Tarika peculiaria Volynkin & Černý, 2025, sp. n.

Tarika peculiaria sp. n. https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: F6E0F02F-029E-4981-812C-4D386241C91E (Figs 47, 48, 107, 108, 139, 140) Type material. Holotype (Figs 47, 107): male, “N-Vietnam 1600m | Mt. Fan-si-pan(Nord) | Cha-pa [Sapa], Primärurwald [primary jungle] | 22.17''N 103.44''E [22°17'N 103°44'E] | 20.–30.IV.1995 | leg. V. Sinjaev [recte: Sinyaev] & | Einheim. Sammler [local collector] | Museum Witt” / “Slide | ZSM Arct. | 2021- 439♂ | A. Volynkin ” (MWM / ZSM). Paratypes. VIETNAM: 21 males, 2 females, same data as in holotype, gen. slide Nos.: ZSM Arct. 2021 - 567♂, 2021- 568♂ (prepared by A. Volynkin) (MWM / ZSM); THAILAND: 1 male, Changwat [Province] Chiang Mai, Mt. Doi Phahompok, 16 km NW of Fang, 2000m, 27.III.1998, Tibor Csővári & Pál Stéger leg., gen. slide No.: ZSM Arct. | 2021 - 439♂ (prepared by A. Volynkin) (MWM / ZSM); 1 male, Changwat [Province] Chiang Mai, Mt. Doi Phahompok, 19 km NW of Fang, 1900m, 3.IV.1998, Tibor Csővári & Pál Stéger leg. (MWM / ZSM). Diagnosis. The forewing length is 17.0–18.0 mm in males and 20.0–22.0 mm in females. The male of T. peculiaria sp. n. is externally reminiscent of T. inthanona sp. n. but can be easily distinguished by its markedly larger size. The female of the new species has a creamy white colouration of both wings, which is dissimilar to other species in the T. nigropoda species-group and largely reminiscent of the T. varana species-group, from which, however, T. peculiaria sp. n. is distinguished by the whitish forewing costa (it is edged with ochreous scales in the T. varana species-group), and the abdomen more intensely suffused with ochreous. In the male genitalia, the new species is similar to T. suffusa but unlike in the latter, the genital capsule of T. peculiaria sp. n. has a distally broader uncus, a shorter and V-shaped vinculum (it is narrowly trapezoidal in the congener), a broader lamella centralis, and a less upcurved distal saccular process. The phallus carina of T. peculiaria sp. n. lacks the dorsal process, which is present in T. suffusa. The vesica of the new species has a semicircular, rugose, serrulate, and heavily sclerotised latero-ventral fold ventrally protruding into the base of the vesica. This structure is apparently a modified basal diverticulum, which is also heavily scobinate but still expandable in T. suffusa. Additionally, the vesica of T. peculiaria sp. n. differs from T. suffusa in the more proximally situated distal-medial diverticulum, and the markedly longer distal diverticulum bearing a larger terminal cornutus. In the female genitalia, T. peculiaria sp. n. is distinguished from T. suffusa in the narrower and swollen postvaginal plate (it is broad and longitudinally rugose in the congener), the shorter anterior section of the ductus bursae, the posterior section of the corpus bursae having a broad and sclerotised left lateral protrusion, the more heavily sclerotised right area of the posterior section of the corpus bursae at the junction with the appendix bursae, and the broader, membranous and laterally directed appendix bursae, which has a broad lateral sclerotised area and directed posteriorly in T. suffusa. Distribution. The new species is found in Northern Vietnam and Northern Thailand. Etymology. The specific epithet refers to the peculiar, modified, heavily sclerotised basal diverticulum of the new species. The name is a noun in the nominative singular in apposition.