Ahlbergia ferrea (Butler)

Huang, Hao & Zhu, Jian-Qing, 2016, Ahlbergia maoweiweii sp. n. from Shaanxi, China with revisional notes on similar species (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), Zootaxa 4114 (4), pp. 409-433 : 427-428

Ahlbergia ferrea (Butler)

( Figs. 13 , 43 , 80 , 96 , 106 )

Lycaena ferrea Butler, 1866: 57 , TL: Hokodadi, Hokkaido, Japan.

Ahlbergia ferrea: Bryk, 1946: 50 ; Johnson 1992: 20, figs. 8, 9, 61 for habitus and genitalia.

Ginzia ferrea: Okano, 1947: 239 ; D’Abrera 1993: 437, figs. for habitus.

Callophrys ferrea: Kawazoe & Wakabayashi, 1976: 109 , pl. 29, figs. 4a–4c for habitus; Matsuda & Bae 1998: 61, figs. 2–8 for habitus, figs. 17–34 for male and female genitalia.

Ahlbergia korea Johnson, 1992: 23 , figs. 10, 11, 62 for habitus and genitalia, TL: South Korea ; Korshunov & Gorbunov 1995: 161; Korshunov 1996: 43; Tuzov 2000: 119, pl. 56, figs. 10–12; Matsuda & Bae, 1998: 62, synonymy for A. ferrea . (Synonymised by Matsuda & Bae 1998).

Ginzia kimi Johnson (MS name): D’Abrera 1993: 437, figs. for habitus. (Nomen nudum).

Callophrys ferrea ferrea: Inomata, 1994: 22 , figs. 1–3 for habitus, fig. 12a for male genitalia.

Callophrys ferrea korea: Inomata, 1994: 22 , figs. 4–7 for habitus, fig. 12b for male genitalia.

Material. CHINA: Liaoning Province: 1♂, 1♀ (CHH), Anshan City, Mt. Qianshan, V.2012, Q.-Y. Xu leg.; 1♀ (CHH), Benxi City, Dadi Park, 31.V.2013, H.-C. Shan leg.. All specimens dissected.

Identification and synonym. Johnson (1992: 103, fig. 8) illustrated the male genitalia of holotype, which can be regarded as the basis of identification for the male A. ferrea . The female genitalia illustrated by Johnson (1992: 103, fig. 9) are however somewhat misleading, being inaccurate in size of its lamella postvaginalis in proportion to the length of the ductus bursae. Matsuda & Bae (1998: 58, figs. 19–21, 25) figured the female genitalia of four specimens, which can be regarded as the basis of identification for the female ferrea . There is no doubt that A. ferrea is the only species of Ahlbergia occurring in Japan.

A. korea was described from a few worn-out specimens collected from Korea and E Siberia, being considered by Johnson (1992) as distinct from A. ferrea mainly for zoogeographical reasons. The differences in male and female genitalia adopted by Johnson (1992) for separating A. korea from A. ferrea , as shown in Inomata’s (1994) and Matsuda & Bae’s (1998) works, fall into individual variation and have no taxonomic value. The type specimens of A. korea figured by Johnson (1992) are extremely worn-out, thus the external differences between A. korea and A. ferrea described by Johnson (1992) are meaningless. The fresh specimens from Korea figured by Matsuda & Bae (1998) have no external difference from the specimens from Japan. Therefore, we follow Matsuda & Bae’s (1998) treatment to regard A. korea as a synonym of A. ferrea .

The less arched hindwing termen ( Johnson 1992: 113, fig. 62A) and the feature of the cornuti ( Johnson, 1992: 103, fig. 10) found in the holotype of A. korea make it clear that the holotype of A. korea belongs to A. ferrea , not A. leei or A. tricaudata .

The Chinese specimens examined in this work possess the diagnostic characters of A. ferrea as stated below.

Diagnostic characters. The following combination of characters is unique for A. ferrea : 1) hindwing termen of male a little shorter and less produced at vein 3 than in other species; 2) androconial patch of male constantly wider than that of A. frivaldszkyi ; 3) discal markings on hindwing underside of both sexes edged by white dashes in spaces 6–7, which are obsolete or absent in A. leei and A. frivaldszkyi ; 4) lower cornutus of phallus nearly as wide as upper cornutus, markedly narrower than that of A. leei and A. tricaudata ; 5) upper cornutus of phallus without large teeth along distal margin, which are well marked in A. frivaldszkyi ; 6) lamella postvaginalis of female genitalia longer than in A. tricaudata , more oblong with distal margin less arched than in A. frivaldszkyi and A. leei ; 7) lamella postvaginalis without deep convolutions which are well marked in A. frivaldszkyi and A. leei .

Distribution. Japan, Korea , Russia (Amur, Khanka Mts., Sakhalin), China (Liaoning; Little Chingan Mts., Heilongjiang: Johnson 1992).

Tuzov’s (2000) record from Ussuri probably derives from Omelko & Omelko’s (1995) record which is a misidentification of A. tricaudata .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 15. Habitus of Ahlbergia males at same scale. 1 – 6 — A. maoweiweii; 1 – 4 — paratypes; 5 – 6 — holotype. 7 – 8 — A. frivaldszkyi, Chang’an, Shaanxi. 9 – 10 — A. luoliangi, holotype, Chang’an. 11 – 12 — A. leei ssp., Chang’an. 13 — A. ferrea, Liaoning. 14 — A. tricaudata tricaudata, Liaoning. 15 — A. tricaudata confusa, paratype, Nanjing. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 — upperside; 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 — underside; 13 – 15 — upperside (left half) and underside (right half).

FIGURES 31 – 45. Habitus of Ahlbergia females at same scale. 31 – 34 — A. maoweiweii, paratypes. 35 – 36 — A. leei, Liaoning; 41 – 42 — A. leei ssp., Ningshan, Shaanxi. 37 – 38 — A. frivaldszkyi; 37 — Tianjin; 38 — Chang’an, Shaanxi. 39 – 40 — A. luoliangi, paratype, Chang’an. 43 — A. ferrea, Liaoning. 44 — A. tricaudata tricaudata, Liaoning. 45 — A. tricaudata confusa, holotype, Nanjing. 31, 33, 35, 39, 41 — upperside; 32, 34, 36, 40, 42 — underside; 37 – 38, 43 – 45 — upperside (left half) and underside (right half).

FIGURES 76 – 80. Male genitalia of Ahlbergia taxa at same scale, consisting of entire genitalia in lateral view (G), of dorsum in dorsal view (D), of ring in ventral view with valvae and aedeagus removed (R.), of valvae in ventral view (V), and of distal tip of phallus in dorsal view to show cornuti (C). 76 — A. maoweiweii, holotype (Figs. 5 – 6); 77 — A. frivaldszkyi, Chang’an, Shaanxi; 78 — A. leei ssp., Chang’an (Figs. 11 – 12); 79 — A. tricaudata tricaudata, Liaoning (Fig. 14); 80 — A. ferrea, Liaoning (Fig. 13). (G, D, R, V at same scale as shown in 80; C at same scale as shown in 80; red arrows directed to important characters mentioned in text).

FIGURES 94 – 104. Female genitalia of Ahlbergia taxa in lateral view at same scale. 94 — A. maoweiweii, paratype (Figs. 31 – 32); 95 — A. leei, Liaoning (Figs. 35 – 36); 96 — A. ferrea, Liaoning (Fig. 43); 97 — A. tricaudata confusa, holotype (Fig. 45); 98 — A. luoliangi, paratype (Figs. 39 – 40); 99 — A. frivaldszkyi, Shaanxi (Fig. 38); 100 — A. frivaldszkyi, Tianjin (Fig. 37); 101 — A. leei ssp., Shaanxi (Figs. 41 – 42); 102 — A. chalcidis, Lijiang; 103 — A. chalybeia, Jiulong (Figs. 69 – 70); 104 — A. clarolinea, holotype (Figs. 63 – 64).

FIGURES 105 – 129. Female genitalia of Ahlbergia taxa in ventral view at same scale (except for 109). 105 — A. maoweiweii, paratype (Figs. 31 – 32); 106 — A. ferrea, Liaoning (Fig. 43); 107 — A. luoliangi, paratype (Figs. 39 – 40); 108 — A. clarolinea, holotype (Figs. 63 – 64); 109 — A. chalybeia, lectotype, after Johnson (1992); 110 — A. chalybeia, Jiulong (Figs. 69 – 70); 111 — A. chalcidis, Lijiang; 112 — A. frivaldszkyi, Shaanxi (Fig. 38); 113 — A. tricaudata confusa, holotype (Fig. 45); 114 — A. tricaudata tricaudata, Liaoning (Fig. 44); 115 — A. tricaudata ssp., Shaanxi; 116 – 121, 126 – 129 — A. frivaldszkyi; 116 – 118, 127 – 129 — Shaanxi; 119 — Kangxian, Gansu (Figs. 48 – 49); 120 — Huixian, Gansu (Figs. 52 – 53); 121 — Wenxian, Gansu (Figs. 50 – 51); 126 — Tianjin (Fig. 37); 122 – 125 — A. leei; 122 — Liaoning (Figs. 35 – 36); 123 — Shaanxi (Figs. 41 – 42); 124 – 125 — Shaanxi.