Aemona gialaica Monastyrskii, K. Saito & Vu, 2021

Monastyrskii, Alexander L. & Lien, Vu Van, 2021, New taxa and new records of butterflies from Vietnam (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea), Zootaxa 5048 (4), pp. 486-510 : 502-505

Aemona gialaica Monastyrskii, K. Saito & Vu spec. nov.

( Figs. 11C–F , 12 )

Description: Male: length of forewing: HT 37 mm; PTs 37-38

Upperside. ( Figure 12A ). Forewing weakly falcate; ground colour pale orange with slight brownish tinge on basal and subbasal areas; apex and terminal (marginal) fascia is brown; hindwing ground colour uniformly dirty orange

Underside ( Figure 12B ). Ground colour of both wings uniformly pale fulvous; they bear dark brown fasciae in sub-basal and postdiscal areas; subterminal area on the forewing bears white pupiled round spot in cell Cu 1a; subterminal area on hindwing bears a series of small round, white pupiled spots within cells Rs-Cu 1b.

Female: length of forewing: PT 41.2 mm.

Upperside. ( Figure 12C ). Forewing ground colour uniformly dark brown from basal to discal area; apical area blackish brown with thin blackish terminal fascia from apex to termen; between apex and discal area postdiscal yellowish band. Nearly all of hindwing uniformly dark brown with slightly paler ochreous patches at Rs and M 1.

Underside. ( Figure 12D ). Outer forewing greyish area extending from apex to dorsum is separated from other parts of the wing by dark brown fascia; another part of the forewing has a uniformly brown ground colour; the thin sub-basal dark brown fascia crosses discal cell and abuts at the vein 1A+2A. Outer hindwing greyish brown area extending from apex to tornus is separated from darker brown discal area which also separated from basal and subbasal areas; series of subterminal whitish round spots extends from cell Rs to Cu 1b with largest spot in cell Cu 1a

Male genitalia ( Figure 11C–E ) Generally, the genitalia of the new species is similar to A. tonkinensis ( Figure 11G–J ). In particular, the uncus, tegumen, gnathos, and valvae of specimens from Kon Ka Kinh are similar to those A. tonkinensis , though the apical part of the claspers is more elongated and evenly rounded with a spatula-like shape ( Figure 11E ). The most conspicuous character of the new species is a structure of its phallus ( Figures 11C, D ). In lateral view the phallus is more or less evenly thick from the base to distal part and smoothly curved in the centre ( Figure 11C ); the sclerotised rib is not very long and covered with spines only in the central part ( Figures 11 C, D ). In dorsal view the phallus is straight and broadened at the distal end.

Female genitalia ( Figure 11F ). The most distinctive character of the female genitalia in species of Aemona amathusia — group is shape and size of lamella antevaginalis. In A. gialaica and A. tonkinensis , the shape of this structure are similar. However, in A. gialaica , the dorsal part of lamella antevaginalis is flat and lacks any excavation, whereas the lamella in A. tonkinensis has a visible concavity ( Figure 11F, J ).

Diagnosis and discussion. The new species resembles A. tonkinensis . Both species have similar wing shapes and patterns. However, the males are slightly smaller, and the upperside of both wings darker. In A. gialaica , the phallus is more or less straight in dorsal view ( Figure 11D ). The sclerotised rib on the dorsal side of the phallus is shorter than in A. tonkinensis and shifted at its base; the rib is covered with only a few spines and only in the central part of the phallus ( Figure 11C ). The tip of the clasper is elongated and densely covered with spines arranged in rows mostly along the ventral side. In the female of new species shape of the lamella antevaginalis is similar in shape to A. tonkinensis from northern Vietnam and A. peali distributed in Manipur and southern Shan States in Myanmar.

Type material: Holotype ♂: CENTRAL VIETNAM, Gia Lai province, Mang Yang district , A yun commune, Kon Ka Kinh N.P., 21.V.2018; evergreen forest at 900 m; leg. ALM ; Paratypes 2♂: same location and habitat as the HT, 24.V.2018; 22.V.2018; ALM leg .; 1♂ 1♀ CENTRAL VIETNAM, Gia Lai province, Chu Dang Ya, Pleiku , 08.V.2017, alt. 800– 1,250 m; leg. T. Miyagawa; ex. coll. K. Saito.

Distribution and habitats. This newly elevated species from Quang Ngai and Gia Lai (Kon Chu Rang N.R. and Kon Ka Kinh N.P.) provinces increases the remarkable number of Aemona species found in the Central Vietnamese Highlands. These species are distributed from lower forest habitats (400–600 m) to high montane forest at 1,600 – 1,700 m). The new species was discovered between 900– 1,000 m.

Etymology: This taxon is named after type locality—Con Son Island.

Figures

FIGURE 11. A–B—Aemona infuscata Devyatkin & Monastyrskii, stat. rev.: A—phallus in lateral view; B—ditto in ventral view; C–E—Genitalia of the male and female Aemona gialaica Monastyrskii, K. Saito & Vu, spec. nov.,: E—general structure of the male genitalia in lateral view, ♂PT; D—phallus in dorsal view; C—phallus in lateral view; F—the female genitalia in ventral view, ♀PT; G–J—Genitalia of the male and female Aemona tonkinensis Rothschild, 1916: I—general structure of the male genitalia in lateral view; H—phallus in dorsal view; G—phallus in lateral view; J—the female genitalia in ventral view, spec. La—lamella antevaginalis; Db—ductus bursae; St—sterigma

FIGURE 12. A–B—Aemona gialaica Monastyrskii, K. Saito & Vu, subspec. nov., ♂HT—central Vietnam, Gia Lai province, Kon Ka Kinh N.P.; C–D—ditto, ♀PT—Gia Lai, Pleiku