Pulchroptera Hou, Fan & Chiba, 2021

Hou, Yongxiang, Chiba, Hideyuki, Zhu, Lijuan, Chang, Zhou, Ma, Lijun, Huang, Siyao, Wang, Min & Fan, Xiaoling, 2021, Molecular and morphological evidence reveals a new genus of the subfamily Heteropterinae (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae) from China, ZooKeys 1055, pp. 55-67 : 55

Pulchroptera Hou, Fan & Chiba gen. nov.

Figures 2 , 3 , 4

Type species.

Pamphila pulchra Leech, 1891

Description.

Forewing length 11-12 mm. Antennae approximately half the length of forewing; nudum 8 on apiculus, dark brown. Palpi on second segment long and erect, yellow with long black hairs; on third segment black, thick, short, and porrect. Wing venation (Fig. 3 ): forewing: length of discoidal cell almost equal to 2/3 forewing length, Sc ends at 1/2 forewing length; origin of vein R4 before vein R5; origin of vein M2 in middle of veins M1 and M3; veins CuA1, CuA2, and 1A+2A almost parallel to each other; origin of vein CuA2 nearly midway between vein CuA1 and base. Hindwing: costa longer than dorsum; length of discoidal cell almost equal to 3/5 hindwing; origin of vein Rs midway between base and termen; origin of vein M2 slightly nearer M1 than M3. Wing ground colour and wing patterns: upper side dark brown with small yellow spots in central and submarginal areas; underside light brown, forewing patterns similar to upper side, hindwing with small silvery spots in spaces Rs, M3, CuA1, and CuA2, and with a silvery longitudinal central streak. Mid and hind tibiae each with pair of spurs. Male genitalia: Tegument small and narrow, constricted at middle in dorsal view; uncus deeply bifurcated, V-shaped dorsally; gnathos long and wide, longer than tegument, membranous, undivided from basal 1/3; saccus long; valvae asymmetrical, bifid, distal end of left valva more sclerotized than right valva; aedeagus long, subzonal sheath shorter than suprazonal sheath, ratio of subzonal sheath to suprazonal sheath approximately 1:2, vesica with cornuti; juxta a heart-shaped ring with membranous extensions dorsally.

Remarks.

The new genus superficially resembles Carterocephalus Lederer, 1852, although it is distinguishable from the latter with regards to the following characters: hindwing undersides with silver spots, a deeply bifurcated V-shaped uncus, juxta a heart-shaped ring, and valvae asymmetrical.

The new genus contains only the type species Pulchroptera pulchra (Leech, 1891) comb. nov., with the nominotypical subspecies and a further subspecies, Pulchroptera pulchra ops ( Grum-Grshimaïlo, 1891) comb. nov. According to the description of Evans (1949), in Pulchroptera pulchra pulchra comb. nov. the upper side of the hindwing has a cell spot and the submarginal markings are notably more conspicuous, whereas in Pulchroptera pulchra ops comb. nov. the upper side of the hindwing lacks a cell spot and has conspicuous submarginal markings. Whether the subspecies status of the latter is valid is subject to further verification.

Etymology.

The name of the genus is taken from the specific epithet of the type species ‘pulchr-’, meaning beautiful, and ‘optera’, meaning wing. The gender is feminine.

Distribution.

Pulchroptera pulchra pulchra comb. nov.: China (Sichuan, Yunnan)

Pulchroptera pulchra ops comb. nov.: China (Gansu, Qinghai, Xizang)

Figures

Figure 2. Male adults of the two skippers. Above: Pulchroptera pulchra (Leech, 1891) comb. nov. from Kunming, Yunnan, China; below: Carterocephalus palaemon (Pallas, 1771) from Moscow, Russia.

Figure 3. Wing venation of four genera of Heteropterinae A Pulchroptera pulchra (Leech, 1891) comb. nov. B Carterocephalus palaemon (Pallas, 1771) C Heteropterus morpheus (Pallas, 1771) D Leptalina unicolor (Bremer & Grey, 1852).

Figure 4. Male genitalia of four genera of Heteropterinae A Pulchroptera pulchra (Leech, 1891) comb. nov. B Carterocephalus palaemon (Pallas, 1771) C Heteropterus morpheus (Pallas, 1771) D Leptalina unicolor (Bremer & Grey, 1852).