Tanaecia julii duc T. Saito & Vu, 2023

Tamamitsu, Saito & Lien, Vu Van, 2023, Four new subspecies of butterflies (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea) from Phu Quoc Island, southern Vietnam, Zootaxa 5293 (1), pp. 161-170 : 164

Tanaecia julii duc T. Saito & Vu subspec. nov.

Figure 4

Description:

Female. Upperside. Both wings ground colour uniformly dark brown. Forewing: Postdiscal band consists of series of dull whitish spots extending from cell 1b to cell 7; subapical spots in cells 5 and 6 very small and dark; postdiscal spots in cells 1 and 4 are barely visible; distal part of discal cell slightly paler. Hindwing: Series of postdiscal spots and markings absent; submarginal and postdiscal fasciae well developed. Underside. Postdiscal bands are located inside from outer edge.

Male. Upperside: Both wings uniformly dark brown; marginal border on the hindwing pale blue. Underside both wing patterns similar to the continental populations.

Forewing length. J 29–33.7 mm (n = 15, avg. 32.1 mm); ♀ 36.1–40.4 mm (n =15, avg. 38.1 mm).

Diagnosis. Both sexes of the new subspecies are distinguished with continental subspecies Tanaecia julii indochinensis (Fruhstorfer, 1905) (Type locality: Tonkin = northern Vietnam) and other taxa by the darker brown ground colour and dull wing markings. Size of males and females varies but on average it is the same as that of subspecies indochinensis (J 29–34 mm; ♀ 37–41 mm) ( Monastyrskii, 2019). Males of different subspecies distributed in adjacent areas have very similar patterns. The most distinctive character is size of subapical spots in the forewing of female that is much smaller than in ssp. indochinensis . However in subspecies T. j. xiphones (Butler, 1869) (TL: Myanmar) and subspecies T. j. appiades (Ménétriés, 1857) (TL: Sikkim) subapical spots on the forewing are also very small. Similar small subapical spots and dark brown ground colour are characteristics in females of subspecies mansori Yokochi, 1993 (TL: Langkawi Is), subspecies irma (Fruhstorfer, 1905) (Bawean Is) and subspecies bougainville (Corbet, 1941) (TL: W. Malaysia). However, the females of the new subspecies have much darker ground colour.

Type material. Holotype. ♀ S. Vietnam, Kien Giang province, Phu Quoc Is., Ganh Dau Commune , Suoi Ganh Dau 29.XII.2015, T. Saito leg. Paratypes: 15J 14♀ Suoi Ganh Dau 1J, 29.XII.2015, T. Saito leg., 1♀ 3.VII.2015, T. Saito leg., 1♀ 4.VII.2015, T. Saito leg., 1♀, 25.XII.2015, T.Saito leg., Suoi Tranh 2J 2♀, 21.XI.2013, T. Saito leg.,1J 19.XI.2006, I. Nihira leg., Suoi Da Ban 3J 1♀, 29.III.2014, T. Saito leg., 1J, 23.XI.2013, T. Saito leg.,3J 3♀, 27.XII.2015, T. Saito leg., 2♀, 30.III.2014, T. Saito leg., 1♀, 28.XII.2014, T. Saito leg.,1J, 29.XII.2015, T. Saito leg.,1J, 28.XII.2017, T. Saito leg., Duong Dong town; 1J, 20.XI.2006, I. Nihira leg., Bai Thom; 2J, 2.VII.2015, T. Saito leg., Lam Ha Resort; 1♀, 4.VII.2015, T. Saito leg., Am Su Muon; 1♀, 29.XII.2014, T. Saito leg.

Etymology. The name is dedicated to the son of the second author.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Tanaecia julii duc T. Saito & Vu ssp. nov. A–B—PT J same location as HT, B—Ditto underside; C–D—♀ HT, D—Ditto underside; E—J T. j. indochinensis (Fruhstorfer, 1905) Thac Mai, Dong Nai, S. Vietnam, F—Ditto underside; G—♀ T. j. indochinensis same location; H—Ditto underside.