Subject Editor: Alberto Zilli
We revise the
The authors began revising the genus
These results were first presented by BT (2010) at the IXth European Congress of Entomology (
The first two parts of the relevant series of articles deal with the taxonomy and biogeography of the genus
The present paper contains the survey of a compact and in the male genitalia highly apomorphic species-group, the
All but one specimen of the material examined belonging to the
Genitalia dissections were made using the standard method of preparation resulting in permanent microscopic slides. Genital structures were macerated in 10% KOH solution and lactic acid, stained with alcoholic solution of Eosine and mounted in Euparal. Eosine was preferred in contrast to Chlorazol Black because of the dominance of chitinous structures in the genitalia. The genital terminology follows the detailed explanation given in the first part of the series of papers (
BMNH – The Natural History Museum, London
HNHM – Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest
MNHN – Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris
RL – genitalia slide of László Ronkay
TB – genitalia slide of Balázs Tóth
ZFMK – Alexander Koenig Museum, Bonn – Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig
The species-group is very compact and comprises three closely related species, which are easily separable from members of all other lineages of the genus by the features of the males (see below); the females are also characteristic but display no key features except for the colouration and the fine and less prominent dark markings.
Male and female genitalia of the species of the
Adults of the species of the
♂, ‘Thailand: Prov. Chiang Mai | between Chiang Dao and Kariang, 900 m |
Thailand: 2♀, data as holotype, slide No. TB398f; 1♀, ‘Prov. Chiang Mai | 1600m, between Fang and Nor Lae |
Wingspan 20–21 mm, length of forewing 10–11 mm. Antennae bipectinate in male but apical segments lack rami, filiform and ciliate in female; longest male rami at mid third, 9 times longer than diameter of flagellum, rami with cilia as long as diameter of flagellum; in female each segment with two cilia as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palps similar in both sexes; their length 5 times diameter of eyes; 3rd segment relatively long and narrow, its tip pointed, light; 2nd segment broad, dorsal scales long, their length descending towards tip. Scale-hood of vertex broad, tapering, in male relatively long, apically slightly bifurcate, in female long, its tip rounded. Base of male forewing with scent-organ built up of long, hairy scales. Characteristic wing pattern features: forewing costa minutely concave in male; pattern similar in both sexes: ground colour light brown, subterminal line slightly paler, slightly sinuous, with some blackish dots at inner side; postmedial line slightly darker than ground colour, indistinct; reniform stigma big, oval, deep ochreous, hardly visible, with small blackish dot at bottom section; orbicular stigma also deep ochreous, indistinct. Hindwing slightly paler than forewing, with slightly more conspicuous fasciae.
Male genitalia (
Female genitalia (
The external appearance of
The heron-shaped male genitalia inspired the specific name.
The species is known from the mountains of northern Thailand.
♂, ‘Vietnam, Prov. Lao Cai | Sa-pa, 1650 m | 23.ix.1963 | T. Pócs’ ‘lieu herb. second. | à la lumière’ slide No. RL10762m (coll. HNHM).
Wingspan 22 mm, length of forewing 11 mm. Antennae bipectinate (apical segments also), longest male rami at mid third, maximum 10 times longer than diameter of flagellum, rami with cilia ca 1.5 as long as diameter of flagellum. Labial palps slightly longer than 5 times diameter of eyes; 3rd segment quite long and narrow, its distal half lighter; 2nd segment relatively narrow, slightly tapering. Scale-hood of vertex broad and long, triangular and apically pointed. Fore- and midtibiae densely hairy. Characteristic wing pattern features: forewing costa not concave; ground colour light brownish grey (the specimen is somewhat worn), terminal line prominent, fragmented to blackish dots, subterminal, postmedial and antemedial lines present but indistinct, slightly sinuous; reniform stigma inconspicuous, medium-sized, broad, somewhat 8-shaped, with traces of dark edge, brownish ochreous with blackish dot at bottom third and traces of a brownish line in the axis; orbicular stigma rounded with indistinct blackish edge, its colouration like that of reniform, with some dark scales in its centre. Colouration and pattern of hindwing like that of forewing.
Male genitalia (
The external appearance of
This new species is dedicated to its collector, a famous Hungarian botanist, Tamás Pócs.
Northern Vietnam.
This species appears to be the closest hitherto known relative of
♀, ‘China: Shanghai | Prov. Kiangsu | leg. Höne’ slide No. TB443f (coll. ZFMK).
Wingspan 21 mm, length of forewing 10 mm. Antennae lost except for a few basal segments, those being ciliate, without rami or crests, length of cilia half times diameter of flagellum. Labial palps longest in the genus: length slightly less than 6 times diameter of eyes; 3rd segment relatively long, narrow, its apical third light; 2nd segment broad, dorsal scales very short (or maybe worn). Scale-hood of vertex broad-based, relatively short, its tip pointed. Characteristic wing pattern features: costa minutely concave; the only one known specimen is worn and possibly faded, ground colour greyish brown; transverse lines indistinct; bottom half of postmedial line hardly visible, dark, narrow, probably strongly angled inwards below cell; reniform stigma hardly visible, quite small, oval, dark ochreous, with a big blackish dot at the bottom third; orbicular stigma also hardly visible, small, dark ochreous. Ground-colour of hindwing like that of forewing, with two fasciae.
Female genitalia (
The wing shape of
South-eastern China (Prov. Jiangsu), at the transitional zone of the Palaearctic and Oriental Regions.
The long labial palps and the main structure of the female genitalia are similar to those of
♂, ‘Thailand: Prov. Chiang Mai | 4 km S Kop Dong, 1800 m |
Thailand: 1♂, 3♀, ‘Prov. Nan | Doi Phu Kha NP | between Pua and Bo Luang, 1350 m |
Wingspan 19–22 mm, length of forewing 10–11 mm. Antennae bipectinate in male but apical segments lacking rami, filiform and ciliate in female; longest male rami at mid third, 9 times longer than diameter of flagellum, rami with cilia as long as diameter of flagellum; in female each segment with four cilia on each side shorter than diameter of flagellum. Labial palps similar in both sexes; length 5 times diameter of eyes; 3rd segment quite long and narrow, its tip pointed, light; 2nd segment broad, dorsal scales long, in male length of scales descending towards tip, in female scale length uniform. Scale-hood of vertex broad-based and long in both sexes, in male its tip finely bifurcate, in female rounded. Characteristic wing pattern features: forewing costa not concave in male; sexes similar; ground colour greyish brown, subterminal and postmedial lines parallel, sinuous, inner part of them dark grey, outer part mouse-grey; medial and antemedial lines also present but indistinct; reniform stigma large, thick, oval, deep ochreous (honey-coloured) with blackish dot at bottom third; orbicular stigma longitudinally elongate, also honey-coloured, with indistinct blackish edge. Hindwing slightly paler than forewing, postmedial line more visible than subterminal line.
Male genitalia (
Female genitalia (
Based on their morphology, it appears that the sister-species of
Egrettoides = egret-like; the shape of male genitalia is similar to a flying egret.
The mountains of northern Thailand.
The longitudinally elongate shape of the orbicular stigma is a rare feature in the genus.
We are grateful to Dieter Stüning (ZFMK), Martin Honey (BMNH) and Joël Minet and Jerome Barbut (MNHN) for access to the material of their institutes and the loan of several