Ahlbergia chalybeia (Leech)

Huang, Hao & Zhu, Jian-Qing, 2016, Ahlbergia maoweiweii sp. n. from Shaanxi, China with revisional notes on similar species (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), Zootaxa 4114 (4), pp. 409-433 : 429-430

Ahlbergia chalybeia (Leech)

( Figs. 69–70 , 103 , 110 )

Satsuma chalybeia Leech, 1893: 355 , TL: Changyang, Hubei

Incisalia chalybea (sic!): Gillham, 1955: 150.

Ahlbergia chalybeia: Johnson, 1992: 16 , lectotype designation, figs. 4, 5, 59 for habitus and genitalia; Huang & Chen 2006: 319, discussion on sexual dimorphism.

? Novosatsuma cibdela Johnson, 1992: 67 , figs. 46, 84 for habitus and male genitalia; Huang & Chen 2006: 319, discussion on status; Huang & Zhou 2014: 141.

Material. CHINA: Sichuan Province: 1♀ (CHH, dissected), Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Region, Jiulong County, 2900m, 27.IV.2014, H. Huang leg..

Identification. A female syntype from Changyang, Hubei Province was designated by Johnson (1992) as lectotype of A. chalybeia (female genitalia reproduced herein as Fig. 109 ). Two female specimens collected from Changyang kept in NHM were figured by D’Abrera (1993). All these can be regarded as basis of identification for A. chalybeia . A peculiar character in female genitalia described by Johnson needs to be clarified: “lamella antevaginalis curved ventrally around caudal tip of ductus bursae with caudal one-tenth of ductus bursae protruding terminally beyond the juncture of the lamella lips”. After dissecting many specimens of elfin butterflies, the first author realized that such peculiar character was caused by the everted condition of membrane between lodix and lamella antevaginalis. The membrane between lodix and lamella antevaginalis covers mostly lamella postvaginalis in natural shape, it can be everted with the whole lamella postvaginalis exposed when the lodix is drawn forwards or the lamella is drawn backwards. Johnson’s (1992) illustration for female genitalia of A. chalybeia was made when the membrane was fully everted.

This species was also recorded by Johnson (1992) from “Tatsienlu” (Kangding), western Sichuan. The only specimen examined in this work is a female specimen ( Figs. 69–70 , 110 ) collected by the first author from Jiulong, historically regarded as part of “Tatsienlu” area; it shares all the external characters with the female specimens figured by D’Abrera (1993: 437) from Changyang. The female genitalia of this specimen agree with Johnson’s (1992) figure in having a depression at distal margin of lamella postvaginalis, but differ by having a relatively larger lamella postvaginalis bearing stronger convolutions. More specimens from Hubei need to be examined for a better understanding of this species. Thus, identification of the specimen from Sichuan remains uncertain.

Sexual dimorphism. A. chalcidis and A. clarolinea are closest to A. chalybeia in morphological distance, so that it is reasonable to deduce that the males of these species are also similar to one another in morphology. Both A. chalcidis and A. clarolinea have their male genitalia more similar to those of the bright male syntype ( Johnson, 1992: 108, fig. 46) of A. chalybeia than to the dark male specimen identified by Johnson (1992: 103, fig. 4) as male of A. chalybeia . Therefore the male of A. chalybeia should have extensive blue suffusion on wing uppersides as that of A. chalcidis and A. clarolinea , and in that case Novosatsuma cibdela is a synonym of A. chalybeia . We leave the formal revision to the future when more specimens from Changyang are available.

Diagnosis. It is very possible that Ahlbergia chalcidis Chou & Li, 1994 from Yunnan represents a geographical variation of A. chalybeia . A. chalybeia can be distinguished from Ahlbergia clarolinea Huang & Chen, 2006 by the following combination of characters: 1) hindwing underside ground color more reddish and less greyish; 2) hindwing underside with more clearly defined postdiscal markings; 3) hindwing underside with more ill-defined black dashes or lines in subbasal and discal areas; 4) ductus bursae of female genitalia markedly wider.

Distribution. Hubei (Changyang),? Sichuan (Kangding, Jiulong).

Figures

FIGURES 61 – 75. Habitus of Ahlbergia females at same scale. 61 – 62 — A. maoweiweii, paratype. 63 – 66, 71 – 72 — A. clarolinea; 63 – 64 — holotype, Yulongxueshan; 65 – 66 — Ludian, Lijiang; 71 – 72 — Muli, Sichuan. 67 – 68 — A. chalcidis, Ludian, Lijiang. 69 – 70 — A. chalybeia, Jiulong. 73 – 75 — A. caesius, holotype. 61, 63, 65, 67, 69, 71, 73 — upperside; 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74 — underside.

FIGURES 94 – 104. Female genitalia of Ahlbergia taxa in lateral view at same scale. 94 — A. maoweiweii, paratype (Figs. 31 – 32); 95 — A. leei, Liaoning (Figs. 35 – 36); 96 — A. ferrea, Liaoning (Fig. 43); 97 — A. tricaudata confusa, holotype (Fig. 45); 98 — A. luoliangi, paratype (Figs. 39 – 40); 99 — A. frivaldszkyi, Shaanxi (Fig. 38); 100 — A. frivaldszkyi, Tianjin (Fig. 37); 101 — A. leei ssp., Shaanxi (Figs. 41 – 42); 102 — A. chalcidis, Lijiang; 103 — A. chalybeia, Jiulong (Figs. 69 – 70); 104 — A. clarolinea, holotype (Figs. 63 – 64).

FIGURES 105 – 129. Female genitalia of Ahlbergia taxa in ventral view at same scale (except for 109). 105 — A. maoweiweii, paratype (Figs. 31 – 32); 106 — A. ferrea, Liaoning (Fig. 43); 107 — A. luoliangi, paratype (Figs. 39 – 40); 108 — A. clarolinea, holotype (Figs. 63 – 64); 109 — A. chalybeia, lectotype, after Johnson (1992); 110 — A. chalybeia, Jiulong (Figs. 69 – 70); 111 — A. chalcidis, Lijiang; 112 — A. frivaldszkyi, Shaanxi (Fig. 38); 113 — A. tricaudata confusa, holotype (Fig. 45); 114 — A. tricaudata tricaudata, Liaoning (Fig. 44); 115 — A. tricaudata ssp., Shaanxi; 116 – 121, 126 – 129 — A. frivaldszkyi; 116 – 118, 127 – 129 — Shaanxi; 119 — Kangxian, Gansu (Figs. 48 – 49); 120 — Huixian, Gansu (Figs. 52 – 53); 121 — Wenxian, Gansu (Figs. 50 – 51); 126 — Tianjin (Fig. 37); 122 – 125 — A. leei; 122 — Liaoning (Figs. 35 – 36); 123 — Shaanxi (Figs. 41 – 42); 124 – 125 — Shaanxi.