Synanthedon phoenix, Liang, Jia-Yuan & Hsu, Yu-Feng, 2015

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 : 552-554

Synanthedon phoenix sp. nov.

( Figs 14, 15 , 23 , 29 )

Holotype. ♂, HSINCHU: Wufeng, Niaozueishan, 1300 m, 29.VIII.2014, reared from Quercus longinux , emg. 27.IX.2014, HSUM 14H50M, J.Y. Liang Coll. (NHM). Paratypes. 1 ♂, same date as holotype, emg. 12.IX.2014, J.Y. Liang Coll. (Gen. Prep. JYL-020, NTNU); 1 ♀, HSINCHU: Jianshi, Lidongshan, 1500 m, 29.XI.2011, reared from Q. longinux , emg. 2.I.2012, HSUM 11L13M, J.Y. Liang Coll. (Gen. Prep. JYL-021, NTNU).

Description. Male ( Fig. 14 ). Antennae length 6.1−6.2mm (n=2); forewing length 7.7−7.8 mm (n=2); body length 8.6−8.8 mm (n=2). Head: antenna black with blue-violet sheen; frons white; labial palpus black, pale yellow ventrally; vertex black with blue sheen; pericephalic scales white with a few yellow and black scales dorsally. Thorax: black with blue sheen; thorax laterally pale yellow. Legs: fore coxa bluish black with laterally pale yellow; fore tibia black with ventrally pale yellow; fore tarsus ventrally yellow with a few dark gray scales, dorsally black with a some pale yellow spot on each tarsomere basally; hind tibia bluish black with blue sheen, internally and at base of both pairs of spurs yellow; hind tarsus ventrally ash white with some white spot on each tarsomere basally, dorsally black with blue sheen; spurs pale yellow, internally black. Abdomen: black with blue sheen; tergites 2 and 4 each with a narrow yellow stripe distally; anal tuft dorsally black with bronzed sheen, a few white scales distally, ventrally black. Forewing: basally black; costal margin dark brown to black; discal spot and veins within exterior transparent area dark brown to black; apical area orange with admixture of brown scales; discal spot broad, exterior transparent area large divided into five cells, level to M2 about 3X as broad as discal spot and 0.6X as broad as apical area; posterior transparent area reaching distal margin of discal spot; fringe brown. Hindwing: transparent; veins, discal spot and outer margin dark brown to black with bronzed sheen; discal spot small, cuneiform, reaching to vein M2; fringe dark brown, white anally. Female ( Fig. 15 ). Antennae length 6.6 mm; forewing length 9.0 mm; body length 9.4 mm. Thorax: patagium, tegula and mesothorax black with bronzed-blue sheen; metathorax yellow.

Genitalia. Male (Gen. Prep. JYL-020, NTNU, Fig. 23 ). Tegumen-uncus complex relatively broad; scopula androconialis well-developed, long, about as long as tegumen-uncus complex; crista gnathi medialis large, semioval, membranous proximally; crista gnathi lateralis semi-oval; valva elongated trapeziform; ventral crista low and short, covered with bifurcate setae; saccus rounded basally with broadened,about as long as vinculum; phallus relatively broad, about 0.8X as short as valva, subdistally distinctly broadened dorsally, with one strong tooth ventro-distally; vesica with numerous minute cornuti.

Female (Gen. Prep. JYL-021, NTNU, Fig. 29 ). Apophysis posterior about as long as apophysis anterior; lamella antevaginalis well-sclerotized; antrum narrow, opening at level of anterior-dorsal margin of 8th tergite, narrow, membranous; ductus bursae narrow, long, membranous; corpus bursae membranous, ovoid, without signum.

Diagnosis. Synanthedon phoenix sp. nov. is somewhat similar to S. tenuis (Butler 1878) from Japan, Korea, Far East Russia, and eastern China, but can be distinguished from S. tenuis by metathorax of female yellow instead of black tinged with blue sheen. Superficially, S. phoenix also resembles to Ravitria confusa (Gorbunov & Arita 2000) , but scales of anal tuft are black in S. phoenix , but yellow in R. confusa . Phallus of S. phoenix bears one strong tooth ventro-distally, which is absent in S. tenuis . Male of R. confusa is unknown.

Etymology. A creature from Greek mythology, phoenix = phoenix .

Biology. The larva bores into the stem or trunks of 1−2 cm in diameter of Quercus longinux (Fagaceae) and feeds on callus tissue around the entrance hole, which is covered with silk, debris, and frass.

Distribution. Known only from Taiwan.

Figures

FIGURES 8 − 15. Synanthedonini, bar = 10 mm. Figs 8 − 9. Kantipuria glansvorax sp. nov. 8; ♂, holotype, TAIWAN: CHIAYI (NHM). 9; ♀, paratype, TAIWAN: CHIAYI (NTNU). Figs 10 − 11. Synanthedon auritincta. 10; ♂, TAIWAN: HSINCHU (NTNU). 11; ♀, TAIWAN: NANTOU (NTNU). Figs 12 − 13. Synanthedon ceraunus sp. nov. 12; ♂, holotype, TAIWAN: TAICHUNG (NHM). 13; ♀, paratype, TAIWAN: TAICHUNG (NTNU). Figs 14 − 15. Synanthedon phoenix sp. nov. 14; ♂, holotype, TAIWAN: HSINCHU (NHM). 15; ♀, paratype, TAIWAN: HSINCHU (NTNU).

FIGURES 22 − 23. Male genitalia of Synanthedonini in Taiwan. Fig. 22. Synanthedon ceraunus sp. nov. paratype (NTNU), bar = 1 mm. a: distal part of phallus, bar = 0.1 mm. Fig. 23. Synanthedon phoenix sp. nov. paratype (NTNU), bar = 1 mm. a: distal part of phallus, bar = 0.1 mm.

FIGURES 27 − 29. Female genitalia of Synanthedonini in Taiwan. Fig. 27. Synanthedon auritincta (NTNU), bar = 1 mm. a: antrum, bar = 0.1 mm. 28. Synanthedon ceraunus sp. nov. paratype (NTNU), bar = 1 mm. a: antrum, bar = 0.1 mm. 29. Synanthedon phoenix sp. nov. paratype (NTNU), bar = 1 mm. a: antrum, bar = 0.1 mm.