Syrastrenopsis kawabei Kishida, 1991

Saldaitis, Aidas, 2014, A review of the genus Syrastrenopsis Grünberg, 1914 (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae), Zootaxa 3794 (4), pp. 525-535 : 529-530

Syrastrenopsis kawabei Kishida, 1991

Figs 5–7

Syrastrenopsis kawabei Kishida, 1991 , Gekkan-Mushi 243: 14, figs 2, 3.

TL: Taiwan, Nantou Hsien, Tsuifeng, 2400 m. HT: male (BMNH, London) [examined].

Wingspan 33.5–46.5 mm, forewing length 17.5–24.0 mm. Forewings dark reddish or pinkish brown, medial fasciae dark grey, bordered interiorly by whitish scales. Hindwings darker in both sexes, with two vague transversal grayish bands.

In male genitalia narrow sickle-like or semilunar valvae are diagnostic; apical spur of aedeagus is rather long. In female genitalia antevaginal plate small, rounded, with weak caudal cut; postvaginal plate with two lateral and a single caudal projections, few lateral wrinkles weak, dispersed; ostium broad, membranous; antrum and ductus bursae reduced; corpus bursae short, bag-shaped, membranous, without signum.

Diagnosis. Differing from other species by darker red-brown coloration, forewings with whitish transversal fasciae wider than in other species where they are present; female fore tibia with small epiphysis; vaginal plates are very small. The species is apparently endemic to Taiwan. The author gave the following diagnosis for the species: "Closely similar to moltrechti , but is separate from it as follows: the body and wings have reddish purple tone, the ante- and postmedian lines are narrower, and the subterminal line is more conspicuously edged with white inside. In the male genitalia, their size is much smaller to compare with the size of moth, valva is short and sraigth [straight], and a caudal process of aedeagus is thick and short" ( Kishida, 1991: 15).

Bionomics. Univoltine, flight period from early October to mid February. The moths fly in the first half of the night in humid forests at elevations between 550–2600 m; both sexes are attracted to the light. Preimaginal stages are unknown but Quercus spp. are believed to be hostplants. The moths hatch after the first autumnal ground frosts.

Distribution. Taiwan (Nantou, Taitung (Tai-Chung), Kaoshiung, Hualien).

Material examined. 27 ♂, 3 ♀ from different locations of Taiwan ( MWM);

♂, holotype, Taiwan, Nantou Hsien, Tsuifeng, 2400 m, 29.xii.1989, leg. A. Kawabe ( BMNH);

♀, paratype, Taiwan, Nantou Hsien, Tsuifeng, 2400 m, 29.xii.1989, leg. A. Kawabe ( BMNH);

♂, paratype, Taiwan, Nantou Hsien, Tsuifeng, 2400 m, 29.xii.1989, leg. A. Kawabe ( NSMT).