Syntypistis taipingshanensis Wu & Hsu

Wu, Shipher, Chang, Wei-Chun, Wang, Li-Hao, Huang, Chia-Lung & Hsu, Yu Feng, 2016, Descriptions of two new notodontid species from the relic Fagus forests in northeastern Taiwan (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae), Zootaxa 4066 (3), pp. 291-300 : 292-294

Syntypistis taipingshanensis Wu & Hsu sp. n.

Figs 1, 2 , 13 , 17 , 21 , 33 , 35

Type material. Holotype. Male, TAIWAN, Ilan County, Taipingshan, 1800 m, 10-VII-2013, leg. S. Wu ( TFRI); Paratypes. 1 male, same collecting data as the holotype ( TFRI); 1 male, same collecting data as the holotype ( NTNU); 1 male, same collecting locality, 23-VI-2011, leg. S. Wu & W. C. Chang ( TFRI); 1 female, Yilan County, Nanao, Dabaishan, ca 1300 m, emgd. 16-V- 2014, reared from Fagus hayatae , Leg. L. H. Wang & J. Y. Liang ( HSUM Lot no. 14D102, NTNU); 1 male, New Taipei City, Sanxia, Beichatianshan, ca 1600 m, emgd. 6-VIII- 2015, reared from Fagus hayatae , leg. L. H. Wang ( HSUM Lot no. 15G3.5, NTNU).

Taxonomic notes. This new Fagus -feeding species is externally similar to Syntypistis punctatella (Motschulsky, 1861) ( Figs 3, 4 , 14 , 18 , 22 ) from Japan, S. melana Wu & Fang, 2003 ( Figs 5, 6 , 15 , 19 , 23 ) and S. abmelana Kishida & Kobayashi, 2005 ( Figs 7, 8 , 16 , 20 , 24 ) from S. China. Among these three compared species, the former is a well-known Fagus feeder and frequently damages the planted Fagus forests ( Nakatomi, 1987; Kamata et al., 1990; Yasuda, 2014). The immature stages of latter two species are still unknown, but Fagus longipetiolata and F. l u c i d a species are also distributed in their habits of Mts Nanling, Guangdong Province and Mt. Mao’ershan, Guangxi Province ( Zhu et al., 2004). Presumably the mentioned species are all Fagus feeders.

Diagnosis. This species is closely related and externally similar to S. melana Wu & Fang, 2003 but can be distinguished by: the region between forewing antemedial and postmedial part grey rather than dark green; the round distal processes of posterior margin of 8th abdominal sternum rather than acute; the smaller costal process of valve; the narrower medial part of juxta; the slender anterior extension of aedeagus with acute, strongly sclerotized apex rather than curved dorsally with apex tapered; the strongly sclerotized posterior part of aedeagus with apex slightly hooked outwards rather than smoothly tapering; the less curved ductus bursae.

Description. Wingspan 36–37 mm, forewing length 17–18 mm in males (n= 5); wingspan 40 mm, forewing length 19 mm in female (n= 1, reared individual); Eye large; antenna long bipectinate toward 4/5 part from base in male, length of rami 2 X diameter of shaft in median region in female. Head, all segments of thorax fringed with dark olive green scales. Forewing broad, apex obtuse angled, outer margin slightly excurved; ground coloration ironic green, tinged with greyish green, basal to antemedial part and costal margin olive green, discocellular spot greyish white, rounded and large; marginal scales ironic grey. Hindwing broad, ovate; ground coloration pale greyish ochreous, ¼ part from costal margin tinged with olive green and ochreous scales, marginal scales greyish ochreous mixed with pale yellow. Abdomen greyish ochreous, basal and distal parts darker. Male 8th abdominal segment ( Fig. 17 )—8th segment sclerotized; tergum broad, anterior margin excurved, V-shaped with medial extension pointing toward anteriorly, posterior margin strongly incurved medially, two distal processes round at apex; sternum broad, two triangular processes arising from anterior margin, region between two processes slightly incurved; posterior margin strongly incised medially, apex of two disto-lateral processes round.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 13 ). Uncus stout, curved medially, apex pointing downward, obtuse; gnathos stout, slightly longer than uncus, apex pointing upward, obtuse; tegument long; vinculum long, V-shaped in ventral view, saccus long, tapering; juxta sclerotized, U-shaped with medial extension pointing downward, stilliform; valve, stout, long, medial part of costal margin dilated, distal part curved upward, apex tapering. Aedeagus nearly as long as valve, anterior part tapering, posterior part tapering with sclerotized and hooked apex; vesica membranous, small. Female genitalia ( Fig. 21 ). Ovipositor lobe membranous with short hair-like setae; posterior apophyses long and slender, anterior apophyses half length as posterior pair; ostium bursae wide, funnel-shaped, strongly sclerotized; ductus bursae moderate-length, straight, oblique and sclerotized; corpus bursae elliptic, gradually dilated toward anterior part; signum long, thin band.

Mature instar ( Fig. 35 ). Body stout, cylindrical, length about 50 mm when fully extended. Head round, light green with densely reticulate green maculations; outer margin of stemmatae cream yellow, stemmata 1 black centrally, stemmata 3 orange centrally, remaining stemmatae cream yellow centrally. Body yellowish green. Anterior margin of prothorax light yellowish white, spiracle orange; legs semitransparent, light greyish-white; patterns of mesothorax, metathorax and abdomen similar as follows: setae arising from cream yellow sclerotized ringlike papillae, two pairs of cream yellow stripes arising longitudinally on dorsal and dorso-lateral part of body, light orange fringed half part within the region between dorsal stripes on 6th to 10th abdominal segments; posterior half part of 9th and 10th abdominal segments tapering; posterior margin of 10th abdominal segment light yellow; spiracles orange; prolegs semitransparent, light greyish-white.

Bionomics. This species is distributed in the mid-altitude Fagus forests of northeastern Taiwan, the adults occur in June and July and the larvae ( Fig. 35 ) collected in April and July emerged in the following month (HSUM 14D102, 15G3.5), suggesting it is likely a bivoltine species. According to Kobayashi (2011), the Japanese S. punctatella is bivoltine.

Distribution. Endemic to Taiwan.

Etymology. Named according to its type locality, Taipingshan, northeastern Taiwan.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Habitus of Syntypistis species. 1. S. taipingshanensis Wu & Hsu sp. n., male, holotype (TFRI); 2. ditto, female, paratype (NTNU); 3. S. punctatella (Motschulsky, 1861), male (NSMT); 4. ditto, female (NSMT); 5. S. melana Wu & Fang, 2003, male (NSMT); 6. ditto, female (NSMT); 7. S. abmelana Kobayashi & Kishida, 2005, male, paratype (NSMT); 8. ditto, female, paratype (NSMT). Bar scale = 10 mm. Photo by Shipher Wu.

FIGURES 13 – 16. Male genitalia of Syntypistis species. 13. S. taipingshanensis Wu & Hsu sp. n., paratype (TFRI); 14. S. punctatella (Motschulsky, 1861) (NSMT); 15. S. melana Wu & Fang, 2003 (NSMT); 16. S. abmelana Kobayashi & Kishida, 2005, paratype (NSMT). Photo by Shipher Wu.

FIGURES 17 – 20. Male 8 th abdominal segment of Syntypistis species. 17. S. taipingshanensis Wu & Hsu sp. n., paratype (TFRI); 18. S. punctatella (Motschulsky, 1861) (NSMT); 19. S. melana Wu & Fang, 2003 (NSMT); 20. S. abmelana Kobayashi & Kishida, 2005, paratype (NSMT). Photo by Shipher Wu.

FIGURES 21 – 24. Female genitalia of Syntypistis species. 21. S. taipingshanensis Wu & Hsu sp. n., paratype (TFRI); 22. S. punctatella (Motschulsky, 1861) (NSMT); 23. S. melana Wu & Fang, 2003 (NSMT); 24. S. abmelana Kobayashi & Kishida, 2005, paratype (NSMT). Photo by Shipher Wu.

FIGURES 33 – 36. Life photos of Syntypistis and Pheosiopsis species. 33, 35. S. taipingshanensis Wu & Hsu sp. n.; 34, 36. P. seni Wu & Hsu sp. n.; 33. Male; 34. Female; 35, 36. Final instar larva on Fagus hayatae. Photo by Shipher Wu (33, 34); Chia- Lung Huang (35, 36).