Paranthrenella weiyui Liang & Hsu

Liang, Jia-Yuan & Hsu, Yu-Feng, 2015, A review of clearwing moths in the tribe Synanthedonini, with descriptions of six new species from Taiwan (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), Zootaxa 4044 (4), pp. 535-555 : 542-543

Paranthrenella weiyui Liang & Hsu sp. nov.

( Figs 5 , 18 )

Holotype. ♂, NEW TAIPEI: Sanchi, Sanban Bridge, 350 m, 18.III.2014, reared from Lindera megaphylla , emg. 5.IV.2014, YMS 14C28, J.Y. Liang Coll. (NHM). Paratypes. 1♂, same date as holotype (Gen. Prep. JYL-011, NTNU); 1♂, same locality, 300 m, 24.II.2013, reared from L. megaphylla , emg. 14.IV.2013, YMS 13B01, J.Y. Liang Coll. ( NTNU).

Description. Male ( Fig. 5 ). Antennae length 6.3−6.4mm (n=3); forewing length 7.7–8.2 mm (n=3); body length 9.5–10.1 mm (n=3). Head: antenna black with blue-violet sheen dorsally and light brown with a few yellow scales ventrally; frons white; labial palpus yellow; vertex black with purplish sheen; pericephalic scales yellow with a few black scales dorsally and pale yellow laterally. Thorax: patagium black with violet sheen; tegula yellow with a black with purplish sheen spot at base of forewing; mesothorax black with a few yellow scales anteriorly; metathorax yellow; thorax laterally yellow with a few black scales. Legs: fore coxa yellow with a small, narrow, longitudinal spot medio-basally; hind tibia black, internally and at base of both pairs of spurs yellow; spurs yellow. Abdomen: black with blue sheen; tergite 1 with a few yellow scales medially; tergites 2, 3, 5 and 6 each with a narrow yellow stripe distally; tergite 4 with a broad yellow stripe distally; tergite 7 with a narrow, broadened laterally, yellow-orange stripe distally; sterna 2, 3 black, others densely mixed with yellow scales; anal tuft dorsally dark brown to black with blue-violet sheen, with a narrow admixture of yellow-orange scales medially and laterally, ventrally yellow-orange. Forewing: black basally; costal margin dark brown to black, with a narrow yellow stripe between vein Sc and R-stem; discal spot and veins within exterior transparent area dark brown to black; apical area dark brown, with admixture of yellow scales between veins R3-Cu1 distally; discal spot broad, slightly broadened medially; exterior transparent area large divided into five cells, level to M2 about 1.2X as broad as discal spot and 4X as broad as apical area; posterior transparent area reaching distal margin of discal spot; fringe dark brown. Hindwing: mostly transparent; veins, discal spot and outer margin dark brown to black with bronzedpurple sheen; discal spot small, cuneiform, reaching to vein M2; outer margin broad, about 1−2 as broad as fringe; fringe dark brown, yellow anally.

Genitalia. Male (Gen. Prep. JYL-011, NTNU, Fig. 18 ). Tegumen-uncus complex relatively narrow; scopula androconialis well-developed, long, about as long as tegumen-uncus complex; crista gnathi medialis long and narrow, semi-oval, membranous proximally; crista gnathi lateralis semi-oval, narrow and short, membranous; valva elongated oval; crista sacculi nearly undeveloped, covered with same setae as most part of valva; ventral crista low and short, covered with relatively short flat-topped setae; saccus rounded basally, nearly as long as vinculum; phallus extremely narrow about 2/3 length of valva; vesica with numerous, irregular, minute cornuti.

Diagnosis. Paranthrenella weiyui sp. nov. is distinct from all known species of the genus Paranthrenella by possessing additional brown scalings along hindwing termen ( Fig. 5 ). Besides, M 2 in exterior transparent area is short, approximately 1/ 4X of length of M 2 in apical area, whereas it is 1/ 2X or more than 1/ 2X in the other species.

Etymology. This species is named for Mr. Wei-Yu Wang. His observation of larva and host plant at the type locality led to the discovery of the specie.

Biology. The larva bores into the trunks of 3−5 cm diameter of Lindera megaphylla (Lauraceae) and feeds on callus tissue around the hole, which was covered with silk, debris, and frass.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Taiwan.

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 7. Synanthedonini, bar = 10 mm. Figs 1 − 2. Paranthrenella dortmundi sp. nov. 1; ♂, holotype, TAIWAN: PINGTUNG (NHM). 2; ♀, paratype, TAIWAN: PINGTUNG (NTNU). Figs 3 − 4. Paranthrenella formosicola. 3; ♂, TAIWAN: HUALIEN (NTNU). 4; ♀, TAIWAN: HUALIEN (NTNU). Fig. 5. Paranthrenella weiyui sp. nov. ♂, holotype, TAIWAN: NEW TAIPEI (NHM). Figs 6 − 7. Ichneumenoptera gryphus sp. nov. 6; ♂, holotype, TAIWAN: HUALIEN (NHM). 7; ♀, paratype, TAIWAN: HUALIEN (NTNU).

FIGURES 18 − 19. Male genitalia of Synanthedonini in Taiwan. Fig. 18. Paranthrenella weiyui sp. nov. paratype (NTNU), bar = 1 mm. a: distal part of phallus, bar = 0.1 mm. Fig. 19. Ichneumenoptera gryphus sp. nov. paratype (NTNU), bar = 1 mm. a: distal part of phallus, bar = 0.1 mm.