Scoliokona spissa Kallies & Arita

Kallies, Axel, Arita, Yutaka, Owada, Mamoru, Wu, Guo-Yi & Wang, Min, 2014, The Paranthrenini of Mainland China (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae), Zootaxa 3811 (2), pp. 185-206 : 200-201

Scoliokona spissa Kallies & Arita sp. nov.

( Figs 25, 26 , 38 )

Material examined. Holotype. 1♂, Guangxi, Guilin, Maoershan, 500–1500 m, 6.–10.VIII.2007 ( SCAU). Paratypes. 1♂, same data as holotype ( NSMT); 8♂, same locality, 730 m, 15.–19.VIII.2009 ( Fig. 25 , NSMT, CAK, Gen. Prep. AK718); 2♂, 1♀, Prov. Guandong, Shaoguang, Nanling, 600 m, 2–6.VII.2012 ( Fig. 26 , CAK).

Description. Male ( Fig. 25 ). Wingspan 31.5 mm; forewing length 13.5 mm; body length 16.5 mm. Most body parts black, with a purplish lustre. Head: labial palps with apical segment long and smooth, otherwise rough scaled; in distal third white ventrally; pericephalic scales white and black mixed dorsally. Thorax: fore coxa crème medially; mid and hind coxae crème with some black scales; hind tibia with crème patch at first pair of spurs. Forewing: opaque, black with a purple sheen; with small remnant PTA at the base; ventrally similar with crème scales at the base. Hindwing: largely transparent, appearing somewhat smoky; with costa yellowish at the base. Abdomen: tergite 2 usually with yellow scales along distal edge; tergite 3 with few yellow scales a long distal edge laterally; sternite 3 dirty crème to yellow; anal tuft very small, with few white scales laterally. Female ( Fig. 26 ).

Similar to male, but somewhat larger (wingspan 38 mm), antennae simple, labial palps slimmer and shorter scaled, tergites 2 and 3 with narrow yellow border laterally; sternite 4 almost completely dirty white.

Genitalia. Male (Gen. prep. AK718, Fig. 38 ). Valva relatively short and broad, covered in setae, only a narrow area medially and most basal devoid of setae; setae with downwards angled hands with each 6–7 finger like projections; gnathos with relatively long and strong ventral extensions; uncus apical very strong; phallus with two apical tips, each ending in a small tooth-like projection; base of vesica with additional small tooth near base.

Variability. The specimens show little variation in color or markings; 27–31.5 mm wingspan.

Diagnosis. This species shows superficial similarities to Scoliokona tetrapora (Diakonoff, [1968]) and Scoliokona heptapora Kallies & Arita, 1998 , both from the Philippines. Both of these species, however, differ from S. spissa sp. nov. by their larger size, their reduced transparent areas of the hindwings, and their long and slender bodies. Furthermore, the male genitalia of both of these species conform to the typical Scoliokona morphology (similar to S. shimentai sp. nov.). Therefore, S. spissa sp. nov. cannot be confused with any of its congeners or species of the related genus Nokona . In particular the morphology of the genitalia is unique.

Biology. Males were attracted to pheromone lures; the female was collected on flowers of Cissus repens Lam (Vitaceae) .

Remark. This species is unusual and may occupy an isolated position within the genus. In particular the morphology of the uncus, gnathos and phallus tip are unusual and not known from any other representative of Scoliokona or related genera.

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 28. Paranthrenini. Figs 21 – 22. Scoliokona nanlingensis sp. nov. 21. ♂, paratype, Maoershan (CAK). 22. ♂, (NSMT). Figs 23 – 24. Scoliokona shimentai sp. nov. 23. ♂, paratype, Shimentai (CAK). 24. ♂, paratype, Vietnam (NSMT). Figs 25 – 26. Scoliokona spissa sp. nov. 25. ♂, paratype, Maoershan (CAK). 26. ♀, paratype, Nanling (CAK). Figs 27 – 28. Adixoa leucocyanea. 27. ♂, Dadongshan (CAK). 28. ♀, holotype, Mt. Longtou (MNHB).

FIGURES 38 – 39. Paranthrenini, Male Genitalia. Fig. 38. Scoliokona spissa sp. nov. (CAK), a—phallus tip, enlarged. 39. Adixoa leucocyanea (CAK).