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| Schistomitra joelmineti Huang & Wang
in Huang, Zhang, Wang & Fan, 2019.
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Abstract
The epicopeiid moth genus Schistomitra Butler, 1881 is reported outside Japan for the first time, with a new species, Schistomitra joelmineti Huang & Wang, sp. nov., described from the southern part of Shaanxi and Gansu Province in China. Photographs of adults and genitalia are provided, and the distribution pattern of the genus is discussed.
Keywords: East Asia, Geometroidea, host plant, oriental swallowtail moth, Stewartia, taxonomy
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| Figures 1–8. Adults of Schistomitra spp. 1–3, 6–7 male 4, 5, 8 female 1–5 Schistomitra joelmineti sp. nov. 6–8 Schistomitra funeralis. Scale bar: 1 cm. |
Schistomitra joelmineti Huang & Wang, sp. nov.
Diagnosis:
Schistomitra joelmineti sp. nov. is characterized and distinguished from S. funeralis (Figs 6–8, 15–17, 20) by the following characters:
1) the size is larger in both sexes, length of forewing 26–28 mm vs. 25–27 mm in males, 27–30 mm vs. 25 mm in females;
2) the forewing has the discoidal cell totally encircled by darkened veins, while the lower portion of discoidal cell remains pale yellow like its ground color in S. funeralis;
3) the blackish postmedian band on forewing upper side is narrower compared to the much wider band in S. funeralis;
4) the hind wing upper side has a much reduced blackish pattern in cell Rs and bases of cell 1A+2A and 3A, whereas the blackish pattern is better developed in all these cells in S. funeralis;
5) in the male genitalia the uncus is shorter with its tip nearly flat or slightly concave in the middle, while uncus is longer with its tip rounded in S. funeralis;
6) the sacculus is longer, and the apex of praesacculus forms a long, sharp, blade-like process pointing dorsally, while in S. funeralis the sacculus is shorter, with the apex only forming a short and rounded bulge;
7) the aedeagus is slightly thicker and longer, with the distal shaft more robust and the coecum larger, while the aedeagus is narrower and shorter, with distal shaft slenderer and coecum smaller in S. funeralis;
8) in the female genitalia, ductus bursae is more sclerotized, corpus bursae is smaller with a rounded signum, while in those of S. funeralis the ductus bursae is more membranous, the corpus bursae is larger, with the signum being elliptical.
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| Figures 21–23. Schistomitra joelmineti sp. nov. living adult and habitat 21 sucking on damp ground 22 resting on leaves 23 habitat of Schistomitra joelmineti sp. nov. in Chengguan Town, Ningshan County. |
Distribution: Currently this species is restricted to the southern part of Shaanxi Province and Gansu Province.
Etymology: The specific name joelmineti is named in honor of Prof. Joël Minet (Paris, France) who contributed greatly to the study of the family Epicopeiidae and kindly provided the first author with valuable literature when he began studying Epicopeiidae.
Biology: This species is univoltine, occurring from late April to early June. Adults are usually found sucking nutrients and water on damp ground (Fig. 21) or resting on leaves (Fig. 22) near the edge of the forest (Fig. 23) at altitude between 800 to 1800 m.
Si-Yao Huang, Yuan Zhang, Min Wang and Xiao-Ling Fan. 2019. First Record of the Genus Schistomitra Butler, 1881 (Lepidoptera, Epicopeiidae) from China, with the Description of A New Species. ZooKeys. 878: 145-155. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.878.35364
