Rhotana maculata Matsumura, 1914

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 76-77

Rhotana maculata Matsumura, 1914

Rhotana maculata Matsumura, 1914 (June) : 295

Rhotana unimaculata Muir, 1914 (Sept.) : 52, new synonymy

( Figs. 28, 49 -52, 207)

Redescription. Forewings 1.9 times longer than wide, length: male 5.4–5.9 mm (mean = 5.6, n= 3), female about 3.9 mm. Colour stramineous; last three abdominal pleura and sides of pygofer with dark grey marks. Forewings with a large, dark brown mark around apex of Cu1 (occasionally extending to tip of Ms1b) and a smaller mark around last subcostal sector (occasionally missing); rest of forewings light yellowish-brown, interrupted by some clear areas; not powdered except for a small area distad of clavus tip (adjoining the large, dark mark); veins stramineous to light yellowish-brown or orange-brown, but last subcostal sector and adjacent part of C and Sc orange-red, a short red section on middle of costa. Hindwings with a large, round, dark brown mark around apical part of Ms1, and a narrow mark of the same colour around base of Ms2; a very faintly infuscated band from middle of clavus vein to base of R. Facial carinae contiguous up to level of antennae; proboscis not reaching hind coxae; subantennal processes well -, lateral carinae of pronotum poorly developed. Forewings with apical part of Sc sinuate; Sc+R fork well before middle of wing; Ms1 branched before its middle, Ms1b connected to apical part of Cu1 by a short cross-vein or touching this vein; a small triangle at base of Ms1. Pygofer of male genitalia with prominent, pointed, lateral projections. Apical portion of aedeagus ending in a short, pointed process; the right side covered by a rounded lobe.

Etymology. The species name is a Latin participle (maculatus, -a, -um = spotted).

Type material. ♂ specimen considered to be the holotype of Rhotana maculata (forewing 5.9 mm, body 3.9 mm), TAIWAN; labels: 1) Rhotana maculata / [additional description in Japanese] 1a) Arisan/ 1912. 10.20./ Nitobe ( EIHU). Lectotype of Rhotana unimaculata ♂ (here designated), TAIWAN, labels: 1) arisom/ 1912.10.20./ nitobe 2) R. unimaculata / [additional inscription] 3[red]) TYPE OF / R. unimaculata / ♂ Muir 4) Rhotana unimaculata / Muir 5) 768 ( BPBM).

Note. Matsumura described Rhotana maculata from one male from " Formosa (Arisan)". The Matsumura collection in EIHU contains a corresponding specimen which is considered to be the holotype . Muir based his description of Rhotana unimaculata on an unstated number of specimens from " Mt. Ari (I. Nitobe)". The only available syntype in BPBM is here designated as lectotype .

Other material examined. TAIWAN, Arisan , 2130 m (7300'), 22.VIII.1947, 1 ♂, J.L. Gressitt; " Rhotana unimaculata Muir " 1 ♂ [no other data] ; JAPAN: RYUKYU IS: AMAMI OSHIMA I., (Mt.) Yuwan-dake , 300–600m, 31.VII.1963, 1 ♂, J.L. Gressitt; IRIOMOTE I., Mt. Ushiku, 350m, 3–7.XI.1963, 1 ♀, Malaise trap, G.A. Samuelson (all BPBM) .

Distribution. Taiwan, Japan (Ryukyu Isl.).

Diagnosis. Rhotana maculata Matsumura resembles R. inoptata Yang & Wu , also from Taiwan, as well as R. latipennis Walker , R. hirashimai sp. nov., R. crassa sp. nov. and R. sabaea sp. nov., all from Borneo. It can be distinguished from the last three species by the darker forewings, bearing a prominent dark brown mark around the apex of Cu1. It can be separated from R. latipennis by the male aedeagus lacking two elongated, pointed processes on the apical part. Finally it can be distinguished from R. inoptata by the shape of the forewing mark and the aedeagus ending in a pointed process. The immature stages of this species have been described by Yang & Yeh (1996).