Lethe laodamia murasameae, Huang & Xiong & Li & Li & Lang, 2022

Huang, Si-Yao, Xiong, Yun, Li, Ying-Chun, Li, Xian-Fu & Lang, Song-Yun, 2022, Notes on the genus Lethe Hübner, 1819 from Nujiang valley, Yunnan, China, with description of a new subspecies (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae), Zootaxa 5092 (4), pp. 464-472 : 465-467

Lethe laodamia murasameae S.-Y. Huang & Lang ssp. n.

Figs. 1–6 , 11–14 , 17, 18

Type material. Holotype: male, altitude 1800–2040 m, 6.VIII.2021, Gongshan County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, leg. Si-yao Huang, genitalia dissection number NJ6 ( CQMNH) . Paratypes: 1 male, same data as holotype ( CQMNH) ; 1 female, same locality and collector, 7.VIII.2021 ( CQMNH) ; 1 male 1 female, ditto, 8. VIII. 2021, genitalia dissection number NJ5 (male) ( CQMNH) .

Diagnosis. Lethe laodamia murasameae ssp. n. can be distinguished from the nominate subspecies by the combination of the following characters: 1) underside, transverse lines of both wings are deep reddish brown, whereas, in the nominate subspecies, they are pale reddish brown or pale reddish; 2) forewing underside, the whitish dots beyond the postdiscal ocelli are sharply defined, whereas, in the nominate subspecies, these spots are fused with the whitish diffused ring of the postdiscal ocelli; 3) forewing underside, the cell bars are constantly broader, whereas, in the nominate subspecies, they are much narrower; 4), forewing underside in female, the whitish patches alongside the outer margin of postdiscal line are narrower, whereas they are broader in the nominate subspecies; 5) hindwing underside, the turning point of the postdiscal line in space 4 is not expanded towards the termen, whereas it is remarkably expanded outwards in the nominate subspecies; 6) male genitalia, uncus is significantly broader in middle, whereas it is much narrower in the nominate subspecies; 8) valva is shorter, whereas it is relatively longer in the nominate subspecies.

Description. Male. Length of forewing (FWL) 35–37 mm (n= 3, 37 mm in holotype).Antenna mostly black and ringed with white, its tip dull reddish. Head and abdomen blackish brown dorsally, thorax covered with reddish and greenish brown hairs. Forewing upperside ground color dark brown and slightly tinged with ochreous hairs; discal and postdiscal areas with a large, diffused pale blackish patch presenting near costa, marginal and submarginal areas with a blackish brown line throughout; cilia chequered. Hindwing upperside, ground color the same as that of forewing; a series of postdiscal ocelli present from spaces 2 to 6, with only the one in space 2 clearly pupillated; cilia as in forewing. Hindwing termen shortly tailed at vein 4. Forewing underside, ground color pale brown; discoidal cell with two reddish brown thick bars crossing in the middle portion and a narrow one at distal end; postdiscal line deep reddish brown, obliquely crossing wing from costa to vein 1b; postdiscal ocelli present in spaces from 2 to 5, ringed with white and outlined outwards by waved brownish line; three clearly-defined whitish spots present beyond the ocelli; marginal and submarginal lines brownish. Hindwing underside, ground color the same as that of forewing, slightly paler between discal and postdiscal lines; a thin brownish line present at the distal end of discoidal cell; postdiscal ocelli ringed with white; dull reddish patches present in submarginal area in spaces from 1b to 3; marginal and submarginal lines brownish. Female. FWL: 36–39.5 mm (n=2). Similar to male with its wings broader and more rounded.

Male genitalia. Tegumen simple. Uncus moderately long, significantly swollen at middle and gradually narrowing towards tip. Gnathos long and slender. Saccus long. Valva moderately long, broad at base, tapering towards the tip with a tongue-like apex. Aedeagus moderately long, with a small bulge on distal one third.

Distribution. Nujiang valley, Yunnan, China.

Etymology. The specific epithet murasameae is derived from a female character Murasame created by the illustrator Mr. Kujouitiso for the webgame Kantai collection.

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Male of Lethe laodamia sspp. 1–2, Lethe laodamia murasameae ssp. n., holotype, Gongshan, Yunnan, NJ6 (CQMNH); 3–4, L. laodamia murasameae ssp. n., paratype, Gongshan, Yunnan (CQMNH); 5–6, L. laodamia murasameae ssp. n., paratype, Gongshan, Yunnan, NJ5 (CQMNH); 7–8, L. laodamia laodamia, Mt. Fanjing, Guizhou, SATY0460 (CQMNH); 9–10, L. laodamia laodamia, Mt. Fanjing, Guizhou, SATY0450 (CLSY). Scale=10 mm.

FIGURES 11–16. Female of Lethe laodamia sspp. 11–12, Lethe laodamia murasameae ssp. n., Gongshan, Yunnan, paratype (CQMNH); 13–14, L. laodamia murasameae ssp. n., Gongshan, Yunnan, paratype (CQMNH); 15–16, L. laodamia laodamia, Foping, Shaanxi (CLSY). Scale=10 mm.

FIGURES 17–20. Male genitalia of Lethe laodamia sspp. 17, Lethe laodamia murasameae ssp. n., holotype, NJ6 (CQMNH); 18, L. laodamia murasameae ssp. n., paratype, NJ5 (CQMNH); 19, L. laodamia laodamia, SATY0460 (CLSY); 20, L. laodamia laodamia, SATY0450 (CLSY). Scale=1 mm.