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....

Red lip (Syzygium myrtifolium)

Pucuk merah or daun pucuk merah or red lip ( Syzygium myrtifolium ) is a plant species in the Myrtaceae, a medium tree with a cylindrical trunk and produces cambium, up to 5 meters high, bark rough and light brown, many branches and strong roots. S. myrtifolium has oval-shaped leaves, pointed tip and base, up to 7 cm long, up to 2 cm wide, a vein in the middle, flat margins, shiny surface, bright red leaf buds and will turn green over time. The flowers are compound and arranged in panicles. The flowers bloom with a stigma in the center and are white. The fruit is round and up to 1 cm in diameter, the middle of the upper surface has a depression and is shiny black when ripe. This species grows in forests, agricultural land, roadsides and abandoned lands. This tree has a root structure that goes deep into the ground and is sturdy so it is often used to rehabilitate land, prevent landslides and store water reserves. This tree has a greater ability to absorb CO2 than other types of pla...

Yellow garden spider (Argiope appensa)

Yellow garden spider ( Argiope appensa ) is a species of spider in Araneidae that lives on the coast to forests on islands in the western Pacific Ocean. Black and yellow females are striking and have a length of 5.1-6.4 cm including long legs, while males are brown and have a length of about 1.9 cm. A. appensa lives on cliffs in the hills at 600 m above sea level in Kewu plain to rice fields in the lowlands. They make nests at a height of 1.5 meters from the ground between teak ( Tectona grandis ), sonokeling ( Dalbergia latifolia ), sonosiso ( Dalbergia sissoo ), crown flower ( Calotropis gigantea ) and various grasses. Yellow garden spiders grow in large sizes, but are not toxic to humans. Advanced builds ball-shaped nets and most of them make stabilizers which are zigzag-shaped lines in nets made of thicker bands. This species spends more time in stationary and sits in the middle of the net with its head down to wait for insects to be entangled in fine silk thread. Unli...

Dlium