Herminia decipiens (Hampson, 1898) in Nilgiri Hills, Khasi Hills

Owada, Mamoru & Wu, Shipher, 2019, Study on moths of the Herminia decipiens complex (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Herminiinae) with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 4652 (3), pp. 579-590 : 580

Herminia decipiens species complex

Taxonomic notes. Holloway (2008) synonymized Nodaria terminalis Wileman, 1915 (type locality: Taiwan) with Mixomelia decipiens Hampson, 1898 (type locality: Khasi Hills, India) and recorded the geographical range of this species as Himalaya, Taiwan, northern Ryukyus, Borneo, and also gave his view that “the synonymy above may need to be reviewed when variability in the basal ornamentation of the aedeagus vesica can be assessed over a wider range of material.” Though examining abundant material from different collecting localities, we have the opportunity to review the Herminia decipiens complex. Our study shows that H. terminalis is distinct from H. decipiens and is restricted to Taiwan. The true H. decipiens is distributed in Nilgiri Hills, Khasi Hills, South China, Indochina, Malay Peninsula. The populations occurring in other regions represent three new species, i.e. H. yuksam sp. nov. (East Nepal, Sikkim), H. borneo sp. nov. (endemic to Borneo), H. amamioshima sp. nov. (Amami-oshima Island, Shimo-Koshikijima Island and Kagoshima in South Kyushu).

Diagnosis. The Herminia decipiens species complex can be separated from other Herminia species by the less distinct wing fasciae, the more and less dark shade at posterior half part of forewing, the markedly large hairy tibial sheath and minute tarsus of male foreleg ( Owada 1987: fig. 206), and the rather long valval costal process and apical part of valve.

Distribution. The Himalayan region, South India, South China, Indochina, Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Taiwan, Japan (Amami-oshima Is., Shimo-Koshikijima Is. and South Kyushu).