<b>A new species of zygaenid moth <I>Elcysma ziroensis</I> (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae: Chalcosiinae) from India<b?

Abstract

Elcysma, a small genus of zygaenid moths occurring in Nagaland, western China and Japan is recorded from Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India for the first time. The other known species from northeastern India is E. dohertyi, so far known only from Nagaland by a single specimen collected by W. Doherty in 1889. A new species, E. ziroensis is hereby described. The other species of the genus is white in colour with prominent black veins whereas the new species has very broad black stripes along both sides of the veins taking over the white background on forewing and brown background on hindwing, making the moth look entirely blackish in colour. The new species also has the orange patch restricted to the upper base of forewing, whereas the other species of the genus has orange patch in whole of base of the forewing. The shape of the wing resembles that of E. dohertyi in being narrower forewing and hind wing. The wing venations is, however, markedly different from all other Elcysma species having five radius veins with three posterior radius sectors branching out to the apical area in forewing. The species also shows mimetic assemblage with B. lidderdalii which also flies together at the same locality.