ductus bursae sclerotised,constricted basally;corpus bursae rounded,has a wide lateral appendix.

Distribution.Palaearctic, Siberian boreo-montane.Northeast China (Prov. Heilongjiang).-Russia: Ural,Altai,Sayan and Baikal area,Transbaikalia,Amur region,Khabarovsk territory,North Sakhalin;Northern Mongolia;North Korea(Kononenko and Spitzer 1993).

Bionomy.Mesophilous boreo-montane species,occurs in mountain habitats across larch taiga belt.Univoltine with the flight period from June early July.Larvae feed on Larix(Pinaceae).

Note.The species is reported for the first time from China.

Polia vespertilio(Draudt,1934)(Figs.3,18,30)

Aplecta vespertilioDraudt,1934,in Seitz A.(ed.):Die Gross-Schmetteriinge der Erde.Die Gross-Schmetterlinge des Palaearktischen Faunengebiet 3,Supplement:109,pl.14: i (Type-locality: [Russia, Siberia, West Buryatia]‘‘Irkutsk reg.’’, E Sayan, Tunkinski Range). Syntypes KMN(MNHU),Berlin.

Fig.28-39 Noctuidae,female genitalia.28.Polia hepatica;29.P.malchani;30.P.vespertilio;31.Lasionycta skraelingia;32.L.hospita;33.Xestia kolymae;34.X.albuncula;35.X.subgrisea;36.X.penthima;37.X.sincera;38.X.rhaetica fennica;39.X.speciosa

Reference.Varga(1974),Ronkay and Park(1993),Kononenko et al.(1998),Hacker et al.(2002),Nupponen and Fibiger (2002), Kononenko (2003a, 2005, 2016),Kononenko and Han(2007).

Material examined.2 females,China,Heilongjiang Prov.,Daxinganling,Xinlin,14.vii.2010,M.J.Qi&B.Zhang leg.(Coll.NEFU).

Diagnosis.Adult(Fig.3).Wingspan 45-48 mm.The species differs from its congeners by the uniform ash-grey wing coloration almost without elements of wing pattern,except traces of reniform with white mark in basal part,tinged by black.In the male genitalia(Fig.18),valvas are slightly asymmetrical,the left valva with a ventral extension of the sacculus,somewhat larger on left valva and covered by unremovable setae;the right valva with a neck.In the female genitalia(Fig.30),the antrum is V-like,ductus bursae is rather short,and the corpus bursae has no appendix,slightly sclerotized in caudal part.

Distribution.Palaearctic,Siberian boreo-montane species.Northeast China(Heilongjiang Prov.).-Russia:Ural,Altai,Tuva,Krasnoyarsk territory,Sayan and Baikal areas,Yakutia, Transbaikalia, Khabarovsk territory, Magadan region;Northern Mongolia;North Korea.

Bionomy.Mesophilous boreo-montane species,occurs in low montane(in North)and mid mountain(in South)habitats in larch taiga belt.Univoltine with flight period from June to mid July.Larvae feed on Larix sibirica(Pinaceae).

Note.The species is reported for China for the first time.

Tribe Eryopigini

Lasionycta skraelingia(Herrich-Sch?ffer,1852)(Figs.4,19,31)

Phlogophora skraelingiaHerrich-Sch?ffer,1852,Systematische Bearbeitung der Schmetterlinge von Europa 2:121,pl.624:6 Nachtrag:57(Type-locality:‘‘Lappland’’).

Synonymy.Lasionycta scraelingia Hampson, 1905,emend.;Lasionycta skroelingia Warren 1910(misspelling)

Reference.Sugi(1970),Lafontaine and Kononenko(1988),Hacker et al.(2002),Kononenko(2003a,2005,2016).

Material examined.2 males, China, Heilongjiang Prov.,Daxinganling,Nanwonghe,9-13.vi.2010,H.L.Han leg.(Coll.NEFU).

Diagnosis.Adult(Fig.4).Wingspan 30-38 mm.The species could be characterized by the grey with bluish dusting ground coloration of the forewing,with main elements of pattern week and outlined by black lines with light bluish-grey suffusion.In the male genitalia(Fig.19),the uncus is large,spatulate;digitus very short and week;the cucullus is realtively large,rounded,bearing corona;the vesica is tubular,recurved basally,straight distally.In the female genitalia (Fig.31), the antrum is cup-like,ductus straight, with parallel margins; and the corpus bursae has a prominent appendix.

Distribution.Holarctic,boreal.China(North of Heilongjiang Prov.).-Russia:Altai,Sayan and Baikal areas,Yakutia, Northern Transbaikalia, North Amur region,Khabarovsk territory,Magadan region;Japan(Hokkaido);North Europe(Fennoscandia);North America.

Bionomy.Meso-hygrophilous, tyrphophilous species,inhabiting pine bogs,mires,peat bogs,open boggy larch forest in low to mid elevation.Rather local species.Univoltine,life circle biannual.Adults fly in June and July.Larvae polyphagous,feed on Betula nana(Betulacea),Vaccinium uliginosa(Vaccinaceae)and Polygonum aviculare(Polygonacea).Overwintering by the mid instar and mature larvae.

Note.The species is reported for the first time from China.

Lasionycta hospitaA.Bang-Haas,1912(Figs.5,6,20,32)

Lasionycta hospitaA. Bang-Haas, 1912, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift.Gesellschaft Iris zu Dresden,26:150,pl.6:14(Type-locality:[Russia,Buryatia],Sayan Mts.).Syntypes:KMN(MNHU),Berlin.

Synonymy.Lasionycta ardua Filipjev,1925.

Reference.Tschetverikov(1925)(synonymy);Kononenko(1990,2003a,2005,2016).

Material examined.2 males, China, Heilongjiang Prov., Xiaoxinganling, Yichun, Liangshui, 16.vi.2007,Z.H.Pan leg.(Coll.NEFU).

Diagnosis.Adult(Figs.5,6).Wingspan 28-34 mm.Forewing ground color is grey,with wing pattern hardly distinct,represented by dark-grey antemedial line,weak orbicular,dentate submedial line and subterminate lines.The male genitalia(Fig.20)are characteized by the very large digitus,extending ventral mergin of valva;the harpe large,curved outward;the cucullus with large setose clavus;the aedeagus carina with short spine,with ribbon-like cornuti.In the female genitalia(Fig.32)are defined by the andtrum with quadrangulae opening; the ductus rather long;the caudal part of the ductus bursae extended proximally,with lateral folds,sclerotised;and the corpus bursae rounded,with very large appendix.

Distribution.Palaearctic, Siberian, boreo-montane species,distributed across south of the taiga belt.China(Heilongjiang Prov.).-Russia:Altai,Tuva,Krasnoyarsk terr., Sayan, Baikal area, Transbaikalia, Amur region,Khabarovsk and Primorye territories, Sakhalin Island;northern Mongolia.

Bionomy.Mesophilous boreo-montane species,occurring in the coniferous and mixed boreal forest at mid-high altitudes.Univoltine,flight period is from late June to end of July.Larvae and foodplants unknown.

Note.The species is reported for the first time from China.

Tribe Noctuini

Xestia(Pachnobia)kolymae(Herz,1903)(Figs.7,8,21,33)

Agrotis kolymaeHerz,1903,Annuaire du Musle Zoologique de l’Acadimie Implriale des Sciences de St.-Petersbourg 8:79(Type-locality:[Russia]‘‘Janathal’’[Russia,Yakutia,Verkhojansk district,valley of Jana river]).Lectotype designated by Kononenko, 1984b, ZI, St.Petersburg).

Synonymy.Anomogyna veruta Corti&Draudt,1933;Anomogyna helenae Corti,1933.

Reference.Kovacs and Varga(1973),Lafontaine et al.(1987,1998),Kononenko(2003b,2005,2016).

Material examined.1 male,1 female,China,Heilongjiang Prov.,Daxinganling,Xinlin,14.vii.2010,M.J.Qi&B.Zhang leg.(Coll.NEFU).

Diagnosis.Adult(Fig.7).Wingspan 36-38 mm.Very characteristic species with the reddish brown coloration of body and the forewing distinct basal,ante-and postmedial lines;cell between antemedial line and reniform darkbrown,orbicular and reniform pale greyish brown;hindwing with distinct discal spot,medial line and subterminal line or band.The male genitalia(Fig.21),differ from those of the congeners by having very large harpe,which entends costal margin;the pollex very short,and the uncus spatulate.In the female genitalia(Fig.33),the antevaginal plate is extremely broad with a deep central cut and rounded lobes.

Distribution.Holarctic,Siberian-Nearctic boreo-montane. Northeast China (Heilongjiang Prov.).-Russia:Tuva, Sayan and Baikal area, Yakutia, North Transbaikalia, Magadan region; northern Mongolia; North America(Yukon,Canada).

Bionomy.Meso-xerophilous boreo-montane species.Rare and local species.Occurring in open montane larch forests,of moist or boggy places with dominating shrub willows.Adults fly in late June-July.Larvae and foodplants unknown.

Note.First record for China.The species has been known only from south and northeast Siberia and North America.

Xestia(Pachnobia)albuncula(Eversmann,1851)(Figs.9,22,34)

Cymatophora albunculaEversmann,1851,Bulletin de la Société Imperiale des Naturalistes de Moscou 24:627(Type-locality:[Russia,East Siberia]Irkutsk).Holotype:ZI,St.-Petersburg.

Synonymy.Agrotis vega Herz,1903;Anomogyna laetabilis kononis Matsumura, 1925; Anomogyna griseola Matsumura, 1925; Anomogyna acuminata Matsumura,1925; Anomogyna tamanukii Matsumura, 1925; Euxoa daisetsuzana Matsumura,1927;Anomagyna[sic]mallochi Benjamin,1933;Anomogyna stejnigeri Benjamin,1933;Anomogyna arufoides Benjamin,1933;Anomogyna mallochi var.;Anomogyna imperita auct.,nec Hübner.

Reference.Kovacs and Varga (1973),Chen (1982)(misidentification),Lafontaine et al.(1987),Ahn et al.(1994),Fibiger(1997),Kononenko(1990),Kononenko et al.(1998),Nupponen and Fibiger(2002),Kononenko(2003b,2005,2016),Kononenko and Han,2007.

Material examined.1 male,China,Inner Mongolia Aut.Reg.(Neimenggu),Wurqihan,30.vii.1997,S.Li leg.;4 males,9 females,China,Heilonjiang Prov.,Daxinganling, Huzhong Reserve, 10.viii.2016, H.L. Han. (Coll.NEFU);

Diagnosis.Adult(Fig.9).Wingspan 36-38 mm.Very variable species having many local forms.Wing coloration varies from grey-bluish to reddish-grey.South Siberian and Chinese populations have ash-grey with bluish tint ground color of forewing with brown-reddish patch in medial field around reniform.The wing pattern is formed by waved antemedial line,thin dentate postmedial line,and pale orbicular and reniform with reddish dusting.In the male genitalia(Fig.22),the uncus moderate-spatulate;harpe flate,C-like curved,distal part of valva folk-like with long pointed pollex.In the female genitalia(Fig.34),the antevaginal plate with very deep cut and rounded lobes;the ductus bursae flattened,sclerotised,extended proximally corpus bursae ovoid,with four ribbon-like signum.

Distribution.Holarctic,Siberian-Nearctic,boreo-montane.China(Inner Mongolia Aut.Reg.,North of Heilongjiang and Jilin Provinces).-Russia: Ural, West Siberia, Altai, Tuva, Krasnoyarsk territory, Sayan and Baikal area,Yakutia,Transbaikalia,Amur region,Khabarovsk and Primorye territories,North Sakhalin,North Kuriles,Kamchatka,Magadan region,Chukotka,North Siberia; Northern Mongolia; North Korea; Japan (in mountains);North America(Alaska,Yukon North West territories).

Bionomy.Mesophilous boreo-montane species.Occurring in montane dark coniferous taiga and montane tundra in the southern part of areal and in open montane larch forest in the south Adults fly from July to August.The moth is on the wing only every second year,mainly in even years.Larvae feed on Ericaceae,Betulaceae and other characteristic taiga plants.

Note.The species has beeen reported for China as X.albuncula(Chen,1982),but instead of this species,X.subgrisea was illustrated.The correct identification of the species and its documented record in China were presented by Wang and Han(2017).

Xestia(Pachnobia)subgrisea(Staudinger,1897)(Figs.10,23,35)

Agrotis subgrisea(Staudinger,1897,Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift.Gesellschaft Iris zu Dresden,10:330,pl.9:25(Type-locality:[Russia,Transbaikalia]‘‘Apfel-Gebirge’’).Syntypes KMN(MNHU),Berlin.

Synonymy.Platagrotis sincera adducta Herz,1898;Anomogyna excavata Matsumura,1925.

Reference.Kovacs and Varga(1973),Chen(1982)(as X. albuncula, misidentification), Kononenko(1990,2003b,2005,2016),Nupponen and Fibiger(2002).

Material examined.2 females,China,Heilongjiang Prov.,Daxinganling,Huzhong Reserve,10.viii.2016,H.L.Han.(Coll.NEFU).

Diagnosis.Adult(Fig.10).Wingspan 38-40 mm.The species can be recognized by the pale ash-grey with reddish-brown ground color of the forewing and contrast wing color pattern formed by clear black-brown basal streak,elongate orbicular positioned horizontally and open to costal area,dark cell between before and under orbicular and between reniform, weakly expressed. In Siberian populations,moths are somewhat darker than those of northeast China with more expressed reddish or pinkish tint.The male genitalia(Fig.23)is characterized by the distal part of the valva acute-rounded,harpe small,pollex prominent,thumb-like,the carina long,ribbon-like,vesica with extension-like cornutus. The female genitalia(Fig.35)is characaterized by the antrum broad,but shallow,withmore or less smooth cut and rounded lateral lobes;the ductus bursae flattened,sclerotised,slightly extended apically.

Distribution.Palaearctic, Siberian boreo-montane.China(North of Heilongjiang Prov.).-Russia:North Ural,Altai,Tuva,Sayan and Baikal area,Yakutia,Transbaikalia,Amur region,Khabarovsk territory,Sakhalin,Kamchatka,Magadan region;Northern Mongolia.

Bionomy.Mesophilous taiga species,occurring mainly in montane open moist larch taiga,on mires and bogs.Adults fly from July to August.Larva and foodplants are unknown.

Note.Refered for China as X.albuncula by misidentification(Chen,1982).The correct identification and its documented record in China were presented by Wang and Han(2017).

Xestia(Pachnobia)penthima(Erschoff,1870)(Figs.11,12,24,36)

Erastria penthimaErschoff,1870,Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae 4:196(Type-locality:[Russia,Irkutsk reg.]Balangansk).Holotype:male,ZISP,St.-Petersburg.

Reference.Kononenko(1984a,2003b,2005,2016),Lafontaine et al.(1998).

Material examined.2 males, Heilongjiang Prov.,Daxinganling, Tahe, 5.vi.2010, H.L. Han leg. (Coll.NEFU).

Diagnosis.Adult(Figs.11,12).Wingspan 25-28 mm.Easy identified with characteristic external appearance.It could be confused only with allopatric Nearctic X.laxa Lafontaine et al., 1998, or Sikhote-Alin endemic X.kurentzovi Kononenko,1984.The wings ground color is pale yellowish with intensive dusting of grey scales;basal and antemedial line pale yellowish,waved;postmedial line yellowish,strongly dentate,outlined outside with broad dark-grey dentate subterminal field;orbicular and reniform small grey,encircled with pale yellowish-grey;terminal field pale yellowish-grey.Hindwing is pale yellowish-grey,with pale dentate medial band and dark-grey terminal area;cilia speckled on the fore and hindwings.Females have shottened wings.In the male genitalia(Fig.24),the uncus spatulate,rounded apically;the valva strongly constricted distally,pollex small,positioned apically,harpe moderate,flattened,with broad base.In the female genitalia(Fig.36,the antrum very shallow; the ductus bursae straight,sclerotised.

Distribution.Palaearctic,East Siberian,boreo-montane.China(Heilongjiang Prov.).-Russia:Krasnoyarsk territory,Sayan and Baikal areas,Yakutia,Transbaikalia,Amur region,Khabarovsk territory,Magadan region,Chukotka,north Siberia;northern Mongolia.

Bionomy.Thermo-xerophilous and heliophilous montane species.Occurring in open stony,warm places in the mountains,rock,gravel slopes and old charred tree trunks after a forest fire on elevations 600-1500 m.Adults fly from June to end of July.They are partly diurnal,flying at day and night time.The larva and foodplants are unknown.

Note.The species is reported for the first time from China.

Xestia(Pachnobia)sincera(Herrich-Sch?ffer,1851)(Figs.13,25,37)

Agrotis sinceraHerrich-Sch?ffer, 1851, Systematische Bearbeitung der Schmetterlinge von Europa 2:412,pl.100:513,514[in error for Figs.512,513](Type-locality:Germany:Dresden).

Synonymy.Agrotis zelleri Herrich-Sch?ffer,1851.

Reference.Fibiger(1993),Kononenko et al.(1998),Kononenko(1990,2003,2005,2016),Kononenko and Han(2007).

Material examined.1 male, Heilongjiang Prov.,Xiaoxinganling,Yichun,Liangshui,14.vi.2007,Z.H.Pan leg.(Coll.NEFU).

Diagnosis.Adult(Fig.13).Wingspan 36-38 mm.The species differs from its congers by the pale ash-grey ground color of the forewing.However,it could be confused with X.rhaetica fennica if compared by wing pattern only,but differs as well by male genitalia structure,namely by apical position of pollex on valva.Wing pattern usually very distinct pattern,formed by dentate ante and postmedial lines,light medial shadow and claviform,distinct orbicular and reniform,joined by blackish streak and three wedgeshape streaks in medial and tornal areas of subterminal field.Hindwing whitish with distinct discal spot and narrow terminal line.In the male genitalia(Fig.25),the pollex is long,positionedon ventral edge of apex;the harpe thin,sickle-like.In the female genitalia(Fig.37),the antevaginal plate with small lobes,the antrum cup-like;the ductus bursae sclerotized,flattened;the corpus bursae elongate,sack-like.

Distribution.Palaearctic, Euro-Siberian, boreo-montane. China (Heilongjiang Prov.).-Russia: Ural, West Siberia,Altai,Tuva,Sayan and Baikal areas,Yakutia,Transbaikalia, Khabarovsk and Primorye territories (in mountains); northern Mongolia; North Korea; Japan(Hokkaido, Honshu, in mountains); North and Central Europe(in mountains).

Bionomy.Mesophilous taiga species,occurring in old undisturbed dark coniferous forests with Picea and Abies,mainly in mountainous regions (1200-1600 m), or in lowland forests in the northern areas;rarely occurs in open larch forest.Adults fly from June to beginning of August.Larvae feed on Picea abies(Pinaceae)and some low plants(Polygonaceae,Ericaceae).

Note.The species is reported for the first time from China.

Xestia(Pachnobia)rhaetica(Staudinger,1871)(Figs.14,26,38)

Agrotis rhaeticaStaudinger, 1871, Catalog der Lepidopteren des Europaeischen Faunengebiets.Dresden Ed.2:82.(Type-locality:Schwitzerland,Rhaetia),Syntypes:KMN(MNHU),Berlin.

Synonymy.Agrotis obscura Hellbiger,1932;Xestia rhaetica fennica (Brandt,1936) (ssp.);Xestia rhaetica norica(Lüberbauer,1952)(spp.).

Reference.Fibiger (1993, 1997) (Xestia rhaetica),Fibiger et al.(2010)(Xestia fennica),Kononenko(1990)(Xestia rhaetica),(2003b)(Xestia rhaetica),(2005)(Xestia fennica),(2016),Kullberg et al.(2002)(Xestia fennica);Mutanen et al.(2012)(Xestia fennica);Aarvik et al.(2017)(Xestia rhaetica fennica).

Material examined.1 male, China, Jilin Prov.,Changbai-shan Mt.,1700 m,20.vii.200,R.T.Park&J.S.Lee leg.(Coll.CIS).

Diagnosis.Adult(Fig.14).Wingspan 38-42 mm.The species is similar to Xestia speciosa(Fig.15),but could be easily distinguish from it by shape of orbicular,which is elongate and positioned horizontally;both orbicular and reniform stigmata formed by a thin line(in X.speciosathey are formed by a rather broad white bordering line).Ground color of the forewing brownish-grey;the wing pattern is more distinct than in X.speciosa;basal streak prominent,black;antemedial line arched,postmedial line dentate;cell between orbicular and reniform filled with black,wedge-shape streaks in medial and tornal areas of subterminal field less distinct than those in X.speciosa.In the male genitalia(Fig.26),the valva broadly rounded distally,harpe and pollex longer than in X.speciosa;carina and vesica without ribbon-like dentate cornuti. In the female genitalia(Fig.38),the antrum more shallow than in X.speciosa,the antevaginal plate with shallow cut;the ductus bursae relatively longer than in X.speciosa.

Distribution.Palaearctic, Euro-Siberian, boreo-montane. China (Jilin Prov.).-Russia: Ural, West Siberia,Altai,Tuva,Krasnoyarsk territory,Sayan and Baikal area,Khabarovsk and Primorye territories, Magadan region;Northern Mongolia;North Korea;North and Central Europe(in mountains).

Bionomy.Mesophilous species,inhabits meadows in montane dark coniferous or open montane larch forest.Adults fly in July to August.The moth is on the wing only every second year,mainly in even years.Larvae polyphagous,feeding on many taiga plants from families Betulaceae, Ericaceae, Empetraceae, Rosaceae, Fabaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Polygonaceae,Asteraceae.

Note.The species is reported for the first time from China.Since 2002 this taxon was treated as Xestia fennica(Brandt, 1936) specifically distinct from X. rhaetica(Staudinger,1871)(Kullberg et al.2002;Fibiger et al.2010).However Mutanen et al.(2012)stated that molecular data do not support two separate species.Currently X.fennica is considered to be the Nordic and Siberian subspecific of X.rhaetica(Aarvik et al.2017).

Xestia(Pachnobia)speciosa(Hübner,[1813])(Figs.15,27,39)

Noctua speciosaHübner,[1813],Sammlung Europaischer Schmetterlinge.Eulen,2,pl.104:491(TL:Europe).

Synonymy.Haena arctica Zetterstedt,[1839];Aplecta schoenherri:Guenée,1852,nec Herrich-Sch?ffer,1845;Agrotis speciosa obscura Frey,1880;Agrotis speciosa millierei Culot, 1909; Platagrotis speciosa aegrota Alphéraky,1897;Platagrotis speciosa janae Herz,1903;Aplectoides speciosa rybatchiensis Kotzsch, 1933;Anomogyna apropita Benjamin,1933;Anomogyna aklavicensis Benjamin,1933;Agrotis speciosa baltica Valle,1940; Aplectoides speciosa modesta Warnecke, 1962;Xestia speciosa ussurica Kononenko,1984.

Reference.Kovacs and Varga (1973), Fibiger(1993, 1997), Kononenko(1984b,1990,2003b,2005,2016),Lafontaine et al.(1998),Nupponen and Fibiger(2002),Kononenko et al.(1998),Kononenko and Han(2007),Han et al.(2006).

Material examined.1 male, China, Jilin Prov.,Changbai-shan Mt.,1700 m,20.vii.200,R.T.Park&J.S.Lee leg.(Coll.CIS).

Diagnosis.Adult(Fig.15).Wingspan 30-38 mm.An extremely variable species and for this reason, many described forms are in synonymy.Northen populations have more uniform grey wing pattern,southern populations are brighter,having distinct patterns,formed by complex dentate ante-and post medial lines with white contrasting outward shading;medial field usually dark;orbicular and reniforn encircled by white lines,prominent.In the male genitalia(Fig.27),the valva constricted distally,rounded apically; harpe small, rhomboid, pollex very small;aedeagus with vesica armed with crescentic spine band.In the female genitalia(Fig.39),the papillae anales larger than in X.rhaetica;antrum with deep cut;the antevaginal plate with large lateral lobes;the corpus bursae sacciform,with small appendix in caudal part.

Distribution.Holarctic,boreo-montane.China(Prov.Heilongjiang and Jilin)-Russia: Ural, Siberia, Altai,Transbaikalia,Far East;Northern Mongolia;North Korea;Japan (in mountains); North and Central Europe (in mountains);North America.

Bionomy.Mesophilous species,inhabits mountain forests at 1200-1500 m and old,dark-coniferous forests,in the north it occurs in open larch forests.Adults fly in July-early August.The moth is on the wing only every second year,mainly in even years.Larvae are polyphagous,feeding on characteristic taiga plants from families Betulaceae,Ericaceae,Empetraceae,Caryophyllaceae,Rosaceae,and Asteraceae.

Note.The species could be confused with X.rhaetica.

Discussion

Eleven new species of the boreal faunal element have been added to the faunal list of northeast China.This brief review for the Northeast China Noctuoidea fauna shows that it has rather complicated zoogeographic composition,but generally consists of three main faunal complexes:the Palaearctic Boreal(affiliated with Siberian taiga vegetation), the Manchurian or Pacific-Palaearctic (affiliated mainly with broadleaved vegetation), and the Oriental tropical and subtropical(represented in northeast China mainly by migrating species). The Palaearctic Boreal complex is mainly in the North part,especially in high mountainous of the regions,while the Manchurian complex is dominant in broadleaved forests;the Oriental and subtropical complex has subdominant positions and is represented mainly by migrating species.

According to a recently prepared check list of the Noctuoidea in the northeast China,based on account of present records,zoogeographically they belong partly to the boreal region but mainly to northeast China subregions of the Palaearctic in the same zoogeographical unit with the southern part of the Eastern Transbaikalia,Russian Far East,Korea and Japan.

Judging from the list of known species including recent new records for China,the northern part of northeast China has more expressed Siberian Boreal faunal elements in affiliation with East Siberia(Transbaikalia)and the Russian Far East;Siberian faunal elements also are peesent in high elevations here and in the Changbaishan Range.The boreal taiga elements are characteristic of the northernmost part of Heilongjiang Province along the Amur River.The Changbaishan Range is possibly the southernmost boundary of the distribution of boreal faunal complex where the species of this group occur at higher elevations.Taxonomically,the boreal faunal complex represented mainly by the family Noctuidae and by characteristic boreal species of the tribes Hadenini and Noctuini.

AcknowledgementsWe extend thank to the curators of collections in the Northeast Forestry University.