Lamproptera curius yangtzeanus Hu & Cotton, 2023

Hu, Shao-Ji, Cotton, Adam M., Lamas, Gerardo, Duan, Kuang & Zhang, Xin, 2023, Checklist of Yunnan Papilionidae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) with nomenclatural notes and descriptions of new subspecies, Zootaxa 5362 (1), pp. 1-69 : 15-16

11b. Lamproptera curius yangtzeanus Hu & Cotton ssp. nov. ( Figure 4 , C–E)

Description: ♁. Forewing length: 21–22 mm. Forewing upperside: basal half, costa, and termen black; median white band accompanied by transparent band with black veins running through; median black band slightly narrows towards tornus but never broken; distal half transparent with black veins running through. Hindwing upperside: black with white median band, cilia, and tail tip, tornal area scattered with white scales, scent scales cream white. Hindwing underside: similar to upperside, base densely peppered with greyish white scales; basal one third greyish white, followed by three transverse greyish white bands in tornal area; median white band and other markings as upperside. ♀. Forewing length: 24–25 mm. Forewing broader, ground colour black with brownish hue; underside greyish markings in both wings larger and clearer than those in male.

Differential diagnosis: Larger than ssp. walkeri in size, forewing length: ♂ 21–22 mm, ♀ 24–25 mm. Forewing median black band slightly narrows towards tornus, unlike hsinningae ssp. nov., but never broken as in ssp. walkeri ; median white band on both wings equal to that of ssp. hsinningae , but broader than that in ssp. walkeri .

Type material: HOLOTYPE: ♂, Forest Park (1,460 m), Dongchuan, Kunming , 26.1031°N, 103.2045°E, 2013-VIII-4, X. Zhang leg. [ SJH] . PARATYPES: 1♂, the same collecting data as the holotype; 5♂♂, 1♀, the same locality as the holotype, 2013-IX-8, S. J. Hu & X. Zhang leg. [ SJH]; 1♂, the same locality as the holotype, 2013- VIII-3, S. J. Hu leg. [ AMC]; 2♂♂, the same locality as the holotype, 2013-IX-8, S. J. Hu leg. [ AMC]; 1♂, the same locality as the holotype, 2013-IX-14, S. J. Hu leg. [ AMC]; 1♂, the same locality as the holotype, 2013-IX-15, S. J. Hu leg. [ AMC] .

Holotype currently housed in the Shao-Ji Hu collection.

Distribution: Currently only found from the Yangtze watershed of N.E. Yunnan and Sichuan, China. It flies with L. paracurius Hu, Zhang & Cotton, 2014 at the type locality.

Etymology: The subspecies name is named after the Yangtze River, which the stream near the type locality eventually runs into. The subspecies name is a masculine adjective.

Discussion: Subspecies hsinningae and yangtzeanus are very similar in appearance but genetically distinct, forming separate clades within the species mtDNA (cox1 barcodes) tree not directly related to each other.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Types of two new subspecies of Lamproptera curius; upperside on the first row, underside on the second row; A–B: L. curius hsinningae Hu & Cotton ssp. nov., A: holotype, ♂, B: paratype, ♂; C–E: L. curius yangtzeanus Hu & Cotton ssp. nov., C: holotype, ♂, D: paratype, ♂, E: paratype, ♀; scale bar = 10 mm.