Pedesta wangi Xue, Li & Zhu, 2019

Xue, Guoxi, Li, Meng, Zhu, Jianqing, Lu, Weicheng, Li, Jialing & Zheng, Bowen, 2019, Descriptions of Pedesta wangi sp. nov. and the female of P. xiaoqingae (Huang & Zhan, 2004) from China (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), Zootaxa 4700 (3), pp. 356-364 : 358-359

Pedesta wangi Xue, Li & Zhu , sp. nov.

( Figs. 2–5 , 16 )

Holotype: male, Cenwanglaoshan NNR, Guangxi, 7.V.2015, 1270 m, leg. Guoxi Xue [M1, A41].

Paratypes: 3♂♂, ditto, 7.V.2015 [ CWLS1 , LC8], 9.V.2015 [ CWLS2 , A42], 10.V.2015 [ CWLS3 , LC15] .

Since the new species extremely resembles P. xiaoqingae ( Figs. 6–10 ), and the latter has been described in detail by Huang & Zhan (2004), a comparative diagnosis of the two species are provided as follows instead of a pure description of the new one.

1. On the forewing of P. xiaoqingae , the upper cell spot is absent or very minute on the dorsal side and present but minute on the ventral side, whereas it is always absent on both sides in the type specimens of P. wangi .

2. On the ventral side of the hindwing, there are well developed or reduced markings in P. xiaoqingae , but it is totally unmarked in the new species.

3. Cilia on both the forewing and the hindwing of P. xiaoqingae is checkered, but it is unicolorous in P. wangi .

4. In the male genitalia of P. xiaoqingae ( Fig. 14 , 15 ), the tip of the left footstalk is shallowly bifurcate ( Fig. 14 : K, L, Fig. 15 : H) or truncate with serrate margin ( Fig. 14 : D); the tip of the right footstalk is wide and apparently bifurcate ( Fig. 14 : D, J, L, Fig. 15 : H). While in the new species ( Fig. 16 ), the left footstalk is triangular and its tip is sharply pointed ( Fig. 16 : G, L, M); the tip of the right footstalk is triangular, with serrate margin ( Fig. 16 : F), slightly bifurcate ( Fig. 16 : L) or sharply pointed ( Fig. 16 : M).

Etymology. The new species is named after Mr. Chunhao Wang (Beijing) for his kind help to the first author’s study on skipper butterflies.

Discussion. This new species is only known from the type locality, Cenwanglaoshan NNR ( Fig. 17 ). All four males were captured by the side of a road inside the reserve. But no more specimens were found during the collecting trip to the same place in June of 2017. Its voltinism and relative bionomic information need further study.

Based upon examined specimens and the records in Inayoshi (2019), a distribution map of P. xiaoqingae and P. wangi is provided ( Fig. 18 ). It shows that P. xiaoqingae is distributed from Nanling Mountains, Hainan Island to Vietnam and central Laos, whereas the type locality of P. wangi is located at the southeast edge of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and isolated from the distribution range of P. xiaoqingae by Guangxi Basin. So we infer that geographic isolation played a very important role during the speciation of the cryptic species P. wangi .

Figures

FIGURE 14. Male genitalia of Pedesta xiaoqingae. A–H. specimen 1. A. ring, lateral view; B. genital capsule (with the ring removed), right side; C. ditto, left side; D. ditto, dorsal view; E. uncus and gnathos, dorsal view; F. ditto, ventral view; G. aedea- gus, dorsal view; H. ditto, lateral view. I–K. genital capsule of specimen 2. I. dorsal view; J, K. anterior view. L. genital capsule of specimen 3, anterior view.

FIGURE 15. Male genitalia of Pedesta xiaoqingae from Jinxiu, Guangxi. A. ring, lateral view; B. uncus and gnathos, dorsal view; C. ditto, ventral view; D. right valva, outer side; E. left valva, outer side; F. aedeagus, lateral view; G. ditto, dorsal view; H. genital capsule (with the ring removed), dorsal view; I. genital capsule, dorsal view.

FIGURE 16. Male genitalia of Pedesta wangi sp. nov. A–K. paratype 1. A. ring, lateral view; B. uncus and gnathos, dorsal view; C. ditto, ventral view; D. genital capsule (with the ring removed), right side; E. ditto, left side; F, G. ditto, oblique dorsal view; H. ditto, ventral view; I. aedeagus, dorsal view; K. ditto, lateral view; J. juxta; L. genital capsule (with the ring removed) of paratype 2, dorsal view; M. left and right valva of paratype 3, dorsal view.

FIGURE 17. Habitat of Pedesta wangi sp. nov. in Cenwanglaoshan NNR of Guangxi. Photographed by Guoxi Xue. Photos of the specimen were taken immediately after capture.

FIGURE 18. Distribution map of Pedesta wangi sp. nov. and P. xiaoqingae.

FIGURES 2–13. Adults of Pedesta wangi sp. nov. and P. xiaoqingae. 2–5. P. wangi sp. nov., male. 2. holotype; 3–5. paratypes. 6–10. P. xiaoqingae, male. 6, 7. from Jiangxi; 8. from Hunan; 9, 10. from Guangxi. 11–13. P. xiaoqingae, female, from Hainan. Scale bar = 1 cm.