Colias adelaidae adelaidae Verhulst, 1991

Huang, Hao & Song, Kui, 2022, A review of the genus Colias Fabricius, 1807 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) from Qinghai with descriptions of a new subspecies of Colias thrasibulus Fruhstorfer, 1910, Zootaxa 5105 (4), pp. 451-489 : 456

Colias adelaidae adelaidae Verhulst, 1991

( Figs. 1 , 12 , 41 , 43–44 , 46–47 , 49–51 , 68)

Colias adelaidae Verhulst, 1991a: 113 , pl. 2 for ♂♂ & ♀♀; Hoshiai, 1996: 216, figs. 73–80 for ♂♂ & ♀♀; Grieshuber, 1999: 42; Grieshuber et al., 2012: 33, discussions on type series, type locality and taxonomic status, pl. 22, figs. 17–20 for ♂♂ & ♀♀.

Colias arida adelaidae: Rose & Schulte, 1992: 97 , pl. 2, figs. 7–10 for ♂ & ♀♀.

Colias adelaidae adelaidae: Grieshuber, 1999: 44 , 47, figs. 9–12, 17–20 for ♂♂ & ♀♀; Verhulst, 2001: pl. 52, figs. 1–22 for ♂♂ & ♀♀; Dietz, 2002: 91, 91-figs. 1–3, 92-figs. 1–12 for ♂♂ & ♀♀; Grieshuber, 2014: 59, figs. for ♂ & ♀♀.

Material examined. CHINA: Qinghai: 3 ♂♂ & 2 ♀♀ ( CSK), NE. Dulan , 3700m, 18.VII.2021, K. Song leg .. Gansu: 1 ♂ ( CHH), Xiahe , 3000–3500m, 13–23.VII.1991, P. Salk leg. , ex. coll. G.C. Bozano; 1 ♀ (coll. Bozano), Xiahe , 13–23.VII.1991, P. Salk leg ..

Diagnosis. According to Grieshuber (2014), this species differs from C. arida by having: 1) male upper side ground color darker; 2) male upper side marginal band usually wider; 3) forewing underside dark submarginal spots more developed [this character is somewhat relevant to the dark suffusion on the wings upper side in female, as some dark females of C. arida can have the large dark submarginal spots as in C. adelaidae ]; 4) female upper side dark suffusion more developed.

In addition, the author found the following characters are also useful: 5) female hindwing underside ground color often uneven, not so uniform as in C. arida ; 6) female hindwing underside pale submarginal spots usually paler and in greater contrast with the ground color than in C. arida .

According to Grieshuber (2014), this species differs from C. wanda by having 1) size larger [specimens of C. wanda from Dulan area can be frequently as large as C. adelaidae ]; 2) male upper side ground color darker. In addition, the author found the following character is also useful: 3) female upper side black markings often darker and more in contrast with the pale ground color than in C. wanda .

Identification. C. adelaidae adelaidae has been known only from Xiahe, the type locality. Specimens from Dulan area are identified as C. adelaidae adelaidae , because they fit Grieshuber’s (2014) diagnostic description on good number of the topotypic specimens. One of the female specimens from Dulan area ( Fig. 1- A2 ) looks very like a female in G.C. Bozano’s collection, figured by Grieshuber (2014: 59, figs. for left ♀), except for the shape of the wings.

Taxonomy. There were arguments on the status of C. adelaidae in literature: Rose & Schulte (1992) placed C. adelaidae as a subspecies of C. arida , whilst Verhulst (1991, 2000), Hoshiai (1996) and Grieshuber (1999, 2014) treated C. adelaidae as distinct species. However, the discovery of C. adelaidae from Dulan, an area close to Wulan-Tianjun area where C. arida cakana flies, gives a clue for this taxonomic problem. Specimens of C. adelaidae adelaidae from Dulan area are in common with those from Xiahe, not showing any transitional characters to C. arida cakana . Such distributional patterns of C. adelaidae adelaidae and C. arida cakana suggest that the two taxa are specifically distinct.

Flight period. Mid July at Dulan.

Altitude. 3700m at Dulan.

Distributional notes. This is the first record of C. adelaidae from Central Qinghai. Another subspecies, C. adelaidae karmalana Grieshuber, 1999 is known from eastern Tibet (Karma La = Yela, S. of Bangda; Dahmo La = Dama La, E. of Qamdo). It is heard that this species is also collected by some people from Chengduo, Yushu, SE. Qinghai and Shiqu, NW. Sichuan, but further information is unknown (Y. Yang, pers. comm.).

Figures

FIGURE 41. ♂ genitalia and 8th tergum (with superuncus) in lateral view at same scale. Serial numbers corresponding to those of specimens. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 43. 8th tergum in dorsal view at same scale to show superuncus. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 44. ♂ genitalia in dorsal view at same scale. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 46. Ring in lateral view and scaphium in ventral view at same scale. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 47. Phallus in lateral view and coecum-process in full-face view at same scale. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURE 49. Juxta in full-face view (nearly posterior view) at same scale. Scale bar = 1 mm. FIGURE 50. Valva in inner lateral and anterior views at same scale. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 51–58. Biotopes of Colias species in Qinghai. 51—C. adelaidae (Dulan, by K. Song); 52—C. wanda (Niuxinshan, Qilian, by K. Song); 53—C. wanda (Guanjiaoshan, by S.-Y. Lang); 54—C. arida (Wulan, by S.-Y. Lang); 55—C. arida (Aksai, by S.-Y. Lang); 56—C. arida (Wulan, by Z.-Y. Qi); 57—C. thrasibulus (Yushu, by K. Song); 58—C. thrasibulus (Dulan, by K. Song).

FIGURES 1–3. Habitus of Colias taxa ♂♂ & ♀♀ at same scale (Upper half- upper side; lower half- underside). 1—Colias adelaidae adelaidae; 2—Colias arida cakana; 3—Colias wanda wanda. Serial number unique for each specimen. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 8–13. Habitus of Colias taxa ♂♂ & ♀♀ at same scale (Upper half- upper side; lower half- underside). 8—Colias fieldii chinensis; 9—Colias poliographus; 10—Colias montium; 11—Colias lada; 12—Colias adelaidae adelaidae; 13—Colias grumi. Scale bar = 1 cm.