Syrastrenopsis imperiatus Zolotuhin, 2001

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

Syrastrenopsis imperiatus Zolotuhin, 2001

Figs 8–9

Syrastrenopsis imperiatus Zolotuhin, 2001 , Atalanta 32: 467, fig. 10c.

TL: [ China, N Yunnan], Nord-Yünnan, A-tun-tse, obere Höhe ca. [=high altitudes about] 4500 m. HT: female (BMNH, London) [examined].

Diagnosis. Wingspan 36.0 mm and forewing length 18.0 mm in males, and 53 and 26 mm in the single known female. Forewings dark brownish yellow, medias dark grey, very vague bordered interiorly by whitish scales; submarginal fascia weak greyish. Hind wings with external zone slightly darker. The female is the largest species of Syrastrenopsis with contrasting prominent medias.

Male genitalia (fig. 18): Broad, flattened, semilunar valvae with regularly convex ventral margin, medially straight dorsal margin, with pointed valvar apex; aedeagus with rounded apical spur typical; vesica with zones of distinct scobination and prolonged lobe above the apical spur.

Female genitalia: Papillae analis short, densely covered by short setae; antevaginal plate strong, broad, almost rectangular with indistinct, rounded, caudal cut; postvaginal plate with obvious caudal cut and numerous lateral wrinkles. Ostium broad, membranous, antrum and ductus bursae reduced, corpus bursae bag-shaped, short, membranous, without signum.

Clearly differing from other species by lacking purplish tint on the brownish-yellow forewings; differs from similarly coloured S. bilinea by the presence of whitish bordering fasciae on the forewing. The shape of the valva in the male genitalia and the shape of the vaginal plate are diagnostic genitalic characters.

Bionomics. This high mountain species was collected in mid August and throughout September at elevations ranging from 3300 to 4500 m in virgin mixed forest, with swampy and mossy meadows. The habitat is dominated by various species of Alnus , Prunus , Quercus , Rhododendron , Abies , various species of small bamboos and other smaller shrubs and ferns. Preimaginal stages and hosts are unknown.

Distribution. Only known from a few localities in the northern part of Yunnan and western Sichuan on the east edge of the Tibetan plateau.

Material examined. ♀, holotype, A-tun-tse (Nord-Yünnan), Obere Höhe ca. 4500 m, 20.viii.1937, H. Höne ( BMNH);

2♂, China, N. Sichuan, near Barkam, Zhe Gu Shan pass, H- 3300 m, 21.ix.2011, N31º55.625’’, E102º39.290’’, Floriani leg.