Salassa sunwukongi, Zheng & Wang, 2023

Zheng, Xuhongyi & Wang, Dong, 2023, Description of a new species and a new group of Salassa Moore, 1859 (Lepidoptera Saturniidae) with a molecular study based on partial COI, Zootaxa 5375 (2), pp. 285-296 : 287-288

Salassa sunwukongi sp. nov.

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( Figs 1 , 2A )

Description of male. Body length 33–37 mm, forewing length 51–58 mm from base to apex (n=8) ( Fig. 1A–D ).

Body is densely covered with hair-like scales ( Fig. 1A–D ). Colour of head, thorax and abdomen is concolourous with the main part of the wings, variable from golden yellow to dark yellowish brown ( Fig. 1A–D ). Antennae brownish, ca. 17 mm in length. Forewing nearly triangle, slightly elongated, apical angle approximately right angle, tornus rounded. A weak narrow light subbasal line running from costa toward inner margin, slightly fringed with black on its outer margin. An ovoid greenish-hyaline ocellus located slightly anterior to the centre, 1.5–2.2 mm in width and 2.1–3.8 mm in length (n=8), surrounded by a thin dark ring in some individuals. The medial white line is straight, with the costal end expanded to the apical angle. The inner margin of the white line is slightly fringed with black. The outer side is washed with brown; submarginal zigzag line extremely fuscous or invisible ( Fig. 1A–D ).

The hindwing is rounded, ground colouration same as the forewing, anteromedian area is paler in colour. The greenish-hyaline ocellus of hindwing is long oval shaped, ca. 2.5 mm in length, defined by an inner black, middle white and outer brown ring, white ring and brown ring narrow. The outer half of the black postmedial line forms a prominent black semi-circular mark encircling the ocellus, the inner half is unclosed and extends parallelly to the inner margin. The black postmedial line margined with a white line, a fuscous brown band on the posterior side of the white line ( Fig. 1A–D ).

Legs dark brown, each tibia and tarsus with white scales dorsally, ventral side of each femur densely covered with long reddish-brown hair-like scales ( Fig. 1B ). Male genitalia sclerotized ( Fig. 2A ). Uncus bent in ventral direction, widened apically with a slight depression on the edge ( Fig. 2A ). Dorsal part of the valvae nearly rectangular, the dorsal angle rounded and the ventral one more acute, numerous sharp setae on its margins and surface; the ventral part of the valvae with a large protrusion with a tiny tubercle on the apex ( Fig. 2A ). Saccus rounded. Phallus slender columnar ( Fig. 2A ).

Description of female. Body length 32–35, forewing length 54–59 mm from base to apex (n=4) ( Fig. 1E–F ). The complete body is densely covered with hair-like scales. Head, thorax, abdomen and wings golden yellow. Antennae brownish, ca. 18 mm in length ( Fig. 1E–F ). Forewing nearly triangle, hindwing is rounded, both with golden yellow as the main colour. The colour pattern of the forewing and hindwing is generally similar to the male, but with stable golden main colouration, clear subbasal white line in the forewing, larger ovoid greenish-hyaline ocellus in forewing (3.0–4.0 mm in width and 6.3–7.3 mm in length, n=4) and hindwing (ca. 5.0 mm in length, n=4) ( Fig. 1E–F ).

Distribution. China: Yunnan Province.

Etymology. The new species was named after the Monkey King in Chinese Mythology, for the diverse colours and monkey-face-like pattern in the hindwing of the new species.

Diagnosis. The male of S. sunwukongi sp. nov. can be diagnosed by a combination of the following characters: (1) relatively small greenish-hyaline ocellus in both forewing and hindwing, (2) the absence of reddish colouration around the hind-ocellus, and (3) the absence of a white submarginal zigzag line in both the forewing and hindwing ( Fig. 1A–D ).

The male of the new species has similarities with S. royi , S. olivacea , S. tibaliva , S. antkozlovi and S. pararoyi . It is distinguishable from other Salassa members through its small greenish-hyaline ocellus in the hindwing ( Fig. 1A–D ), the absence of reddish colouration around the ocellus ( Fig. 1A–D ), and genitalia with relatively simple valvae and without a projection over the uncus ( Fig. 2A ) ( Witt & Pugaev 2007; Brechlin & van Schayck 2015; Naumann & Lalhmingliani 2019). When compared with the five related species ( Fig. 2B–G ), the new species is separable from S. royi , and S. pararoyi by relatively light coloration and the presence of a continuous medial white patches in wings ( Figs 1A , 2E ) ( Elwes 1887; Brechlin 2009). It can also be separated from S. olivacea , S. antkozlovi and S. tibaliva by its smaller greenish-hyaline ocellus and the absence or extremely fuzzy submarginal zigzag lines in all wings ( Figs 1A–D , 2D, F ) ( Oberthür 1890; Zhu & Wang 1993; Brechlin 2017). S. olivacea is generally the most similar species to S. sunwukongi sp. nov.. Except differences in wing pattern ( Oberthür 1890), they can also be distinguished by male genitalia: S. olivacea can be recognized by a line of several large denticles on the ventral margin of valvae ( Fig. 2A–B ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adults of S. sunwukongi sp. nov.: (A) male holotype (dorsal view); (B) male holotype (ventral view); (C) male paratype (dorsal view); (D) male paratype (dorsal view); (E) female paratype (dorsal view); (F) female paratype (ventral view). Scale bars: 10.0 mm.

FIGURE 2. Features of royi-group members of Salassa: (A) male genitalia of S. sunwukongi sp. nov.; (B) male genitalia of S. olivacea; (C) male genitalia of S. tibaliva; (D) male adult of S. olivacea (dorsal view); (E) male adult of S. royi (dorsal view); (F) male adult of S. tibaliva (dorsal view); (G) female adult of S. tibaliva (dorsal view). Scale bars: 1.0 mm (A–C); 10.0 mm (D–G).