Disparia diluta variegata (Wilemani, 1910)

Wu, Shipher, 2015, Elucidating taxonomic problems of the genus Disparia Nagano, 1916 of Taiwan and its neighboring areas, with description of one new species (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae), Zootaxa 3918 (2), pp. 209-223 : 213-219

Disparia diluta variegata (Wilemani, 1910)

( Figs 11, 12, 15, 16 , 29–32 , 44 , 50–52 , 62–64, 71)

Fentonia variegata Wileman, 1910 , Entomol., 43: 290.

Pseudofentonia (Disparia) diluta variegata: Schintlmeister and Fang, 2001: 18 ; Wu and Fang, 2003: 520.

Pseudofentonia (Disparia) variegata: Schintlmeister, 1992: 127 ; Schintlmeister, 1997: 113.

Pseudofentonia variegata: Kobayashi & Chen, 2010: 180 , pl. 45: 4.

Disparia diluta variegata: Schintlmeister & Pinratana, 2007: 176 ; Schintlmeister, 2008: 253, 254, fig. 1187, pl. 26: 431; Kobayashi, 2011: 2-007-21-24.

Fentonia variegata sordida Wileman, 1910 , Entomol., 43: 290.

Fentonia variegata sordida ab. formosana Wileman, 1910, Entomol., 43: 290.

Fentonia sordida Wileman, 1911 , Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1911: 286, pl. 30: 8, preocc., nec Wileman, 1910.

Fentonia variegata japonensis Tams, 1927 , Entomol., 60: 53, replacement name for Fentonia sordida .

Material examined. Type material: Lectotype. ♂, TAIWAN, Formosa [= TAIWAN], Kanshirei, 1000 ft, 11-V- 1907, leg. A. E. Wileman (coll. BMNH)( Figs 11, 12 ). Additional material examined: JAPAN. 1♂, Honshu, Yamato Province, Yoshino, 7-VIII-1899, leg. A. E. Wileman, holotype of Fentonia sordida Wileman, 1911 (coll. BMNH)(Fgs. 15, 16). TAIWAN, 1♂, Taipei City, Neihu, Zhongyungshan, 275 m, 26-V-2011, leg. S. Wu; 1♂, same collecting locality, 6-V-2012, leg. S. Wu; 1♀, same collecting locality, 8-V-2012, leg. S. Wu; 2♂ 1♀, same collecting locality, 12-V-2012, leg. S. Wu; 1♂, same collecting locality, 17-V-2012, leg. S. Wu; 1♂, same collecting locality, 31-V-2012, leg. S. Wu; 1♂, Taipei City, Yangmingshan Campsite, 3-IV-1998, leg. M. M. Yang & M. L. Chan; 1♀, New Taipei City, Wulai, 400 m, 22-V-2012, leg. S. Wu; 1♀, New Taipei City, Pinling, Jianshanhu, 30-X-1992, leg. Y. B. Fan; 1♂, Miaoli County, Sani, 16–17-VI-1999, leg. C. S. Lin & W. T. Yang; 1♂, same collecting locality, 8–9-III-2000, leg. C. S. Lin &W. T. Yang; 1♂, Nantou County, Jenai, Nanshanchi, 17–19- V-1999, leg. W. T. Yang; 1♂, Pintung County, Mudan, 25-V-2012, leg. Y. C. Huang; 1♂, Pingtung County, Shouka, 450 m, 19-VII-2012, leg. Y. C. Lin; 1♂, same collecting locality, 8-IX-2011, leg. Y. C. Lin; 1♂, Yilan County, Fushan Botanical Garden, 750 m, 26-VIII-2008, leg. Chan & Huang; 2♂, same collecting locality, 14–16-V-2010, leg. W. T. Yang & Y. L. Chen; 1♀, Kaohsiung City, Maolin, Tona, 29–31-III-2005, leg. W. T. Yang; 5 mature larvae, Lian-Jiang, Matsu, Nangan, 14-VII-2012, leg. S. Wu & W. C. Chang (coll. TFRI).

Taxonomic notes. 1. The species Disparia diluta (Hampson, 1910) , including eight subspecies in the Indo- Australian regions, has been studied by Schintlmeister and Pinratana (2007), Schintlmeister (2008) and Schintlmeister and Lourens (2010). In these studies, the subspecies recognition is mainly based on wing patterns, in contrast, the male genitalia structures vary in different biogeographic regions and individuals ( Schintlmeister, 2008). The female genitalia between different subspecies, however, have never been examined and presently show no noticeable difference in specimens from India ( Fig. 69 ), Sumatra ( Fig. 70 ) and Taiwan ( Fig. 71 ), even through they belong to three subspecies with rather different wing patterns. Schintlmeister and Pinratana (2007: 176) stated that “at least more than one species will be recognized [from diluta ]”, however it is actually difficult to judge the subspecific identity of intermediate populations between adjacent biogeographic areas for this most widely distributed Disparia species in morphology.

2. The muddled taxonomic history beginning from the origin of the name “ Fentonia variegata sp. n., sordida Wileman , ined., ab. formosa nov.” in Wileman (1910) was elucidated by Tams (1927). At that time Tams illustrated and mentioned the differences of valval shape and male 8th abdominal sternum between Japanese and Taiwanese populations that he treated as two subspecies, i.e. D. variegata variegata and D. variegata japonensis Tams, 1927 , respectively. This kind of variation is here regarded to encompass the populations in Taiwan, Japan and southern China (e.g. Mts. Nanling), these populations can therefore be recognized as D. diluta variegata sensu Schintlmeister (2008) . The variation of wing patterns ( Figs 11, 15 , 17, 19–24 , 29 –32), male genitalia ( Figs 47–52 ), 8th abdominal sternum (Figs 59–64) and female genitalia (69–71) of sampled D. diluta specimens from N. India, Myanmar, Sumatra, S. China, Taiwan and Japan are illustrated. Besides, no remarkable difference can be found for the length of antennal rami.

3. The female paralectotype of Fentonia variegata is actually D. wilemani .

Diagnosis. The taxonomic problems and comparison of D. diluta variegata and D. wilemani are extensively mentioned in the preceding paragraphs.

Distribution and bionomics. This species is distributed widely from N. India, Nepal, SE Asia, China, Taiwan, Japan, Sumatra, Borneo and Philippines ( Schintlmeister, 2008; Kobayashi, 2011). The populations in Taiwan, Japan and S. China belong to the subspecies variegata . In Taiwan, it ranges widely in low elevation (275–800 m) primary forests. The species is presumably bivoltine and its adults occur mainly between April to August and also late October. Schintlmeister (2008: 254) mentioned the Taiwanese population can be found in mid-mountains (2500 m), this should be erroneous. The previous recorded “ Pseudofentonia (Disparia) diluta variegata sensu Fu and Tzuoo (2004: 111, pl. 51-6)” occurring between 2100–2275 m in central Taiwan is actually the newly described D. kobayashii sp. nov.

FIGURE 59–68. Male 8th abdominal segment of Disparia species. 59. D. diluta diluta (Hampson, 1910) , NE India; 60. ditto, Myanmar; 61. D. diluta sumatrana Schintlmeister, 2007 , Sumatra; 62. D. diuta variegata (Wileman, 1910) , Taiwan; 63. ditto, S. Japan; 64. ditto, S. China; 65. D. wilemani Matsumura, 1925 stat. rev., Taiwan; 66. D. maculata ( Moore, 1879) , Taiwan; 67. D. nigrofasciata (Wileman, 1910) , Taiwan; 68. D. kobayashii sp. nov., paratype, Taiwan. Courtesy of specimens: NSMT (59–61, 63, 64); TFRI (62, 65–68). Photo by Shipher Wu.

Figures

FIGURE 9 – 16. Disparia species from Japan and Taiwan. 9. D. wilemani Matsumura, 1925 stat. rev., male, lectotype, Taiwan; 10. ditto, labels; 11. Fentonia variegata Wileman, 1910, male, lectotype, Taiwan; 12. ditto, labels; 13. F. variegata (should be D. wilemani), female, paralectotype, Taiwan; 14. ditto, labels; 15. Fentonia sordida Wileman, 1911, male, holotype, Japan; 16. ditto, labels. Bar scale = 10 mm. Courtesy of specimens: HUFA (1), BMNH (1 – 4). Photo by Yen-Ling Chen (9, 10); Shipher Wu (11 – 16).

FIGURE 25 – 32. Disparia species from Taiwan. 25. D. wilemani Matsumura, 1925, male; 26. ditto, male, melanic form; 27. ditto, female; 28. ditto, female; 29. D. diluta variegata (Wilemani, 1910), male; 30. ditto, male, reared individual; 31. ditto, female; 32. ditto, male. Bar scale = 10 mm. Courtesy of specimens: TFRI (25 – 32). Photo by Shipher Wu.

FIGURE 41 – 46. Male antenna of Disparia species from Taiwan. 41. Fentonia nigrofasciata Wileman, 1910, holotype; 42. D. nigrofasciata (Wileman, 1910); 43. D. wilemani Matsumura, 1925 stat. rev.; 44. D. diuta variegata (Wileman, 1910); 45. D. maculata (Moore, 1879); 46. D. kobayashii sp. nov., paratype. Bar scale = 10 mm. Courtesy of specimens: BMNH (41); TFRI (42 – 46). Photo by Shipher Wu.

FIGURE 47 – 58. Male genitalia of Disparia species. 47. D. diluta diluta (Hampson, 1910), NE India; 48. ditto, Myanmar; 49. D. diluta sumatrana Schintlmeister, 2007, Sumatra; 50. D. diuta variegata (Wileman, 1910), Taiwan; 51. ditto, S. Japan; 52. ditto, S. China; 53. D. wilemani Matsumura, 1925 stat. rev.; 54. ditto, melanic form, Taiwan; 55. D. kobayashii sp. nov., holotype, Taiwan; 56. ditto, paratype, Taiwan; 57. D. maculata (Moore, 1879), Taiwan; 58. D. nigrofasciata (Wileman, 1910), Taiwan. Courtesy of specimens: NSMT (47 – 49, 51 – 52); TFRI (50, 53 – 58). Photo by Shipher Wu.

FIGURE 69 – 75. Female genitalia of Disparia species. 69. D. diluta diluta (Hampson, 1910), NE India; 70. D. diluta sumatrana Schintlmeister, 2007, Sumatra; 71. D. diuta variegata (Wileman, 1910), Taiwan; 72. D. nigrofasciata (Wileman, 1910), Taiwan; 73. D. maculata (Moore, 1879), Taiwan; 74. D. wilemani Matsumura, 1925 stat. rev., Taiwan; 75. D. kobayashii sp. nov., paratype, Taiwan. Bar scale = 1 mm. Courtesy of specimens: NSMT (69, 70); TFRI (71 – 75). Photo by Shipher Wu.

FIGURE 17 – 24. Disparia diluta (Hampson, 1910). 17. Stauropus diluta Hampson, 1910, male, lectotype, N. India; 18. ditto, labels; 19. D. diluta diluta (Hampson, 1910), male, N. India; 20. ditto, female, N. India; 21. ditto male, Myanmar; 22. D. diluta variegata (Wileman, 1910), male, S. China; 23. ditto, male, S. Japan; 24. D. diluta sumatrana Schintlmeister, 2007. Bar scale = 10 mm. Courtesy of specimens: BMNH (17 – 19), NSMT (20 – 24). Photo by Shipher Wu.