Scobura stellata, Fan, Xiaoling, Chiba, Hideyuki & Wang, Min, 2010

Fan, Xiaoling, Chiba, Hideyuki & Wang, Min, 2010, The genus Scobura Elwes & Edwards, 1897 from China, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), Zootaxa 2490, pp. 1-15 : 13-14

Scobura stellata sp. nov.

Fig. 23−24 , 70−74

Holotype 3 ( SCAU), Nanling National Nature Reserve, Ruyuan, Guangdong, China, 13.V.1997, M. Wang leg. Forewing length 16 mm, antenna length 10 mm ( Figs. 23−24 ). Paratypes: 13, Nanling National Nature Reserve, Ruyuan, Guangdong, 13.V.2004, M. Wang leg.; 23, Nanling National Nature Reserve, Ruyuan, Guangdong, 6.V.2006, M. Wang leg.; 23, Nibashan, Rongjing, Sichuan, 24.VII.2009, M. Wang leg.

Description

Antennae dark brown above, paler brown below, and yellow brown before club. Palpi with the second segment long and erect, densely covered with yellow brown scales ventrally; the third segment thin and pointed, prominently protruding. Wings upperside with ground color brown, forewing cell spots conjoined, lower one larger and produced toward base; spot in space CuA1 largest, spots in spaces M3 and R3-R5 small, spot in space CuA2 pale yellow; hindwing without spots. Forewing underside brown with dense yellow brown scales at costa and apex, a broad white area along dorsum distally; markings similar to those on upperside except for small spots in spaces M1 and M2; hindwing underside ground color yellow brown with ferruginous scales distally and a broad grey brown area along dorsum; subapical area with small white spots in spaces Sc+R1 to CuA2, of which in spaces M1 and M2 totally conjoined, forming a single larger spot, in spaces Rs and M3 dot-like; cell with two white small spots distally, upper one dot-like; all white spots surrounded by dark area.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 70−74 ): Uncus longer than tegumen, triangular basally, thin and long distally; socius slender and pointed at tip; saccus long; valva with ventrodistal process rather rounded, armed with small spines apically; aedeagus with suprazonal sheath noticeably shorter than subzonal sheath; juxta funnel-like, thin and long basally, pointed at tip.

Distribution

China (Sichuan, Guangdong).

Remarks

Externally the new species is very similar to S. tytleri from Manipur, Assam ( Evans, 1914; 1949), but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: forewing upperside with spot in space M3, underside with spots in spaces M1 and M2; valva with the ventrodistal process symmetrical distally. The new species also resembles S. parawoolletti , but can be distinguished from the latter by the combination of the following characteristics: forewing underside with small white spots in spaces M1 and M2; hindwing underside with white spots in discoidal cell, spaces Rs and M3; juxta with lower margin gradually narrowed; valva with ventrodistal process distally rounded.

Both S. tytleri and the new species are the members of a vicariant species group of woolletti in sharing lateral processes of the tegument which is a unique feature of the group in the genus.

Figures

FIGURES 1 − 24. Adults of Scobura species: 1 − 4. S. cephaloides kinka Evans (Hainan), male (1 – 2), female (3 – 4); 5 – 6. S. isota (Swinhoe), male (Yunnan); 7 − 8. S. evansi Devyatkin, male (Guangdong); 9 – 12. S. coniata Hering (Guangdong), male (9 – 10), female (11, 12); 13 – 14. S. lyso (Evans), male (Zhejiang); 15 – 18. S. hainana (Gu & Wang) comb. nov. (Guangdong), male (15 − 16), female (17 − 18); 19 − 20. S. parawoolletti sp. nov., male (Hainan, holotype); 21 – 22. S. woolletti (Riley), male (Borneo); 23 − 24. S. stellata sp. nov., male (Guangdong, holotype). Odd number, upperside; even number, underside; scale bar, 10 mm.

FIGURES 70 − 74. Male genitalia of Scobura stellata sp. nov. (Guangdong, holotype). 70. ring, lateral view; 71. tegumen, dorsal view; 72. valva, inner view; 73. aedeagus; 74. juxta.