Guizhou slug moth (Fignya qiana), triangle slug moth (Fignya trigonum) and Samkos slug moth (Fignya samkosa)

NEWS - Researchers have established the taxa Guizhou slug moth (Fignya qiana), triangle slug moth (Fignya trigonum) and Samkos slug moth (Fignya samkosa) from China and Cambodia as new species in the genus Fignya Solovyev & Witt, 2009.

Fignya is a small genus established in the family Limacodidae with two species F. melkaya Solovyev & Witt, 2009 and F. ravalba Wu, Solovyev & Han, 2022. The type species, F. melkaya, was first discovered in northern Vietnam on Mount Fan-si-pan and then F. ravalba in China.

Jun Wu and Huilin Han from Northeast Forestry University in Harbin proposed a slight extension of the definition of the genus with a focus primarily on the male genitalia. During examination of moths from southwest China and Cambodia several specimens were identified that morphologically resembled the two known relatives, but dissection revealed differences in the structure of the male genitalia.

F. qiana is not much different from F. melkaya, F. ravalba and F. trigonum, but the overall color is lighter. This species can be clearly distinguished from the other species by the characteristics of the male genitalia.

F. trigonum has a prominent inner cucullus, a well-developed thick and long horn-like cornutus at the base of the vesicle and triangular sclerites, while F. melkaya and F. ravalba have smooth inner cucullus and a well-developed horn-shaped basal cornutus and no triangular sclerites.

F. samkosa is most similar to the new combined species, F. brachygnatha comb. nov. but the male genitalia can be clearly distinguished. F. samkosa has a relatively straight valve, a small triangular hairy fold at the base of the valve, and a slender phallus, whereas F. brachygnatha has a slightly inward-curved valve, no hairy fold at the base of the valve, and a thicker phallus.

F. qiana was found in Guizhou (China) and the new name comes from the abbreviation of Guizhou Province, “Qian”, which is the type locality. F. trigonum is from Yunnan (China) and the name comes from the Latin “trigonum” meaning triangle, referring to the unique triangular sclerite at the base of the bladder. F. samkosa is from Cambodia and is named after the type locality, Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary.

Original research

Wu J, Han H (2024) A taxonomic review of the genus Fignya Solovyev & Witt, 2009 (Lepidoptera, Limacodidae) with descriptions of three new species and one new combination. ZooKeys 1213: 225-235, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1213.132318

Dlium theDlium

Screw tree (Helicteres isora)

Screw tree ( Helicteres isora ) is a species of plant in the Malvaceae family. It is a shrub or small tree, up to 8 meters tall. It has gray bark and alternate leaves, up to 22 cm long and 17 cm wide, oval in shape, with serrated edges and hairs. The flowers are red or white and reach a total length of 5.5 cm. The fruit is green when unripe, brown or gray when dry, twisted, spiral-shaped, and pointed at the tip. The seeds are black or brown, shiny, and diagonal, triangular, or rectangular. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Subfamily: Helicteroideae Tribe: Helictereae Genus: Helicteres Pluk. ex L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) Species: Helicteres isora L. in Sp. Pl.: 963 (1753) HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS Helicteres baruensis var. ovata DC. in Prodr. 1: 476 (1824) Helicteres chrysocalyx Miq. ex Mast. in J.D.Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 1: 365 (1874) Helicteres corylifolia Buch.-Ham. ex Dillwyn in Rev. Hortus Malab....

Breng (Coldenia breng)

Breng ( Coldenia breng ) is a species of plant in the Boraginaceae family. It is a herbaceous plant that grows along the ground, with radial, cylindrical stems, red, multi-branched, alternate, and white-haired. C. breng has alternate leaves along the stem, oval to nearly round, up to 2.5 cm long, up to 1.5 cm wide, and white-haired. This plant grows in floodplains, seasonally inundated riverbanks, and drying rice fields. It thrives in sandy or silty soils and is drought-tolerant. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Boraginales Family: Boraginaceae Subfamily: Cordioideae Genus: Coldenia L. in Sp. Pl.: 125 (1753) Species: Coldenia breng Aryo Bandoro Dlium TheDlium YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium

Porang (Amorphophallus muelleri)

Porang or iles-iles ( Amorphophallus muelleri ) is a plant species in Araceae, the petiole is a pseudo stem with a height of 40-180 cm, 1-5 cm in diameter, round, green or purple with irregular white spots, each branching point grows brown bulbil and yellow bulb. A. muelleri has all leaves or stems or stems that are light green to dark green or gray and has greenish-white patches, smooth or smooth surface. The leaves are elliptical in shape with pointed leaf tips, smooth and wavy surface. When flushing has 3, 4-5, 5-6 and finally 6 minor leaves branching with 3 minor petioles. Young leaves have light purple or green edges and will end in yellow and 0.3-0.5 mm wide. The whole canopy is 50-150 cm wide. The stems grow above the tubers with a diameter of 25-50 mm and a height of 75-175 cm. Tubers have a brownish yellow or gray color on the outer surface and brownish yellow on the inside, are slightly oval in shape, fibrous roots, weigh 450-3350 grams, smooth tissue, 4-5 months of dormanc...

Dlium