Lamproptera paracurius Hu, Zhang & Cotton, 2014

Hu, Shao-Ji, Zhang, Xin, Cotton, Adam M. & Ye, Hui, 2014, Discovery of a third species of Lamproptera Gray, 1832 (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), Zootaxa 3786 (4), pp. 469-482 : 472-474

Lamproptera paracurius Hu, Zhang & Cotton sp. n.

Brief diagnosis. L. paracurius is similar in overall appearance to the type species of Lamproptera , L. curius , but can readily be separated by the following diagnostic characters ( Figures 4–6 ): (a) forewing marginal band broad, on average 2.45 mm in width; (b) additional white stripe between black margin and hyaline patch on forewing; (c) hyaline patch with a smoky tinge, less transparent than in L. curius (or L. meges ); (d) forewing discal band mostly white with only a fine hyaline stripe (at least half the width of this band is transparent in L. curius ); (e) absence of hindwing anal fold and scent scales (as in L. meges ; in L. curius the anal fold contains creamy white scent scales: character 49 of Miller, 1987); (f) in most specimens, black band on hindwing underside isolated from anal margin; (g) lateral, pleural areas of abdomen creamy-white with a single, fine, black line (ochraceous-white and marked by two rows of black spots in L. curius and L. meges ). Several characters of the male genitalia also separate the new species from L. curius ( Figures 2 , 6 ): (h) valve 3.0– 3.4 mm in length, ventral margin smooth (concave and angled in L. curius ); (i) hook-like process of the clasper reduced and blunt (in L. curius relatively large and sharp); (j) uncus very broad and triangular in lateral view (small and narrow in L. curius ); (k) arms and posterior part of juxta shorter than in L. curius .

Description. Male ( Figure 1 ). Head, thorax, and abdomen black dorsally and creamy-white ventrally and laterally, a fine black line running along pleural area of abdomen except for valve. Legs black dorsally and white ventrally, with 6–10 tarsal spines on the ventral side of the first tarsus, tarsal claws paired with a large tooth on each of the inner margins. Antenna 11.5–13.5 mm (mean = 12.54 ± 0.41 mm, n = 42), club obviously enlarged and curved dorsally, uniformly black except for a whitish spot at base of the club on ventral side. Length of forewing 18.0–22.0 mm (mean = 20.60 ± 0.80 mm, n = 42). Forewing veins R 3 and R 4 long stalked, with vein R 5 arising from R 3+4 just beyond the end of the discal cell. Forewing upperside: costa black; a black humeral patch at basal third peppered with greyish white scales, a parallel black band running from middle of costa towards the anal angle; between the black humeral patch and band is a white band with its outer margin lined by a fine hyaline stripe, the white band abruptly narrows when crossing the upper discocellular vein; a large hyaline triangular patch in the outer half of forewing with clear black veins running through, and a narrow, white submarginal stripe just between the hyaline patch and the marginal band, making the spot in space R 3 whitish; a broad black marginal band with breadth of 1.6–2.8 mm in space M 2 (mean = 2.45 ± 0.19 mm, n = 42). Forewing underside: at least basal threequarters of humeral patch tinged with greyish-white, costa peppered with greyish white from the base to the subapical spot, the remaining characters similar to upperside but slightly paler. Hindwing upperside: ground colour black, anal portion dark brown with white cilia in the lower half of termen, a broad white discal band running from the middle of costa to vein M 3 (this feature is often hidden in the folded hindwing), with a breadth of 1.7–2.5 mm at its middle (mean = 2.06 ± 0.18 mm, n = 42); the area below the end of the discal band peppered with white scales; a faint “L”-shaped greyish-white marking in the anal zone, and a white spot formed by dense white scales below; tail uniformly black with a white tip and cilia; no anal fold or scent scales. Hindwing underside: black termen, tail, cilia, and discal band as upperside but paler; a broad greyish-white basal patch from costa ending at conjunction with apex of the discal band, forming an isolated pale black band in between, which is slightly turned towards but not reaching the anal margin; a short, triangular transverse band just distal to the large basal patch and a sharplydefined white crescent marking more distally near the anal angle accompanied by a faint, small, whitish spot (which may disappear in some specimens); a faint whitish spot near the end of space Sc+R 1.

Male genitalia: A total of 10 male genitalia were dissected and characters were found to be consistent. Heavily sclerotized. Ring slender, saccus small, uncus rather broad with bifid end. Valve elongated, 3.0– 3.4 mm in length, 1.1–1.3 mm in width, margin covered by hairs, the median section of dorsal margin convex, the ventral margin smoothly curved into a round and blunt tip. Clasper well defined, with a broad and blunt hook at the apex. Lateral arms of juxta short, posterior part elongated, with a small emargination in middle of anterior base. Aedeagus curved ventrally, 2.3–2.8 mm in length, the basal half bell-shaped and pointed at the dorsal tip ( Figure 2 ).

Female: Unknown, likely to be similar to male in overall appearance.

Type material: Holotype: ♂, Dongchuan (26.1031 °N, 103.2045 °E), N.E. Yunnan, China, alt. 1,460 m asl., 2013–VIII–3, X. Zhang leg.

Paratypes: 1♂, the same location, 2013–VI–16, S. J. Hu leg. ; 22♂, the same location, 2013–VIII–3, S. J. Hu and X. Zhang leg. ; 34♂, the same location, 2013–IX–14-15, S. J. Hu and X. Zhang leg.

The holotype and four paratypes are deposited in the specimen deposition of the Kunming Institute of Zoology ( KIZ), Chinese Academy of Sciences (registration numbers: holotype 0070950, paratypes 0070951–0070954). Nine paratypes have been transferred to the private collection of A. M. Cotton in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and the remaining paratypes are kept in the private collections of the first and second authors .

Habitat. A small river valley which runs to the Xiaojiang River ( Figure 3 ), a branch of the Jinsha River system in N.E. Yunnan. L. paracurius males were observed and collected at the water’s edge, perching on damp sand.

Host Plant. No potential host plant has yet been observed near the type locality. Presumably Illigera species , family Hernandiaceae , like both other Lamproptera species ; future bionomic studies are required.

Voltinism. Probably multivoltine, adults have so far been recorded from June to September.

Derivatio Nominis. The new species was named according to its superficial similarity to L. curius . The prefix “para-” was used in combination with “curius” to express the close resemblance. The species name is to be treated as a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype (with red dot) and two paratypes (with yellow dots) of Lamproptera paracurius, upperside above and underside below, scale bar = 10 mm.

FIGURE 2. Male genitalia of L. paracurius; All: entire genitalia with left valve removed, R.: ring, Un.: uncus, V.: right valve, Ae.: aedeagus, and Ju.: ventral view of juxta; scale bar = 1 mm; with the letters corresponding to those in Diagnosis.

FIGURE 3. Habitat of Lamproptera paracurius in Dongchuan, N.E. Yunnan, China.

FIGURE 4. Diagnostic characters of Lamproptera paracurius, Up.: upperside, Un.: underside, La. lateral view; with the letters corresponding to those in the Diagnosis.

FIGURE 5. Lamproptera curius and L. meges, upperside of each specimen on the left and underside on the right, scale bar = 10 mm (at top left). a–f: L. curius curius: a–b: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia; c: Phetburi, Thailand; d: Xiang Khouang, Laos; e: Xam Neua, Laos; f: Chudu Razi Hills, Myanmar; g–j: L. curius magistralis: g: Hekou, S. Yunnan, China; h: Yuanjiang, C. Yunnan, China; i: Dongchuan, N.E. Yunnan, China; j: Jinkouhe, S.W. Sichuan, China; k: L. curius walkeri: Libo, S.E. Guizhou, China. l: L. meges decius: Marinduque Is., Philippines; m–s: L. meges virescens: m: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia; n: Phetburi, Thailand; o: Hinboun District, Laos; p: Jinghong, S. Yunnan, China; q: Gaoligong Shan, W. Yunnan, China; r: Libo, S.E. Guizhou, China; s: Jianfeng Ling, Hainan, China; t: L. meges akirai: S. Sulawesi, Indonesia.

FIGURE 6. Male genitalia of A: L. curius curius (Xiang Khouang, Laos), B: L. meges virescens (S. Yunnan, China), C: L. meges akirai (S. Sulawesi, Indonesia), and D: L. meges decius (Marinduque Island, Philippines), scale bar = 1 mm, abbreviations correspond to those in Figure 2.