Gunda sesostris ( Vuillot, 1893 )

Wang, Xing, Wang, Min, Zolotuhin, Vadim V., Hirowatari, Toshiya, Wu, Shipher & Huang, Guo-Hua, 2015, The fauna of the family Bombycidae sensu lato (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Bombycoidea) from Mainland China, Taiwan and Hainan Islands, Zootaxa 3989 (1), pp. 1-138 : 18-20

7. Gunda sesostris ( Vuillot, 1893) ( FIGURES 4 E–4F, 5C) comb. nov.

Micrattacus sesostris Vuillot, 1893, Bull. Soc. ent. France: 181. TL: “Borneo, provenant de Labuan”. Holotype (by monotypy): male (ZMHU) [examined].

Gunda proxima Roepke, 1924 , syn. nov., Tijdschr. Ent. 67: 162, figs 1, 2; pl. 1, figs 1–3; pl. 2, fig. 1. TL: Java. Syntypes: males and females (NHML) [examined].

Clenora epygrypa West, 1932 , syn. nov., Novit. Zool. 37: 215. TL: “ Philippine Is., Luzon I., subprov. Benguet, Palali, 2,000 ft.”. Type: male (BMNH) [examined].

Theophoba ostruma Chu & Wang, 1993, syn. nov., Sinozoologia 10: 225, fig.5 TL: Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China. Holotype: male [IZCAS, photograph examined].

Diagnosis. Characterized by the following features: ground colour of wings dark purplish-brown; forewing with yellow spot near apex; black discal spot divided into four by a yellow X-shaped brand; inner margin with complex yellow patterns; uncus apically diamond-shaped, bifid, medial invagination “U” shaped; valva with a slender distal hook and a short sickle-shaped projection.

Specimens examined. [YUNNAN] Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture: 1 male, (holotype of Theophoba ostruma), 9.VI.1964, Bao-Lin Zhang leg. (IZCAS).

Bionomics. The larva host plant is unknown.

Distribution. Mainland China (Yunnan), Philippines (Palawan), Indonesia (Java, Sumatra), Thailand, NE India (Assam).

Remarks. This species is widely but rather sporadically distributed in South-east Asia. No other specimens have been collected in China after the specimen that was described as Theophoba ostruma ( Chu & Wang, 1993). The taxonomic status of sesostris remained unclear until the holotype was found in ZMHU in 2013 by V.V.

Zolotuhin. It was described in Micrattacus Walker, 1855, now treated as a junior synonym of Hylesia Hübner , [1820], and so erroneously placed for a long time in Saturniidae , Hemileucinae , Hemileucini .

Map 3. Distribution of Rotunda rotundapex ( Miyata & Kishida, 1990) in China and adjacent countries.

III. Rotunda Wang, X. & Zolotuhin , gen. nov. ( FIGURE 6 )

Type species: Bombyx rotundapex Miyata & Kishida, 1990 , here designated.

Diagnosis. This genus can be distinguished from the other bombycine genera by the following characters: rounded wing shape and pattern; long, narrow and forked uncus; gnathos indistinct; aedeagus short and stout; and caudal process on the 8th abdominal segment of the mature larva obscure.

Description. Male. Head. Brown ochre, antennae bipectinate covered with fine micro setae, labial palpi rudimentary and short.

Thorax. Black ochre mixed with white hairs. Forewing yellow-ochre with rounded apex; veins distinct with M stem absent; postmedial line dark ochre, diffuse and weakly arched; submarginal line zigzag; basal area blackish brown mixed with white scales. Hindwing similar to forewing but paler and with a dark curved medial line and a dark zigzag submarginal line.

Abdomen. Yellow-ochre.

Male genitalia. Uncus long and forked, apex shortly bilobed; gnathos indistinct; valva small, with a long and slender process arising from the costa; juxta well sclerotized and fused with valva; saccus broad and short; aedeagus slightly curved, with a pair of small caudal processes; caudal margin of the 8th sternite bilobed and “V” shaped.

Female. Similar to male, but somewhat larger.

Female genitalia: Papillae anales short; antrum long and oval, somewhat sclerotized on the dorsal surface; ductus bursae bearing two pairs of lobes on the caudal margin of the ventral surface; corpus bursae oval, signum absent.

Etymology. From the Latin rotunda (= round), referring to the rounded wings. Distribution. Mainland China (Jiangxi-Fujian border, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan) and Taiwan, Korea, Myanmar.

Remarks. The larva of this species is similar in appearance to those of Bombyx mori and Rondotia menciana , but can be distinguished from the latter by the indistinct anal horn on the mature larva.The genus is here recorded from Myanmar for the first time (Map 3).

8. Rotunda rotundapex ( Miyata & Kishida, 1990) comb. nov. ( FIGURES 6 A–6H)

Bombyx rotundapex Miyata & Kishida, 1990 , Japan Heterocerists’ J. 158: 142, figs 1–3. TL: “ Taiwan, Nantou Hsien, Lushan spa (1200 m)”. Holotype: male (NSMT) [examined].

Bombyx shini Park & Sohn, 2002 , syn. nov., Tinea 17 (2): 67. TL: Korea, Gangwon Prov., Temp. Weona-sa, Cheolwon.

Diagnosis. For diagnostic characters, see the genus desription. This species is medium sized, wingspan = 30–38 mm, male forewing length = 16–18 mm; antenna length = 5–7 mm; male body length = 15–17 mm.

Specimens examined. [ TAIWAN] 1 male, Holotype deposited in NSMT with the label “male, Taiwan, Nantou Hsien, Lushan spa, 1200 m, 29.IV–1.V.1984, H. Yoshimoto”; 65 males and 1 female, from different counties of Taiwan (Taitung, Kaoshiung, Ilan, Taoyuan, Hualien, Nantou) (MWM); Yilan County: 1 male, Fushan Botanic Garden, 750 m, 30.V.2011, Shipher Wu leg. (TFRI); 1 female, Siyuanyako, 1950 m, 2.VI.2012, Shipher Wu & Wei-Chun Chang leg. (TFRI); Hualien County: 1 male, Ci’en, 1950 m, 19.VII.2012, Shipher Wu & Wei-Chun Chang leg. (TFRI); 2 males, Luosao, 1100 m, 6.VI.2013, Shipher Wu & Wei-Chun Chang leg. (TFRI); Nantou County: 4 males, Aowanda, 1000 m, 9.V.2013, M. Owada, L. Shih & Y. Chen leg. (NSMT); [JIANGXI] Guixi County (Yingtan City): 67 males and 1 female, Mts. Wuyishan, Jiangxi/Fujian border, Xipaihejia village, 1500 m, 27˚54’N, 117˚20’E, June 2003, Siniaev & his team leg. (MWM); 85 males and 4 females, Mts. Wuyishan, Jiangxi- Fujian border, 50 km southeast of Yingtan, 1600 m, 27˚55’N, 117˚25’E, May 2002, Siniaev & local collector leg. (MWM); 40 males and 1 female, Mts. Wuyishan, Jiangxi/Fujian border, Xipaihejia village, 1500 m, 27˚54’N, 117˚20’E, May 2005, Siniaev & his team leg. (MWM); [HUBEI] Huanggang City: 13 males and 1 female, Tapieh Shan (Mt. Dabieshan), middle June to August 1999, J. Li leg. (MWM); [HUNAN] Sangzhi County (Badagongshan National NR): 1 female, Mt. Tianpingshan, 11.V.2007, larvae collected by Liu-Sheng Chen, and pupated on May 18 and enclosed on May 29 (SCAU); [GUANGDONG] Ruyuan County (Nanling National NR): 1 male, 3.VI.2001, Min Wang leg. (SCAU); 2 males, 30.VI.2003, Min Wang & Liu-Sheng Chen leg. (SCAU); 2 females, 1.VI.2003, Min Wang & Liu-Sheng Chen leg. (SCAU); 2 females, 30.VI.2003, Min Wang & Liu-Sheng Chen leg. (SCAU); 4 males, 15.V.2005, Liu-Sheng Chen leg. (SCAU); [GUANGXI] Xing’an County (Mao’ershan National NR): 4 males, 1200–1700 m, 13–16.V.2004, Mamoru Owada leg. (NSMT); [SHAANXI] Taibai County (Mts. Tsinling (Qinling), Mt. Taibaishan, Houzhenzi): 24 males and 4 females, 33˚51’N, 107˚49E, 1600 m, 27.V– 6.VI.1999, local collector leg. (MWM); 31 males and 1 female, 33˚53’N, 107˚49E, 1500 m, June 2003, Viktor Sinyaev & his team leg. (MWM); Mts. Daba Shan (Tapa Shan): 11 males, 1000 m, Shou-Man village, 32˚14’N, 108˚34’E, 24–25.V.2000, Siniaev & Plutenko leg. (MWM); 3 males, 1800 m, 15 km south of Shou-Man village, 32˚08’N, 108˚37’E, summer 2000, local collector leg. (MWM); Fopin City (Mts. Qinling): 1 male, 1800 m, 33˚35’N, 108˚01’E, July 2005, team of Siniaev leg. (MWM); [SICHUAN] Leshan City: 2 males, Mt. Emeishan, 710 m, 1.VI.1990, J. Aoyama leg. (NSMT); Dujiangyan City (Mts. Qingcheng): 34 males, 60 km west of Chengdu, 1200 m, 15–25.VIII.2004, S. Murzin leg. (MWM); 178 males and 12 females, 70 km west of Chengdu, 1360 m, 26–30.VIII.2004, S. Murzin leg. (MWM); Luding County (Hailuogou National NR): 1 male, 31.VII.2003, Min Wang leg. (SCAU); 2 males, 30.VII.2003, Min Wang leg. (SCAU); 21 males, Lao Lin Kou, 1900 m, 28˚21’N, 103˚26’E, 26.VI–12.VII.2008, Viktor Sinyaev leg. (MWM).

MYANMAR: 2 males, Kachin, 65 km northeast of Putao, Zi Yar Dam village, 1250 m, 18–21.V.1998, Murzin & Viktor Sinyaev leg. (MWM).

Bionomics. Adults appear from late April to July (Plate 3B–3C), and the larvae feed on the leaves of Moraceae . The larvae are quite variable in color with numerous black dots all over the body (Plate 3D–3E). Pupation is in a pale yellow cocoon (Plate 3F). In Taiwan, there is apparently a single generation per year and the species occurs at the elevations between 800 and 2100 m.

Distribution. Mainland China (Jiangxi-Fujian border, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan) and Taiwan, Korea, Myanmar.

Remarks. Although there are small morphological differences, the Korean population is here considered not to represent a separate species and so Bombyx shini is here synonymized with R. rotundapex . It is possible that the Korean population has recently been introduced with its larval hosts.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Adults of Gunda spp. A. G. javanica, male (Hainan); B. G. javanica, female (Myanmar); C. G. ochracea, male (Hainan); D. G. ochracea, female (Malaysia); E. G. sesostris, male (Thailand); F. G. sesostris, female (Indonesia).

FIGURE 6. Adults, labels and male genitalia of Rotunda rotundapex (Miyata & Kishida, 1990). A – B. Male (Taiwan), holotype; C – D. Male (Taiwan), paratype; E. Male (Sichuan); F. Male (Guangdong); G. Female (Sichuan); H. Male genitalia (Sichuan).