Stibochiona nicea subucula Fruhstorfer, [1898]

Li, Hua-Zhao & Liu, Zhe, 2022, Notes on Stibochiona nicea (Gray, 1846) from China with description of a new subspecies from Hainan Island (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae), Zootaxa 5169 (4), pp. 392-398 : 396

Stibochiona nicea subucula Fruhstorfer, [1898]

( Fig. 17–18 , 35–36 , 39 )

Stibochiona nicea subucula Fruhstorfer, [1898] : 329–330 (TL: Malay. Peninsula).

Stibochiona nicea: Lee, 1994: 119 , figs. 184-5, 184-6 from Yunnan.

Material. male, 2.IV.2018, Tongbiguan , Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China, Chuan Chen leg. (Collection of Chuan Chen; YN1) ; same locality and data as YN1, Chuan Chen leg. ( CHZL; YN2 ) .

Remarks. This subspecies is new to Chinese fauna. Lee (1994) illustrated an individual of Stibochiona nicea from Yunnan without classifying it into subspecies, and this individual should be identified as ssp. subucula without doubt. The identity of the subspecies from W. Yunnan has been disputative. Lang (2012) treated the specimens examined from W. Yunnan (Ruili, 12.VI.1956) as the nominate subspecies. However, the two specimens examined in this study from Tongbiguan (approximately 70 km north of Ruili) clearly belong to ssp. subucula characterized by their unique external features. Because the specimens utilized in the present study and those examined by Lang (2012) are from different seasons, we presume that W. Yunnan is a transition zone of the two subspecies, similar to the case reported by Inayoshi & Saito (2021). Nevertheless, more materials are required to delimitate the boundary of the two subspecies in Yunnan.

Distribution. China (Tongbiguan, W. Yunnan), S. Myanmar, Thailand, W. Malaysia.

Figures

FIGURE 1–18. Dorsal view of Stibochiona nicea sspp. 1–8, wangyukunae ssp. nov. from Hainan; 9–16, nicea from S. China; 17–18, subucula from W. Yunnan.

FIGURE 19–36. Ventral view of Stibochiona nicea sspp. 19–26, wangyukunae ssp. nov. from Hainan; 27–34, nicea from S. China; 35–36, subucula from W. Yunnan.

FIGURE 37–39. Male genitalia of Stibochiona nicea sspp with left valva removed. 37, wangyukunae ssp. nov., holotype, HN1; 38, nicea, GX1; 39, subucula, YN2; a = lateral view of vinculum; b = lateral view of valvae; c = lateral view of phallus; d = posterior view of juxta.